Issue Of Dropout Research Articles

Understanding School Dropouts Phenomenon among Youths through Behavioural Trends

Dropout among school students is seen as problematic and needs to be addressed, to protect the growth of the nation, particularly in the economic aspect. This phenomenon can be addressed by understanding the behavioural trends of school dropouts. This study aims to explore behavioural dropout trends through a systematic literature review. The process entails five primary methodological steps which were systematic searching strategies based on identification, screening, and eligibility on several reputable databases, data extraction, and analysis. The findings showed a considerable number of behavioural trends could be used as an early signal by the school to address dropout issues.

Scrutinizing student dropout issues in MOOCs using an intuitionistic fuzzy decision support system

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are a recent e-learning programme that has received widespread acceptance among several colleges. Student dropout from MOOCs is a big worry in higher education and policy-making circles, as it occurs frequently in colleges that offer these types of courses. The majority of student dropouts are caused by causes beyond the institution’s control. Using an IF-DEMATEL (Intuitive Fuzzy Decision-making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) approach, the primary factors and potential causal relationships for the high dropout rate were identified. The most effective aspects of massive open online courses (MOOCs) are identified using IF-DEMATEL and CIFCS. Moreover, it explains the interconnectedness of the various MOOC components. As an added measure, a number of DEMATEL techniques are used to conduct a side-by-side comparison of the results. Decisions made by the educational organisation could benefit from the findings. According to the research, there are a total of twelve indicators across four dimensions that are related to online course withdrawal amongst students. Then, experienced MOOC instructors from various higher education institutions were invited to assess the level of influence of these characteristics on each other. Academic skills and talents, prior experience, course design, feedback, social presence, and social support were identified as six primary characteristics that directly influenced student dropout in MOOCs. Interaction, course difficulty and length, dedication, motivation, and family/work circumstances have all been found to play a secondary part in student dropout in massive open online courses (MOOCs). The causal connections between the major and secondary factors were traced and discussed. The results of this study can help college professors and administrators come up with and implement effective ways to reduce the high number of students who drop out of massive open online courses (MOOCs).

School dropout in Integrated High School - state of knowledge

School dropout is considered a complex and multifactorial phenomenon thus, public policies are needed to address the particularities of this complex scenario. This article elaborates an analysis anchored in bibliographic documental sources that deal with a little explored problem about school dropout in the integrated high school of the Federal Institutes of Education (IFs), from the Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations and Scientific Electronic Library Online, between the period 2011 and 2021. The methodology used was based on bibliographic research called state of knowledge, with the purpose of expanding the visibility of a serious phenomenon regarding integrated high school education implemented in FIs and contribute to the deepening of its analysis. It was observed that school dropout is a phenomenon composed of multiple factors and its nature is dynamic, a fact that has hindered the implementation of efficient public policies to address the problem. The results found allowed us to consider possible reasons that lead the student to dropout, but allow us to conclude that the research directed to the issue of dropout in integrated education is still insufficient.

School Dropout an Evil, who is Socially Responsible? A Study

School Dropout is a serious social evil which when unattended will have a long run impact in all the sphere of the society. This particular issue should be given utmost importance by the teachers in schools and parents and elders in families. The stakeholders should play a pro-active role in dealing with this problem.
 The major reason of dropout is widely hinted at the economic backwardness of the school children. Apart from this cause there are many other causes ranging from issues in the family, at home and even in schools, liking and disliking of schools and teachers also contribute to the cause of dropout. This issue of dropout has become more serious especially after the disaster of Tsunami in 2004.
 The issue of dropout has to be viewed in a different angle in fishing / coastal villages. The fishing occupation is no doubt a risky job but it has been lucrative. High lucrative in this profession is positively correlated with the investment in mechanised boats and fish nets. The scenario of this dropout problem took an ugly turn post Tsunami. Post Tsunami, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction was well undertaken by the Government in a very large scale and equally by the Third Sector (NGOs). The relief was also in the form of Mechanised & Fibre Boat (FRB) distributed by many NGO. Prior to Tsunami the number of FRB was very less in number, so the labour force required was also minimal. The number of FRB increased post tsunami which resulted in labour shortage. This also paved way for the entry of children in the profession of fishing saying goodbye to studies. Was this the starting point of School Dropout? At the backdrop of this scenario, the present research has been undertaken. The present research has taken care to highlight the socio-economic profile of the dropouts in the coastal/fishing villages of Karaikal District, Union Territory of Puducherry. The results support the following statement that “Disaster has a direct bearing on the Education of Children”.

