Student Retention Rates Research Articles

Relevancy of Modern Agriculture Education on Students’ Farming Practical Skills in Secondary Schools of Kabujogera Town Council, Kitagwenda District

Despite the importance of agriculture education, it has recently been approved that agriculture students still lack practical skills and this could be attributed to poor delivery of methods on modern agriculture education and other numerous challenge like retention rates of students, lack of interest from the learners, lack of practical time/opportunities, limited funding for agriculture practicals, and low passion by agriculture teachers. The study was about the relevancy of modern agriculture education on students’ farming practical skills in secondary schools in Kabujogera Town council, Kitagwenda district. It was guided by three specific objectives which were to; examine different methods of modern agriculture education taught in secondary schools, identify the challenges experienced in modern agriculture education in secondary schools, evaluate the strategies to enhance modern agriculture education in order to improve practical skills among secondary students. The study employed a cross-sectional study design that used both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study used a sample size of 248. The study used questionnaires and interview guide to collect data. The data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists. The study concluded that modern agricultural education methods had significant relationship with improving students’ farming practical skills. These included; utilization of modern agricultural inputs (<i>x<sup>2</sup></i> = 8.305, p=0.005), Use of improved farm machines (<i>x<sup>2</sup></i> = 6.048, p=0.001), Pre and Post-harvest handling (<i>x<sup>2</sup></i> = 4.985, p= 0.026), and use of modern resistant crop varieties (<i>x<sup>2</sup></i> = 4.120, p=0.004). The study concluded that there were significant challenges experienced in modern agriculture education. These included; limited modern agricultural in puts at [p = 0.001], lack of resources to use [p = 0.005], poor motivation among students and teachers [p = 0.003], limited school farm size [p = 0.001] and poor learning environment [p = 0.004]. The study finally concluded that strategies to enhance modern agriculture education had significant association with improving student’s farming practical skills. Such as; agriculture tours and field trips (p=.027), class discussion student involvement (p=.029), use of practical demonstration method (p=.004) and recruitment of experienced agriculture teachers (p=.028). The study recommended that; there should be training and re-training among teachers and students of agricultural science on use of modern agricultural education technology. Secondary schools should ensure establishment of enough demonstration farms that students would constantly visit in order to copy much on how to do agriculture practical work to improve their skills and experience.

An Examination of How Participation in Basic Instruction Program (BIP) Courses May Influence College Student Retention Rates

The purpose of this study was to determine how enrollment in a basic instruction program (BIP) course may affect undergraduate student retention rates. This study examined whether enrollment in BIP courses influenced student retention of all first-time, full-time, baccalaureate degree-seeking students enrolled at a public research university during the years of 2014 and 2015 ( N = 5,565). A significant finding showed students enrolled in BIP courses during their first or second year had 1.65 greater odds of being retained after the second year. Additionally, students enrolled in BIP courses during their second year had 3.22 greater odds of second year retention. For each additional BIP course enrolled, students had 1.39 greater odds of being retained after the second year. While most institutions no longer require BIP enrollment, the findings in the current study demonstrate an association between BIP enrollment and greater odds of student retention.

Inequalities in Girls’ High School Sports Participation: How Social Class, Race/Ethnicity, and Gender Route Opportunities to Play and Persist in Athletics

ABSTRACT High school athletics are understudied sites for social and educational stratification. Participation can offer mental and physical health benefits, improved student retention and graduation rates, the encouragement of pro-social behaviors, resume building, and enhanced social statuses. Despite legal prohibitions against race and gender discrimination in schools, opportunities to play and persist in interscholastic athletics may reflect and amplify existing social and educational stratification processes. Using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods research design, this study centers on girls’ high school sports and considers how gender, race/ethnicity, and social class operate at the individual, interactional, cultural, and institutional levels and encourage proclivities, commitments, and support for participation. We combine qualitative (N = 28 women and 47 total college athletes) and quantitative (N = 4,271 high school students) studies to inquire about how, and to what extent, racial/ethnic and social-class dynamics affect girls playing any and specific high school sports and whether they play persistently. Findings suggest that schools co-construct unequal athletic opportunity structures by nurturing and rewarding a cultivated athletic habitus associated with masculinity, whiteness, and affluent dispositions. These processes disguise athletic advantages and successes as well-earned merit and restrict who is most likely to receive the individual and social benefits of high school sports participation.

