Attrition In Education Research Articles

“We are left to fend for ourselves”: understanding why teachers struggle to support students’ mental health

Student mental health is linked to improved learning, and there has been significant international investment in policies, practices, and programs focused on preventing and responding to mental health conditions amongst young people. Accordingly, the number of mental health and wellbeing interventions now being implemented in education settings continues to grow, despite a lack of research on teacher readiness to implement such interventions. Numerous studies have associated educator stress and burnout with increased workloads, yet the complexity of student needs, coupled with an ongoing lack of support, continue to result in high rates of educator attrition. This paper presents the findings of a recent mixed methods study of educators from schools and universities in Australia. The research approach included three key activities: (i) a systematic document review and synthesis of literature and policy documents, (ii) a validated “teacher worry” questionnaire that explores reasons for worry amongst educators, and (iii) qualitative interviews with key stakeholders, including educational psychologists, teachers, and preservice education coordinators. Correlation analysis suggests a relationship between individual sources of worry and intention to leave the profession, while thematic analysis offers insights into the experiences of educators, and their need for better support. Overall, the findings suggest that although teachers are already heavily burdened by their workload, they are increasingly subject to elevated expectations of dealing with diverse students’ needs and behaviors. The research also indicates that educators’ stress and poor mental health reduces their motivation to help students to reach academic goals.

Unveiling Dropout Patterns: A Python-Powered Analysis of Student Attrition in School Education

Student dropout rates pose a significant challenge in Gujarat, India, affecting both societal welfare and economic development. This study aims to diagnose and predict student dropout patterns using data analytics and machine learning (ML) algorithms. Extensive datasets from Gujarat's educational authorities are preprocessed with Python libraries such as Pandas and NumPy, ensuring quality and consistency. Exploratory data analysis (EDA) uncovers insights and trends, while feature engineering extracts relevant characteristics for ML models. The study implements ML algorithms Random Forest (RF), Decision Trees (DT), Logistic Regression (LR), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), AdaBoost, XGBoost, Support Vector Machine(SVM) to construct predictive models. The findings reveal critical factors influencing dropout rates and assess model performance using model accuracy. This research provides novel insights into student dropout rates in Gujarat, offering a comprehensive, data-driven approach to address educational attrition and guide targeted intervention strategies and policy recommendations for improving educational outcomes in the region.

Why Students Leave Their Majors: A Meta-Ethnography

The purpose of this research is to examine and integrate the findings of several qualitative studies on student attrition in higher education to identify the factors that influenced study participants’ decisions to switch out or drop out of their initially chosen majors. This meta-ethnography included nine qualitative studies that were analyzed using Noblit and Hare's (1988) seven-step approach to the synthesis of qualitative research. Findings indicate that study participants shared feelings of being underprepared for the academic challenges associated with their chosen majors, that they experienced a lack of support throughout their experience as students in their programs, and that the combination of the lack of preparation and lack of support led students to feel overwhelmed. The findings suggest that students who choose to leave their majors may need additional support from those in their academic areas of interest, as well as from academic advisors.

State-Based Evaluation of the Workforce Pipeline from Paramedic Program Enrollment to Agency Affiliation

Objectives The strength and stability of the paramedic workforce is dependent on the continual flow of EMS clinicians into the field. Workforce entry requires three distinct steps: program completion, certification attainment, and affiliation with an EMS agency. At each of these steps, future EMS clinicians may be lost to the workforce but the contribution of each is unknown. Our objective was to evaluate these inflection points using a state-based registry of EMS clinicians from their point of entry into the EMS education system to eventual EMS agency affiliation. Methods This is a retrospective cohort evaluation of paramedic students in the Commonwealth of Virginia. We included any student who enrolled in a paramedic program in 2017 or 2018. Data were provided by the Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services, who tracks the development of EMS clinicians from the point of entry into an educational program through their affiliation with an EMS agency upon employment. Our primary outcomes include proportions of enrolled students who complete a program, graduating students who attain national/state certification, and nationally certified EMS clinicians who affiliate with an EMS agency. Proportions were calculated at each step and compared to the overall population of students enrolled. Results In 2017 and 2018, 775 and 603 students were enrolled in paramedic programs, respectively. Approximately a quarter of students did not complete their paramedic program (2017: 25% [192/775]; 2018: 28% [170/603]). Of those who graduated, the proportion of students not gaining certification was lower (2017: 11% [62/583]; 2018: 17% [75/433]). Of those who certified, those not affiliating was similarly low (2017: 15% [77/521]; 2018: 13% [46/358]). Evaluating the effect of each of these steps on the total entry into the workforce, nearly half of those who originally enrolled did not join the workforce through agency affiliation (2017: 43% [331/775]; 2018: 48% [291/603]). Conclusions There are multiple areas to enhance retention of potential EMS trainees from program enrollment to EMS agency affiliation. This analysis suggests that educational attrition has a larger impact on the availability of new paramedics than certification examinations or agency affiliation decisions, though is limited to a singular state evaluation.