An early warning system to identify and intervene online dropout learners

Dropout is one of the major problems online higher education faces. Early identification of the dropout risk level and an intervention mechanism to revert the potential risk have been proved as the key answers to solving the challenge. Predictive modeling has been extensively studied on course dropout. However, intervention practices are scarce, sometimes mixed with mechanisms focused on course failure, and commonly focused on limited interventions driven mainly by teachers' experience. This work contributes with a novel approach for identifying course dropout based on a dynamic time interval and intervening, focusing on avoiding dropout at the assessable activity level. Moreover, the system can recommend the best interval for a course and assessable activity based on artificial intelligence techniques to help teachers in this challenging task. The system has been tested on a fully online first-year course with 581 participants from 957 enrolled learners of different degrees from the Faculty of Economics and Business at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. Results confirm that interventions aimed at goal setting on the ongoing assessable activity significantly reduce dropout issues and increase engagement within the course. Additionally, the work explores the differences between identification mechanisms for course dropout and failure aiming to distinguish them as different problems that learners may face.

Future Proposals for E-Learning at Conventional Tertiary Institutions as they Move on Past the COVID Experience

As the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading rapidly throughout the world, the most widespread reaction in many countries to curtail the disease was lockdown. As a result, educational institutions had to find an alternative to face-to-face learning. The most obvious solution was e-learning. Conventional tertiary institutions with little virtual learning experience had to deal with an unprecedented challenge. This study delineates practices that can be suggested for conventional institutions of tertiary education that may be planning to acquire more e-learning experience in the post-COVID era so that they may be better prepared to move on beyond traditional classroom teaching. The qualitative research method was utilized to carry out this study. The data collected for the study comprised mainly two sources: the existing literature that tackles the issue of how tertiary institutions around the world shifted to e-learning during the pandemic, and an analysis by the researchers of COVID-related circulars that were issued by the Saudi Ministry of Education and by Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University. The review of related literature and the analysis of the circulars enabled the researchers to produce a number of suggestions aimed at improving the e-learning experience of conventional tertiary institutions. The researchers followed five steps in their literature review: (1) pinpointing search terms and then creating a search strategy and implementing it, (2) sorting the studies gathered, excluding duplicates and studies deemed irrelevant, and decreeing standards for deciding what to keep and what to rule out, (3) evaluating the studies in the light of those standards, (4) obtaining data, and (5) analysing data. This study does not recommend that conventional tertiary institutions become 100% online, but it does suggest that those institutions should make some learning content digitally accessible, build community partnerships, encourage self-study skills among students, help students change their learning style from passive to active, and revisit their e-assessment practices. This paper also stresses the importance of giving further support to teaching staff, sheds light on how institution buildings can reopen smoothly as the restrictions ease, discusses what factors influence the outcomes of e-learning, and tackles the issue of student dropouts during the pandemic. This study concludes by outlining the important notion of adopting blended learning and developing e-learning programs on an international scale.

Applications and Challenges of Federated Learning Paradigm in the Big Data Era with Special Emphasis on COVID-19

Federated learning (FL) is one of the leading paradigms of modern times with higher privacy guarantees than any other digital solution. Since its inception in 2016, FL has been rigorously investigated from multiple perspectives. Some of these perspectives are extensions of FL’s applications in different sectors, communication overheads, statistical heterogeneity problems, client dropout issues, the legitimacy of FL system results, privacy preservation, etc. Recently, FL is being increasingly used in the medical domain for multiple purposes, and many successful applications exist that are serving mankind in various ways. In this work, we describe the novel applications and challenges of the FL paradigm with special emphasis on the COVID-19 pandemic. We describe the synergies of FL with other emerging technologies to accomplish multiple services to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyze the recent open-source development of FL which can help in designing scalable and reliable FL models. Lastly, we suggest valuable recommendations to enhance the technical persuasiveness of the FL paradigm. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first work that highlights the efficacy of FL in the era of COVID-19. The analysis enclosed in this article can pave the way for understanding the technical efficacy of FL in medical field, specifically COVID-19.

