Attrition In Education Research Articles

A Review on Student Attrition in Higher Education Using Big Data Analytics and Data Mining Techniques

A Review on Student Attrition in Higher Education Using Big Data Analytics and Data Mining Techniques

Special Education Teacher Attrition and Retention: A Review of the Literature

High rates of attrition make it challenging for schools to provide qualified special education teachers for students with disabilities, especially given chronic teacher shortages. We synthesize 30 studies from 2002 to 2017, examining factors associated with special educator attrition and retention, including (a) teacher preparation and qualifications, (b) school characteristics, (c) working conditions, and (d) teacher demographic and nonwork factors. Most studies examined working conditions (e.g., demands, administrative and collegial supports, resources, compensation) among special educators who left teaching, moved to other positions, transferred to general education teaching, or indicated that they intended to stay or leave. The majority of researchers used quantitative methods to analyze national, state, or other survey data, while eight used qualitative methods. Our critique identifies both strengths and weaknesses of this literature, suggests research priorities, and outlines specific implications for policy makers and leaders.

Evidence-Based Course Design: Does It Matter?

Distance education poses challenges in the process of learning that are unique to its method of delivery. In distance education attrition rates often exceed those associated with traditional programs (Killion et al., 2011). Strategies designed to facilitate student success in online education will promote student retention and support national initiatives for the advancement of education of the RN workforce as many nurses seek educational advancement through distance education (CCNE, 2013b; IOM, 2010). The purpose of this non-experimental exploratory project was to examine the difference in student satisfaction and end-of-course grades in an online RN-BSN completion program. Courses were developed in alignment with nationally recognized evidence-based design standards versus courses designed traditionally. Retrospective data was used to compare satisfaction ratings and end-of-course grades for students enrolled in courses of an online RN-BSN completion program two semesters before or two semesters after the courses were aligned with evidence-based design standards. A total of 782 participants were included in the project (n = 710 women and 72 men). The study sites’ end-of-course survey was used as the instrument to measure student satisfaction. Using independent sample t-testing and Mann Whitney U testing, analysis demonstrated no consistent statistical difference in student satisfaction scores or end-of-course grades. It is likely that faculty training related to evidence-based design standards two years before the program’s formal alignment initiative contributed to the lack of significance in the findings. A longer period for monitoring the impact of the evidence-based design structure is a recommendation for further study.

Elsőéves egyetemi hallgatók szövegértés-fejlettsége és olvasási attitűdjei

A felsőoktatási lemorzsolódás csökkentésében jelentős szerepe lehet egy olyan támogató rendszer kialakításának, amely objektív képet ad a hallgatók előzetes tudásáról, képességeiről, valamint igazodik azok aktuális fejlettségi szintjéhez. A Szegedi Tudományegyetemen egy átfogó projekt keretében a hallgatói lemorzsolódás kezelésére alkalmas szolgáltatások kifejlesztésének első pilléreként kidolgoztak egy olyan online értékelési rendszert, amely segítségével meghatározható, hogy a hallgatók a tanulási sikeresség szempontjából meghatározó jelentőségű területeken milyen induló képességszinttel kezdik meg egyetemi tanulmányaikat, melyek azok a területek, ahol a lemorzsolódás csökkentése és az egyetemi tanulmányok hatékonyságának növelése érdekében további fejlesztésre szorulnak (Molnár és Csapó, 2019). A tanulás és fejlődés, iskolai és társadalmi boldogulás szempontjából kulcsfontosságú készség a szövegértés, ezért e terület mérése 2015-től, a projekt kezdetétől minden szeptemberben megvalósul. Jelen tanulmány célja a felsőfokú tanulmányaikat 2017-ben megkezdő hallgatók (N=1351) szövegértés és olvasási attitűd eredményeinek bemutatása néhány háttérváltozó tükrében. Adataink alapján kevés hallgató teljesítménye esett az átlagnál egy szórásnyival gyengébb tartományba, így feltételezhetően csekély a valószínűsége, hogy szövegértési nehézségek fogják a vizsgálatban részt vevők lemorzsolódását okozni. Figyelemre méltó, hogy bár esetenként az elemzések mind a szövegformák, mind a nem tekintetében igazoltak szignifikáns különbségeket, mértékük elhanyagolható, ezek vonatkozásában pedagógiai intervenció, odafigyelés nem látszik szükségesnek. Adataink nem csak arra engednek következtetni, hogy a vizsgált populáció túlnyomó része rendelkezik az egyetemi tanulmányokhoz szükséges szövegértési képességgel, de azt is igazolják, hogy az elsőéves hallgatók pozitív attitűddel rendelkeznek az olvasás iránt, s akiknek a szövegértése jobb, az olvasási attitűdje is pozitívabb, mint azoknak, akiknek a teljesítménye gyengébb.