Exploring Early Career Teacher Attrition and Career Switching in Higher Education: A Narrative Study

Teacher attrition and career switching from teaching to non-teaching professions are global phenomena in the field of education. Empirical evidence shows that almost 50% of early career school teachers voluntarily leave teaching within five years. This qualitative study examines the narratives of two former Bangladeshi private university lecturers who reluctantly left teaching after five (lecturer A) and four years (lecturer B) respectively of full-time university teaching. Using Smith and Ulvik’s conceptual framework, which thematizes the case of leaving teaching in a four-stage process (i.e., pre-teaching career thought, entry, primary experience, and exit), this study employs a pathogenic perspective of teacher attrition and collects teaching leavers’ narratives. The data analysis utilizes Connelly and Clandinin’s three tools of narrative analysis: broadening, burrowing, and re-storing. The findings and implications are discussed.

Teenage Pregnancy and Education: An Analysis of Dropout Rates in Selected Public Schools in Kabwe District, Zambia

This study used a mixed-methods case descriptive design to investigate the impact of teenage pregnancy on dropout rates in public schools in Kabwe District, Zambia. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of teenage pregnancy and its effects on dropout patterns, identify socioeconomic and cultural factors contributing to educational attrition among pregnant teenagers, assess long-term consequences of teenage pregnancy on educational trajectories, and propose evidence-based recommendations. Data collection methods included interviews, questionnaires, and document analysis. Key findings were that guidance teachers and parents can significantly reduce teenage pregnancy, but more joint efforts are needed. Detrimental impacts on schooling included dropout, delayed completion, lack of concentration, and psychological consequences. It is crucial for all stakeholders to work collaboratively in supporting young women's education and empowerment. The study provides insights into these complex issues in Zambia and recommends comprehensive multi-sectoral approaches to address teenage pregnancy and promote sustainable education.

Innovative multimodal Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) supervision practices for master’s and doctoral candidates

Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) is on the rise to cater to non-traditional students. However, the surge in master's and doctoral students opting for ODeL raises concerns about the quality and timely completion of degrees. Existing literature on student attrition in higher education indicates that both student-related factors and institutional variables significantly impact completion rates. Factors such as students' sense of connection or isolation, as well as institutional aspects like supervisor responsiveness to feedback and feedforward, contribute to student persistence. To address this early attrition and extended stays in postgraduate studies, a community of practice (CoP), comprising lecturers and master’s and doctoral students was formed. The CoP employed the Social Learning Theory (SLT) approach to initiate collaborative partnerships designed to promote a research culture and explore alternative approaches to curb master’s and doctoral late completion and attrition. This paper reports on a study undertaken to explore the experiences, perceptions and insights of master’s and doctoral candidates regarding the implementation of innovative multimodal Open Distance e-Learning supervision practices. Grounded in SLT, the exploratory case study employed an open-ended questionnaire to gather data from the students participating in the support programme. The findings revealed the positive impact of innovative practices on candidates' academic development and overall research experience. The findings further demonstrated that virtual communication tools have significantly enhanced collaboration between candidates and supervisors, breaking down geographical barriers and facilitating real-time feedback and guidance. The innovative multimodal OdeL supervision practices gave master’s and doctoral candidates flexibility and increased their learning engagement.

More Than Just a “Nod” to Care: Expanding Nel Noddings’ Ethics of Care Framework to Sustain Educator Resilience

ABSTRACT This year-long, iterative, school-research project investigated how educators working in a U.S. alternative school are resilient and flourish in their work. The study yielded timely findings critical to inform relevant education policies and practices in light of the current educator attrition crisis: 1) an expansion of Nel Noddings’ model of care ethics in education; 2) the centrality of expanded adult-to-adult care relations, across multiple socio-ecological levels within schools, to educator resilience, and 3) the need for policies supporting expanded care-centric leadership practices which are attentive and responsive to the “emotional calendar” and situational contexts across the academic year.

Human Resource Management and Teacher Attrition in Secondary Education in Cameroon

Human Resource Management and Teacher Attrition in Secondary Education in Cameroon

TikTok as a lens into teacher attrition: perspectives from #teacherquittok

PurposeA key social networking site for teachers, TikTok offers a new and valuable lens on educator attrition. This study aims to explore social media’s role in the increased transparency around leaving the profession and the online narratives crafted around transitioning out of the classroom.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on the conceptual framework of emergent storytelling and a recursive thematic analysis of videos and comments posted to the #teacherquittok hashtag on TikTok, this study examines how teachers are using social media to share their experiences of exiting the classroom.FindingsThe authors find that teachers used TikTok to share personal accounts that form a meta-narrative that provides context to their decisions to leave, share stories of loss and gain through negotiating the transition out of the classroom and finally debate the implications for preservice teachers. The authors discuss key takeaways for rethinking teacher support, teacher education and the role of social media in teachers’ professional lives.Originality/valueWhile many studies seek to understand teacher attrition, this work examines how teachers’ stories shared on social media may be shaping attrition into an increasingly networked and narrated act.