Exploration of theoretical conceptualizations of the causes of college dropout

This paper addresses the crucial issue of student dropout at the university level, exploring various theories that explain the reasons behind this phenomenon. It highlights key factors such as socioeconomic, personal and academic problems that contribute to dropout. Previous research findings indicate that economic problems, such as lack of financial resources and the high cost of higher education, are a significant cause of dropout. In addition, personal challenges, such as low self-esteem and psychological problems, also influence the decision to drop out. In the academic field, low performance and lack of guidance are determining factors in student dropout. Educational institutions play an important role in providing financial support, academic guidance and retention programs to address these problems. Three types of dropout are identified: early, temporary and permanent, each with its own characteristics. In addition, the concept of procrastination is addressed, which refers to the procrastination of academic tasks, which can lead to underachievement and, ultimately, dropout. It is suggested that procrastination can be addressed through motivational and metacognitive strategies, as well as through the promotion of routines and habits that improve academic self-control. Overall, understanding the multiple causes of student dropout is essential to develop effective strategies to promote student retention and academic success at the university level, both nationally and internationally

Exploring the Social Implication of Male School Dropout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Education is crucial to the people and the development of a country. School dropout among male students has become one of the major problems in Saudi Arabia, despite the uniqueness of the free education system in the country, yet it has remained an issue of concern in recent times. This research paper explores the social implications of male student dropout on society. However, the purpose was to contribute to the current issue of dropouts and suggest an alternative that can curtail the problem. The study employed a qualitative method based on a case study approach. Purposive sampling was used to identify the total number of 14 informants for a face-to-face interview. The collected data are analyzed based on thematic analysis. The study reveals that illiteracy, unemployment, stealing, and child abduction are the major social negative impact of school dropout among male students. Based on these findings, the study recommends that the government should come up with or enact a law that would force the parents to enroll and maintain their children at school until their completion. Therefore, the study highlighted the social implication of school dropout among male students.

Communication-Efficient Federated Learning with Adaptive Quantization

Federated learning (FL) has attracted tremendous attentions in recent years due to its privacy-preserving measures and great potential in some distributed but privacy-sensitive applications, such as finance and health. However, high communication overloads for transmitting high-dimensional networks and extra security masks remain a bottleneck of FL. This article proposes a communication-efficient FL framework with an Adaptive Quantized Gradient (AQG), which adaptively adjusts the quantization level based on a local gradient’s update to fully utilize the heterogeneity of local data distribution for reducing unnecessary transmissions. In addition, client dropout issues are taken into account and an Augmented AQG is developed, which could limit the dropout noise with an appropriate amplification mechanism for transmitted gradients. Theoretical analysis and experiment results show that the proposed AQG leads to 18% to 50% of additional transmission reduction as compared with existing popular methods, including Quantized Gradient Descent (QGD) and Lazily Aggregated Quantized (LAQ) gradient-based methods without deteriorating convergence properties. Experiments with heterogenous data distributions corroborate a more significant transmission reduction compared with independent identical data distributions. The proposed AQG is robust to a client dropping rate up to 90% empirically, and the Augmented AQG manages to further improve the FL system’s communication efficiency with the presence of moderate-scale client dropouts commonly seen in practical FL scenarios.