Combating Special Educator Attrition: Mentor Teachers’ Perceptions of Job Satisfaction, Resiliency, and Retention

AbstractSpecial educator attrition is a major problem in the United States (US) and in many countries worldwide. In the present study, we investigated the experiences of 5 highly successful special education teachers serving students with autism spectrum disorder in the central Florida area of the US with particular attention to factors associated with teacher retention. A phenomenological research design was employed to identify factors leading participants to persevere where others have not. A representative sample was included of multiple teachers in classrooms of varying grade levels and school districts across central Florida as part of a funded project by the Office of Special Education Services and the U.S. Department of Education. Findings include that teachers of students with ASD who are involved in extracurricular activities may show a lowered burnout rate.

Evaluating sociocultural influences affecting participation and understanding of academic support services and programs (SSPs): Impacts on notions of attrition, retention, and success in higher education

While no major change in relation to student attrition and retention data has been recorded over the past 20 years, the increasingly neoliberal agenda imposed on Australian higher education institutions has led to increased scrutiny around such data. In this case study, we explore discourses of attrition and retention to understand better the unique needs of students, and influences of targeted student support programs, as they transition to a regional higher education learning environment. We applied a mixed methods approach via a poststructuralist lens to identify frequency of nodes in relation to dimensions of the Kahu’s conceptual framework of engagement, antecedents and consequences model and present staff ( n=6) and student ( n=7) perceptions about the tangible value of knowledge, engagement, participation, and reportable outcomes of student support programs. Our findings indicate that staff tend to view student support programs from deficit discourses, whereas students view them as empowering.

Teacher Attrition in Special Education: Perspectives From the Field

In the field of special education, attrition plays a major role in a persistent teacher shortage problem. Over the past few decades, researchers in general education and special education have investigated the various reasons why new teachers leave the field and ways in which they can be better supported to stay in their positions. Despite the increased focus on why new special education teachers leave the field, the knowledge related to teacher attrition in special education is still somewhat limited when compared with the field of general education. For example, previous research has heavily relied on survey research to understand teacher attrition, but these methods may limit some of the important information related to the complexity of why a teacher might leave the field or their job within the first few years. In this study, the authors conduct several Nominal Group Technique (NGT) focus groups to learn more about the perceived needs of new special education teachers. Focus groups are held with three specific groups, preservice special education teachers, new special education teachers, and school administrators to further investigate the potential differences in perceptions about the needs and roles of new special education teachers.

What Can We Still Offer? Understanding Student Support in Distance Education Teacher Preparation Programs

Most literature underscores that there is general high student attrition in distance education. Such literature emphasises that lack of relational and academic support is largely to blame for the attrition in distance education. Literature on students support in distance education seems to indicate an institutional responsibility to curbing attrition. Realising that the previous assertion is an incomplete understanding of factors that influence attrition in distance education, the present study focused on understanding the self-efficacy qualities that students require to complete their degree programs. The research was theoretically underpinned by Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. The study used a quantitative approach. The study’s population comprised of 1800 distance education students at Solusi University. Stratified sampling was used to select 360 students who were respondents. Data was collected using a 10 itemed Likert scale Generalised Self-Efficacy questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis was used for data analysis. The results indicate that students require coping, proactive, ingenuity, problem solving and tenacity as self- efficacy dispositions to complete their distance education studies. From the study’s findings, it is recommended that student support research in distance education focus on nurturing students’ self-efficacy dispositions that enhance their academic performance.Â

Academic Momentum and Undergraduate Student Attrition: Comparative Analysis in US and Russian Universities

Student attrition in postsecondary education is a significant public policy problem. Nations invest substantial resources in college systems, and when students leave, this investment is lost. To understand the factors that influence student attrition in US and Russian public universities, we use the perspective of academic momentum, defined empirically as measures representing student enrollment and study progress. Using a discrete-time event history analysis of samples of eight US and two Russian universities, we provide support for the central claims of the academic momentum theory that undergraduate students who progress through college more rapidly have a lower likelihood of attrition. However, a more detailed analysis reveals variability in the relationship between several academic momentum measures and student attrition, depending on a university’s selectivity and the student’s chosen academic field and gender.