The influence of gender, age and race on attrition in distance education: reality construction through the lens of a deficit model

The influence of gender, age and race on attrition in distance education: reality construction through the lens of a deficit model

Designing and evaluating a big data analytics approach for predicting students’ success factors

Reducing student attrition in tertiary education plays a significant role in the core mission and financial well-being of an educational institution. The availability of big data source from the Learning Management System (LMS) can be analysed to help with the attrition issues. This study aims to use an integrated Design Science Research (DSR) methodology to develop and evaluate a novel Big Data Analytical Solution (BDAS) as an educational decision support artefact. The BDAS as DSR artefact utilises Artificial Intelligence (AI) approaches to predict potential students at risk. Identifying students at risk helps to take timely intervention in the learning process to improve student academic progress for increasing their retention rate. To evaluate the performance of the predictive model, we compare the accuracy of the collection of representational AI algorithms in the literature. The study utilized an integrated DSR methodology founded on the similarities of DSR and design based research (DBR) to design and develop the proposed BDAS employing an specific evaluation framework that works on real data scenarios. The BDAS does not only aimto replace any existing practice but also support educators to implement a variety of pedagogical practices for improving students’ academic performance.

Educator Attrition and Mobility During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Using 7 years of administrative data from North Carolina public schools (NCPS), we track changes in teacher and principal attrition and mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic and assess how attrition is related to characteristics of educators and schools. We find that educator attrition and mobility increased sharply between Fall 2020 and Fall 2022. Data from the pandemic period indicate that educators of color and more effective educators have experienced larger increases in attrition than their White and less effective peers. Gaps in teacher attrition have narrowed between schools educating many versus few historically marginalized students.

Predicting Student Attrition in Higher Education through the Determinants of Learning Progress: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

Higher education policies are designed to facilitate students’ learning progression and academic success. Following Tinto’s integration theory and Bean’s attrition model, this study proposes a research model to investigate whether students prone to attrition can be pre-emptively identified through self-evaluating academic factors contributing to their learning progress. Theoretically, the learning progress is identified with student success, represented by factors amenable to intervention including the interaction with peers and instructors, teaching effectiveness, exam scores, absenteeism, students’ effort, and academic course-related variables. An exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of 530 undergraduate students revealed that the indicators of learning progress in such students were channeled into two constructs. The results indicated that the teacher effectiveness and learning materials contributed most to the learning progress. Structural equation modelling revealed that the learning progress variables have a significant impact on students’ attrition status. A multi-group analysis confirmed the academic semesters to be a moderator in the mediating effects of the students’ grade point average (GPA). This model functions as a framework to design a student-oriented learning system promoting students’ learning experience and academic success.

The Shifting Context of Special Education Teachers’ Work

We used five waves of nationally representative data over 16 years from the Schools and Staffing Survey, National Teacher Principal Survey, and Teacher Follow-up Survey to descriptively examine how the roles, responsibilities, preparation, and supports for special educators have changed over time. We then used regression to investigate how these variables were associated with special educator attrition. This information is essential to ensure teacher education adequately prepares special educators for the contexts in which they work. We identified some changes in special educators’ work environment, including substantially increased use of team teaching. Our results indicated special educator attrition declined from 2000 to 2012, and this decline was primarily driven by reductions in movement between schools. Regression analysis provided little insight into the variables associated with this decline, suggesting a need for future research.

Preparedness of Deaf and Hard of Hearing High School Students’ for Undergraduate Education in the Al-Qassim Region of Saudi Arabia

Even though obtaining a university degree creates significant socioeconomic benefit, student success or attrition in higher education is deeply affected by their preparedness for this level of the educational journey. Hence, this study endeavored to examine the perceptions of deaf and hard of hearing (D/HH) Saudi high school students regarding their preparedness and readiness to enroll in undergraduate programs. This study employed a quantitative approach to investigate student preparedness using an electronically-distributed survey to obtain responses from 132 individuals. The study revealed that although overall most D/HH students feel they are prepared to enroll in undergraduate programs, gender and type of hearing loss were found to have significant effect on the respondents’ self-perceptions. The results of this research can provide educators with valuable insight into the preparedness of Saudi D/HH high school students to enroll in universities. This understanding can also shed light on how educators can create accommodations in the curriculum to support this population as they transition to college as well as guide educators and other stakeholders in how to teach and assess Saudi D/HH high school students to prepare them for undergraduate programs to increase retention, and graduation.
 