Abstract 1198: Discovering novel bispecific antibody targets through the mining of large-scale bulk and single cell RNA-seq databases

Abstract Bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) that bind two distinct surface proteins in cancer cells are emerging as an appealing therapeutic strategy in cancer immunotherapy. Among thousands of surface proteins, experimentally identifying the best target pairs that are expressed only in cancer cells, but not in normal cells, is costly and time-consuming. The open bulk RNASeq and single-cell (sc)RNASeq offers a great resource to identify novel bispecific targets. Bulk RNASeq has been widely explored to identify therapeutic targets and biomarkers, resulting in voluminous data for various cancers and normal tissues, but the mixture of cell types in bulk RNASeq could not characterize the precise expression of targets in cancer cells, resulting in considerable false positives. scRNASeq provides a high resolution of target expression in individual cells, however, the challenges in solving the dropout issue and cell type classification hinder the direct use of scRNASeq in bsAbs target identification. Utilizing the OCTAD database consisting of over 20,000 bulk RNASeq samples, we proposed an approach that identifies target pairs that separate tumors from healthy the most, taking into account cluster heterogeneity, the distance between tumors and healthy as well as the angle between potential markers. Among the top pairs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), CD33~PLVAP, for example, was a false positive because CD33 is myeloid and lymphoid cell lineage-specific. We thus assembled a scRNAseq database of healthy vital organs containing 39361 cells to aid selection. By comparing their expression with the expression of 18000 malignant cells predicted from 72000 cells of eight HCC samples, we identified target pairs that mostly express on the surface of the malignant HCC cells and had low or zero expression in vital organs. The most promising marker pair was GPC3~MUC13, presenting on the surface of over 30% of malignant HCC cells, with very low expression in vital organs. We further developed an R package to navigate the bsAbs target selection from open bulk RNASeq and scRNASeq. Citation Format: Eugene Chekalin, Shreya Paithankar, Bin Chen. Discovering novel bispecific antibody targets through the mining of large-scale bulk and single cell RNA-seq databases [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 1198.

Face-To-Face Learning, Teaching And Learning At Home Need To Go Hand In Hand

This paper discusses the frequency of online teaching was found to affect the acceptance of students who need optimally focused learning over a period of one to two hours. Among the weaknesses identified were due to lack of attraction from the aspect of content presentation, application in boring activities, causing it not to receive immediate response other than environmental disturbances that could lose their learning focus. Researcher used research synthesis to describe approaches to combining, aggregating, integrating, and synthesizing primary research findings. The findings show that in this case face-to-face learning is certainly better because students can stimulate learning directly by various methods individually or in groups by developing the needs of a comprehensive cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains. Although the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) has also taken steps to introduce learning through Education TV, it was found that it is still less able to encourage student participation. They need the involvement of parents in playing an important role in managing learning to be more controlled. The declining level of motivation among children with a large attraction to gadgets presents an incredible challenge to teachers and parents in organizing fun online educational activities. Looking at the various situations in the implementation of PdPR that cause problems to the implementer (teachers and parents) and recipients (students), it is appropriate that the implementation of physical learning should be reintroduced for now. It is also to avoid more problems that include the issue of student dropouts, lack of motivation among parents and pressure on teachers, thus reopening the school is one of the best ways to overcome it.

Administrative data analysis of student attrition in hungarian medical training

BackgroundThere is numerous empirical evidence supporting that college students studying in fields with rigorous curriculum and high requirements, such as medical training, are characterized by a higher risk of attrition than their peers. Since Hungarian medical training attracts more and more international students every year, the issue of dropout can have a global impact. Our study aimed to examine attrition risks of local and international students in Hungarian medical training.MethodsIn our study, we examined the dropout behaviour of all medical students who started their studies in 2010 in Hungary (N = 2391) by analysing longitudinal administrative data of those who studied between 2010 and 2017. Doing this, we conducted descriptive statistics and uncovered the risks of dropout using binary logistic regression.ResultsOur results indicate that the danger is primarily increased by factors directly linked to or indicating poor academic performance (slow pace of credit accumulation, tuition-based forms of finance). Individual characteristics, namely gender, and citizenship, also have a moderate but significant effect on the latter.ConclusionsThus a policy proposal can be formulated consisting of making the training network less rigid, devoting more educational attention to and providing targeted mentoring for students with learning difficulties and academic hardships. Foreign medical students studying in Hungary comprise a large group that has a high attrition rate, making it a prime target for dropout-reducing programs.