SUNY Westchester CC receives $3 million NSF grant

As part of its celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, State University of New York (SUNY) Westchester Community College (WCC) announced it has received a $3 million, five‐year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to increase the recruitment, retention and graduation rates of students pursuing STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) at Hispanic‐Serving Institutions (HSIs). HSI is a federal designation given to schools that meet various requirements, including at least 25% of enrolled students being of Hispanic backgrounds.

SUNY Westchester CC receives $3 million NSF grant

As part of its celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, State University of New York (SUNY) Westchester Community College (WCC) announced it has received a $3 million, five‐year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to increase the recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of students pursuing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields at Hispanic‐Serving Institutions (HSIs). HSI is a federal designation given to schools that meet various requirements, including at least 25% of enrolled students being of Hispanic background.

Law of Quotas and Student Assistance at Federal Institute of Acre: Analysis of permanence and success rates in Integrated High School courses (Campus Rio Branco)

The article analyzes the retention and success rates of students entering in 2019 in Integrated High School courses at the Federal Institute of Acre (Campus Rio Branco), benefiting from student assistance notices (socioeconomic support programs) during the period of curricular completion and, furthermore, observes existing policies, their applicability and effects regarding the retention and success of incoming students in the form of quota places and broad competition. The methodology used was of a qualitative-quantitative approach and applied in nature. As for procedures, it is considered documentary and bibliographic. Based on concepts from the Nilo Peçanha Platform, data collected from the School Registration Coordination and the Student Assistance Center both at the Rio Branco Campus were discussed, obtaining retention and success rates and reflecting on the effects of the assistance policy student. Based on research carried out in Federal Institutes on the topic of permanence and success in technical courses. In view of the research carried out, the results demonstrated, in many situations, that the ideal of democratizing the entry of vulnerable popular classes is not a guarantee of success in professional training and that there is a need to think about the development of institutional actions for the strategic plan of permanence and success.

A Transcendental Phenomenological Exploration of Undergraduate University Students’ Lived Experiences with Spiritual Leadership

This article presents findings from a recent study conducted at a Christian university exploring the spiritual leadership encounters undergraduate students described having with faculty and staff members. University students today face a myriad of challenges ranging from aspects of mental health to finding purpose and meaning in life. As a result, many university decision-makers are seeking ways to improve campus experiences that help meet the needs of their students and increase student engagement, retention, and graduation rates. Spiritual leadership theory is a relatively new theory in leadership studies that has been validated in several studies in various fields. However, there is limited research exploring spiritual leadership in a university context. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological research study was to explore the lived experience of undergraduate university students with spiritual leadership encounters while attending a university. The data revealed that the spiritual leadership encounters students in this study had with faculty and staff members resulted in several positive experiences, including feelings of being cared for, feeling supported, developing a sense of community, and increased academic motivation. Recommendations for the future include encouraging university decision-makers to explore the potential benefits of integrating the spiritual leadership framework into current pedagogical practices. The information presented here may help practitioners of the spiritual leadership model in classrooms, residential halls, and other university settings to potentially experience similar benefits with the undergraduate students they teach and lead.

Developing a Framework for the Deployment of Predictive Analytics to Improve Postgraduate Student Throughputs at One Comprehensive South African University

There is limited understanding of the opportunities available to universities through efficient deployment of predictive analytics. This study sought to develop a framework for the successful deployment of predictive analytics at one university to ensure high-quality postgraduate throughput rates. The study adopted a systematic literature review to elicit the opportunities presented by utilising predictive analytics in decision-making to promote postgraduate student throughput rates. It emerged that literature abounds on the manner big data analytics can be used to benefit universities and students. The study argued that the traditional, non-statistical approach which has long been used to address the unsatisfactory postgraduate throughput rates has failed to yield the required outcomes. It also noted the existing effort and support mechanisms to address postgraduate student retention and throughput rates which are necessary but not sufficient. A critical recommendation is that the proffered model should not be construed as a ‘perfect and single solution’ to capsize the poor postgraduate throughput rates at the university as different limitations exist. The study concluded that there is a clear call for the need to turn the current approach to the management and promotion of postgraduate student success. As such, the opportunities available are for those institutions that are committed to improving and magnifying their future practice by making meaning of the existing large data resources at their disposal. Keywords: Framework, Higher Education Institutions, Predictive Analytics, Throughput Rates