 Received: 16 November 2021 / Accepted: 24 December 2021 / Published: 5 May 2022

Implications of failure on students who have repeated a class in a faculty of pharmacy

IntroductionAcademic failure is a major contributor to attrition in pharmacy education, and this attrition is also associated with other effects that are secondary fallouts of academic failure. This study sought to assess the emotional implications and overall psychological impact of academic failure among students who repeated at least one class in the pharmacy program at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Nigeria. MethodsThe study involved 177 students from the 200 level to 500 level at the School of Pharmacy, OAU who had repeated at least one class. A pretested questionnaire was administered using a random sampling method. The questionnaire was divided into four sections assessing demographics, the academic emotions caused by academic failure, the psychological effects of failure, and the possible effects of academic failure on subsequent performance. ResultsResults indicated that the most common emotions among students who had repeated a class included shame (80%), anger (77.4%), anxiety (61%), and boredom (61%), which are all negative academic emotions. The repurposed Impact of Event Scale gave a median score of 41 out of a possible 42. Respondents also agreed that feelings of boredom, anger, anxiety, and shame subsequently impacted class attendance, learning, and test preparation. ConclusionsThe study showed that students who had repeated at least one class experienced negative academic emotions and may have suffered symptoms typical of post-traumatic stress disorder. These emotional effects of academic failure were also noted to impact subsequent academic performance.

563-P: The Relationship between Educational Attainment and Attrition Rates among Participants in the National Diabetes Prevention Program

Research shows that education plays a critical role in participants’ commitment to public health programs. While participants’ age and race/ethnicity have been shown to be associated with attrition in the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP), the effect of education remains uncertain. Using data from the CDC Diabetes Prevention Recognition Program, we examined the relationship between educational attainment and attrition rates. We included the study population who enrolled from March 2018 through February 2019 and had the opportunity to attend for at least one year. Cumulative attrition rates were calculated by delivery mode: in-person, online, distance-learning, and combination. Education was categorized as follows: <high school (HS), HS graduate, 1-3 years college, and college graduate. We used cross-tabulation method with chi-square tests in our analyses. The study population (N=313,150) was 74.8% female and 65.5% white, with a mean age of 49.1 years (SD: 12.5) and mean BMI of 35.0 kg/m2 (SD: 7.1). Participants with lower educational attainment had significantly higher cumulative attrition rates compared to those with higher educational attainment among programs delivered in-person (through Session 5: 20.4% in <high school (HS) group vs. 12.5% in HS graduate group vs. 9.3% in 1-3 years college group vs. 8.4% in college graduate group, p<0.05) and distance-learning programs; by contrast, differences were not significant in online and combination programs. This pattern continued through Session 16, when similar attrition rates emerged from all education groups. These findings highlight the need for new strategies to better engage participants in the National DPP, especially those with lower educational attainment. Disclosure X. Zhang: None. M. Cannon: None. B. Ng: None. E. Ely: None. Funding Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Emotional Job Demands of Special Education: A Qualitative Study of Alternatively Certified Novices’ Emotional Induction

As of 2015, approximately one in five special educators received licensure through an alternative pathway. Although evidence suggests that emotional exhaustion contributes to special educator attrition, few studies examine firsthand the emotional experiences of novice, alternatively certified special educators. Guided by Tuxford and Bradley’s model of emotional job demands, we explore the ways in which eight teachers perceive and navigate their new profession. Findings indicate that novice special educators (a) experience a range of intense emotions, ranging from extreme pride to deep despair, (b) regulate emotional displays toward students and colleagues to meet professional norms, and (c) invest in the emotional well-being and development of their students. Participants report widespread barriers to this work. Results have implications for researchers, teachers, and administrators interested in retaining novice special educators, and point to several clear pathways for future research in this important and under-researched area of teacher induction.

Bachelor of Education Honors Students’ Attrition in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education

<p style="text-align: justify;">This paper represents a revolutionary advancement in our knowledge of postgraduate education which is of increasing significance to national knowledge systems. South African universities produce 26 doctoral graduates for every one million citizens. This means that the low doctoral graduates’ throughput is a huge challenge in South Africa and needs to be addressed. The paper investigated the challenges experienced by postgraduate students (Honors) at an institution of higher education in Limpopo province of South Africa. The group studied consisted of postgraduate students (Honors) from the Department of Mathematics Science and Technology Education, Faculty of Education. Using a qualitative approach, open-ended questionnaire and interview data were collected from eight participants. Data were analyzed thematically and the results revealed that students find it difficult to walk the landmine-infested postgraduate education road without means to shield themselves from the subsequent explosion. The study recommends aspects that improve postgraduate programs’ performance in the Department of Mathematics Science and Technology Education.</p>