PEER’S PRESSURE EFFECTS: SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT’S DROPOUT BEHAVIOUR AND YOUNG OFFENDERS

This study aims to identify the peer’s pressure effects on students especially among secondary school students who tend to lose focus in teaching and learning process in school and facing individual identity challenges, behaviour and disciplinary issues. This qualitative study was conducted by interviewing a total of 40 Indian dropout students from secondary schools who were selected as the study sample in Selangor State. Based on the results, it was found, student’s attitudes that very close to their peers without their parent’s knowledge in school and out of school environment and its negative effects influencing students to lose focus in teaching and learning process. Building on detailed information on negative influences through friendship networks, this study found evidences, peer’s pressure factor influencing students to left behind in their academics followed by a significant reduction in grade repetition and eventually lead them to dropout from school and involve in other social issues. Student’s involvement in school dropout issues and then in criminal activities as young offenders questioning their social bonds to the school system and social environmental effectiveness in increasing youth’s delinquency in society. Finally, the study implications were discussed and some appropriate recommendations were highlighted to reduce student’s negative influences through peer’s factor while improving teaching and learning style effectiveness in schools environment. Additionally, the study results can help the school management to inculcate good values and awareness among young teenagers to stay away from social issues or other crimes, so that they will become progressive individuals for their future well-being.

Impacts of Covid-19 Lockdown in the Academic Life of Undergraduate Students: An Online Survey

The impact of COVID-19 lockdown can be widely observed in all sectors of the nation including education. An online survey was conducted to identify the impacts brought by the nationwide lockdown in the academic life of undergraduate students currently studying at different bachelor's levels and the ones who have completed final exams after the ease of lockdown. Particularly, the study explored both the positive and negative impact of COVID-19 lockdown. A structural questionnaire link using ‘Google form’ was circulated using messenger and E-mail from 20 April to 27 April 2021. A total of 98 students, from Tribhuvan University (60), Kathmandu University (16), Pokhara University (11), and Purbhanchal University (11) participated in the survey. The study found that around 42.86% of the students' academic life was affected negatively whereas only 2.04% reported positively. The majority of students pointed to delay in examinations as the primary negative impact followed by difficulty in learning due to excessive use of the internet, disturbance in pass out the pattern, loss of job, and issues of dropout. On the positive side, students have experienced an improvement in reading habits, development in the skills of self-study, virtual learning, group work, and digital competencies. Thus, the study concludes that students' academic life was impacted negatively than positively. Therefore, the study suggests universities, educational institutions, and relevant stakeholders come up with a concrete plan to respond to the impacts seen in the academic career of students unless the lockdown perpetuates other consequences.

Priorities for reorienting traditional institutions of higher education toward online teaching and learning: Thinking beyond the COVID-19 experience

The purpose of this study is to suggest priorities for reorienting traditional institutions of higher education (IHE) toward online teaching and learning beyond the COVID-19 experience. This research applied the qualitative research method. Data collection sources included both a systematic literature review relating to how COVID-19 informed online distance learning across the globe and an analysis of circulars germane to the pandemic that were issued by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Saudi Arabia and by Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University (PSAU). Guided by those two types of data, that is, review of the literature in general and the MOE and PSAU circulars in particular, and also illuminated by their own experiences of online teaching during the lockdown, the researchers were able to put forward those priorities. For the systematic review of the literature, five steps were performed: (1) identifying search terms and developing and applying a search strategy; (2) screening the obtained research papers, removing duplicates and papers outside the focal point, and establishing inclusion/exclusion criteria; (3) assessing the research papers against the inclusion/exclusion criteria; (4) data extraction; and (5) data synthesis. Although this article does not suggest traditional IHE should go entirely digital, it highlights the need for IHE to ensure access to online learning content, develop more partnerships with community, develop online self-study skills, get students to shift from passive to active learning, and a need to reconsider current e-assessment. Additionally, the study emphasizes the need to provide additional support for faculty members, how university buildings should be gradually reopened, controlling factors influencing online learning outcomes, and addressing the issue of dropouts in IHE. Finally, the study underlines the need to add further emphasis to the importance of integrating blended learning in the university curriculum and navigating toward developing global distance learning programs.