Measuring Undergraduate Students’ Construction Education Domain Self-Efficacy, Motivation, and Planned Behavior: Validation of a Concise Survey Instrument

ABSTRACTReducing attrition in education and training is an important strategy for addressing unmet U.S. construction industry workforce demands. This study investigated the psychometric properties of a more concise construction-domain specific survey instrument, the Construction Training Attitudes and Intentions Scale (CTAIS), using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Results yielded an abbreviated 28-item instrument and 4-factor model. CTAIS factors; Construction Education Self-Efficacy (CESE), Motivation (CEM), Planned Effort (CEPE) and Perceived Completion Value (CECV) were tested for convergent, discriminant, and known-groups validity. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted initially to confirm the instrument’s factor structure. CFA was employed to compare the hypothesized four-factor model to a single-factor model; fit indices were acceptable with nine items removed given discrepancies. Based on the demonstrated instrument reliability and validity, the abbreviated CTAIS provides a useful quantitative metric that can be completed quickly by participants while still assessing the constructs shown to predict education performance and attrition within the specific domain of construction training and education.

Framing attrition in higher education: a complex problem

This study situates student attrition within the strategic framework of Australian public universities. It draws on organisational theory to describe higher education within a bureaucratic framework. The study uses a quantitative approach to undertake a content analysis of attrition and retention policy statements from all Australian universities. This reveals that Australian universities, and the higher education sector as a whole, are attempting to address attrition within their existing bureaucracies. Attrition however is a wicked problem that includes many variables outside the influence of universities, which limits the potential of strategic approaches to problem solving. The practical implications of these findings are that current approaches to attrition are likely to fail. The wicked nature of the attrition problem needs to be taken into account when developing strategies or policies within higher education.

Retiro y completación en educación superior. Algunas pistas para repensar programas de intervención

Este artículo busca problematizar el concepto de deserción en educación superior en América Latina. Para las instituciones de educación superior que diseñan estrategias pro-retención es necesario asumir una definición precisa del fenómeno, lo que permite acotar la magnitud del mismo. Por ello se busca aportar información en dos sentidos, en primer lugar con la distinción entre retiro y deserción, y en segundo lugar, con la diferenciación entre la retención y completación. Además, el trabajo hace un quiebre con perspectivas disciplinares y propone tres tipos de factores asociados a la completación y el retiro en educación superior, factores que actúan de forma concomitante, razón por la cual fue necesario abordar esta problemática desde una perspectiva multidisciplinar.

Analyzing the Findings of the Saudi Research on Student Attrition in Higher Education

<p class="apa">This paper presents a comprehensive review of the available literature on student attrition in Saudi higher education context. Despite the reported low student retention rates in Saudi tertiary institutions, student attrition remains an under-researched phenomenon. Thus, this paper aims to trace and collect all the available studies that addressed the issue of low student retention in the Saudi in higher education and to present and analyse their findings. This will help in providing evidence and empirical data that give a clearer view of the problem and pave the way for the future researchers as well as allowing for suggestions towards more effective plans and solutions. The student attrition factors reported in the reviewed Saudi studies were classified under personal, academic, social and institutional categories. However, the students’ low academic abilities and institutional factors were the most common across all of the studies. These factors relate to students’ experiences with the administrative system of their academic institution, including the admission, registration and disciplinary rules and policies and the availability and quality of student services and facilities.</p>

The problem of student attrition in higher education: An alternative perspective

Student attrition continues to be a significant and costly challenge for higher education institutions across the globe. In Australia, universities cite the importance of addressing student attrition through strategic statements and policy documents, and expend time and resources on the problem. Despite vast expenditures, they have made little impact on student attrition, which continues to negatively impact reputation and revenue. Using a regional Australian university as a case study, this paper analyses a student exit survey to identify the complex and inter-related array of factors that contribute to student attrition. It was found that attrition would be better conceptualised as a wicked problem, which is one that cannot be strategically addressed using traditional approaches to problem-solving. The practical implications of these findings reinforce that current approaches to attrition are likely to fail. Therefore, the wicked nature of the attrition problem needs to be taken into account when developing strategies or policies within higher education.

Incivility and Student and Faculty Relationships: Implications for Revising Mentorship Programs for Nurse Educators