Dropout in post-socialist countries of Central Europe (the Visegrad Group)

Early school leaving (dropout) is a problem in all education systems. In 2010 the European Commission launched the Europe 2020 strategy which included a list of measures to reduce school dropout rates in the EU countries. The aim of this paper is to analyze the issue of dropout in upper secondary education (ISCED 3) in the education systems of 4 post-socialist Central European states (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia). Firstly, the paper describes and compares the education systems of these countries and the important changes of their education policies made after entering the EU. The analysis of Eurostat data shows that despite the decline of the average early school leaving rate in the EU countries from 13.8% to 10.2% between 2010 and 2019, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia are among the four member states whose dropout rates are rising. Through an overview of research studies, this paper then identifies the dominant topics and “weak spots” related to early school leaving in these countries.

Design and Evaluation of an Engagement Framework for e-Learning Gamification

Recently, gamification in education software development to improve student engagement and performance has become prevalent. Gamification is used to counter attrition and dropout issues in e-learning. A handful of methods are presented for the gamification of e-learning systems in the literature. However, the e-learning gamification methods proposed in the literature lacked consistency. The number and types of game elements used in the methods are varied. In addition, there is a lack of an engagement framework that can be used in applying game elements to e-learning systems. Therefore, this paper provides insights into gamification and how it is used in e-learning systems. Then, the study proposes and evaluates an engagement framework that can be used to guide developers on how to add game elements to e-learning to improve student engagement and performance. The framework consists of three components: game elements, learning activities, and engagement factors components. Two experts evaluate the engagement framework via a semi-structured interview. The evaluation results indicate that developers can efficiently and effectively use the framework to gamify e-learning systems for improved student engagement and performance.

Assessing Situational Awareness of Universities Concerning Student Dropout: A Web-Based Content Analysis of Romanian Universities’ Agenda

Universities have a strong internet presence where they publish large amounts of documents available for analysis. The relevance of these documents has been rarely put to scrutiny in a policy anlysis context. In our paper we use data from Romanian universities to achieve two objectives: 1) to assess the actual presence of the issue of student dropout at the level of universities' agenda in Romania as it is apparent in their web pages; 2) to evaluate the degree to which the agenda of Romanian universities reflects the actual issue of student retention as reflected in factual data. The results show a significant correlation between the presence of the topic in documents and the actual dropout rate, but there are some limitations, though: the correlation is not linear, universities seem to be inertial in their public aknowledgement of the problem, web-scrapping and web based content-analytic procedures still have numerous reliability issues.

Designing a Social Exploration MOOC - Visual Literacies: Exploring Educational Practices and Technologies

Social exploration is the key to how ideas spread through networks (Pentland, 2014). When people talk with others outside their immediate group, they can bring fresh ideas into the group leading to improved outcomes. So, to improve impact on educational practice we should increase communications within the professional community as well as increase the knowledge and competences of individual professionals. To improve social exploration opportunities for educators, we have developed a massive open online course (MOOC) with a technology-enhanced learning perspective on Visual Literacies. The two main challenges were to: gather content suitable for a multi-disciplinary audience; and design a MOOC that supports social exploration. The content was derived from analysis of interviews with 21 experienced educators about their use of visuals in education and communication. The educators came from a wide variety of disciplines and educational settings thereby offering multi-disciplinary case studies. The design of the ‘social exploration MOOC’ is based on Networked Learning theory, a pedagogical approach that emphasises openness, democratic relationships between teachers and learners, and support for diversity and inclusivity of participants. Participants can explore the MOOC content, share ideas and reflect on their own practice in a learning community that emphasizes sharing and discussion. Issues of engagement, drop-out, completion and retention rates are discussed in this descriptive case study using learning analytics and feedback from participants on their experience. The design of the MOOC promoted strong engagement and retention rates with the live webinar, in particular, enhancing participation, discussion and a feeling of community amongst participants.