Negative relationships between students and educators are faculty becoming a focus in higher education, this is due in part to the impact on student learning [1,2]. Emerging evidence also reveals that these poor relationships in academic environments are often the cause of educator attrition, [3,4] and nurse educators who experience these deteriorating relationships have an increased likelihood of leaving their employment or nursing altogether [5-8]. In order to better understand student and nurse educator relationships (commonly referred in the literature as student and faculty incivility), research was examined to determine how and why ineffective interactions occur using an integrative review method [9]. All the studies portrayed incivility as a multifaceted complex problem in student and faculty relationships with psychological and sociological foundations, but few offered tangible strategies for resolution. The purpose of this study was to utilize identified themes prevalent in the literature to develop a set of strategies that can be used in designing mentorship programs, and to improve interactions between students and nurse educators in both the classroom and clinical settings. Evidence-based strategies need to be implemented that foster positive relationships between students and educators to reduce the devastating effects of these disruptive behaviors. Nurse educators have the responsibility to provide an environment for learning that optimizes learner success. Received: August 01, 2015; Accepted: September 01, 2015; Published: October 30, 2015 *Corresponding author: Debbie Marie Beck, PhD (C) MSA/MSN RN, CNE, Associate Professor, Chamberlain College of Nursing, DeVry University, 3005 Highland Parkway, Downers Grove, Illinois, USA, Tel: +507-881-9578; E-mail: dbeck@chamberlain.edu personal experience in the assimilation of learning, cooperate effectively, and achieve higher levels of mastery of content and critical thinking skills [17,18]. Effective teaching is an expression of personal and professional values which inform faculty behaviors and the interactions with adult learners that educators bring with them when teaching in their classrooms [19]. “Effective teaching is as much about the relationship as it is about technical proficiency” [19]. Teaching behaviors and interactions impact how students perceive their classroom and clinical experiences [4].

Great Expectations

The purpose of this article is to build upon previous efforts evaluating the degree to which the discrepancy between student expectations and experiences can result in greater rates of attrition in education. Data were collected from 225 students at a large Midwestern public university and analyzed to assess the discrepancy between expectations and experiences within academic and social domains of higher education. Factor analysis affirmed the hypothesized structure of the responses, and logistic regression results indicated that discrepancies in expectations and experience within social and institutional domains significantly predicted student satisfaction and retention in the second year. An implication of the research is that institutions of higher education may benefit from training students to inculcate more realistic expectations within the institutional and social domains of higher education.

Promoting Special Educator Teacher Retention

This article is a critical review of the literature on special education teacher attrition and retention. The research focused on journal articles from 2004 to present. The results of the study helped define special educator attrition and retention. The major themes present in the findings were job satisfaction, administrative support, induction programs, and mentoring. The literature shows a clear need for comprehensive administrative support to improve job satisfaction and the likelihood a special educator will remain in their job.

Effect of Short-Term Intervention Program on Academic Self-Efficacy in Higher Education

The current study examines the academic self-efficacy of students at risk for attrition in higher education in the north of Israel. The students participated in the STIC (Short-Term Intensive discipline Courses) program also called “learning marathons”, offered in their compulsory subjects in preparation for final exams. The study examined the conditions required for success with academic tasks according to the following variables: academic self-efficacy, emotional intelligence abilities, and coping with stress. The research population included 132 students whose admissions scores ranged between -10% to +10% from the minimum score required by the Departments of Science and of Humanities and Social Sciences. Research instruments included four questionnaires: Academic self-efficacy questionnaire, self-reporting emotional intelligence questionnaire, stress appraisal coping questionnaire, and demographic questionnaire. A correlation matrix was created for the difference between the data before and after participation in STIC. The results indicate that short-term intensive support learning that is carried out in small groups and taught by experienced teachers significantly reduces student attrition rates. Moreover, the courses promoted the development of emotional intelligence, enhanced the sense of academic self-efficacy, and advanced the use of coping strategies among students.

The Lived Experience of Late-Stage Doctoral Student Attrition in Counselor Education

Doctoral student attrition occurs across academic disciplines and presents problems for noncompleting students and the programs from which they withdraw. The following research question guided the present study, "What is the experience of doctoral attrition in counselor education?" Six late-stage doctoral noncompleters from counselor education programs participated in research interviews that were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Results showed two distinct types of attrition. Five participants reported a negative experience of encountering barriers that acted against the internal desire of the participants to obtain the doctorate. One participant reported a positive experience of an internal change that altered the priority of continuing in doctoral study. Results of the present study have implications for prospective and current doctoral students.

The Case for Increasing Workplace Decision-Making

The chronically high rate of special educator attrition across U.S. schools creates a dilemma for educational leaders because special educators provide direct services to students with special needs. Attrition exacerbates already high special educator shortages reported in most districts, and nearly one million schoolchildren with disabilities receive fewer or no services as a result. Given this dilemma, the purpose of this article is to advance a research-based model to provide guidance for school administrators and researchers. Adapted from previous conceptual models and perspectives, the proposed model combines five thematic, contributing factors and a sixth, relatively understudied factor, workplace decision-making, to illustrate factor effects on special educators’ perceptions of job satisfaction and, ultimately, career decisions.