Fostering Student Engagement and Success in STEM Education: An AI-Driven Exploration of High Impact Practices from Cross-Disciplinary General Education Courses

Due to the increase in data and software tools, the need for programmers and data analysts has risen in the United States during the 21st century. As a result, more students are enrolling in Computer Science, Information Technology, and Data Science programs nationwide. However, switching to online and blended learning and using cyberlearning tools have presented new challenges for student learning, retention, and program success. One way to overcome these challenges and improve student achievement is to implement evidence-based pedagogical strategies and innovative technologies within clear theoretical frameworks. Recent studies have shown that various Learning Engagement Strategies (LESs) in STEM education, such as gamification, active learning, feedback and assessment, and interactive multimedia, significantly increase student engagement and course completion rates. High-Impact Practices (HIPs), identified as crucial by Kuh in 2008, have become powerful tools for enhancing student involvement, retention, and completion in higher education. This article explores practices that can enhance student learning and success that have many benefits, including more robust relationships between students and faculty, cooperative learning, quick feedback, inclusive environments, and conflict resolution. The study uses NLP-based text analytics to investigate the application and impact of these High-Impact Practices (HIPs) across different disciplines. Firstly, it identifies the most prevalent HIPs in various General Education (Gen Ed) disciplines that impact student success. Secondly, it formulates AIdriven recommendations for cultivating a student-centric learning environment through HIPs within STEM education. The results of empirical analyses using course materials, survey data, syllabi, and pre/post-workshop surveys sourced from around 65 Gen Ed course at a small public university provides valuable insights into successful HIPs for STEM courses that can help instructors improve their online and blended course designs. By implementing these practices, educators can increase student engagement, retention, and completion rates across diverse student populations in Gen Ed STEM courses. Keywords— High-Impact Practices; General Education, STEM education; Natural Language Processing.

랜덤포레스트 기법 활용 대학 중도탈락 기관변인 탐색

This study analyzed institutional factors affecting college student retention rates using a machine learning predictive model. The data of 2022, 2021, and 2022 university information disclosure data consisting of all four-year universities, capital region, and non-capital region were analyzed with the randomForest algorithm in R. First, the study findings indicate that the randomForest model demonstrated an accuracy rate of approximately 70%. Second, 10 key variables were identified in the overall university data set and 9 key variables in the capital region and non-capital region university data sets. However, there were some differences in the composition and ranking of the key factors in the data sets. Third, the partial dependence plots reveal the value ranges of the variables where the retention rate either decreased or remained stable. Institutions may apply these results by utilizing randomForest machine learning techniques for data-driven decision-making in formulating university retention policies.

Academic Success of Collegiate Athletes and Social and Emotional Learning

College student-athletes represent a unique sub-population of college students with several competing responsibilities to fulfill. While institutions of higher education have historically used standardized test scores and GPA as predictors of students’ academic success, there have been shifts to include non-cognitive, social and emotional factors in this predictive model. Social and emotional skills can be developed. Research has shown that implementing social and emotional learning curriculum has positive impacts on academic achievement, student attitudes about learning, and the creation of prosocial behaviors. These benefits contribute to increased student persistence, retention, and graduation rates. While the connection between social and emotional learning and academic achievement is well documented, there is a lack of research and practical application of social and emotional learning curriculum in higher education with collegiate student-athletes. Advisors, academic support personnel, coaches, and athletic administrators who understand student-athletes’ social and emotional capabilities can use this understanding to help holistically develop student-athletes. Breaking down siloed, departmental operations within higher education and sharing information to work collaboratively for the good of student-athletes can lead to higher academic achievement, better on-field performance, and graduates with the necessary soft skills to succeed in a competitive job market.

Increasing Student Engagement and Interaction in the Online Classroom: A High Impact Mini-Teaching Approach

The Covid-19 pandemic dramatically transformed how and where students were taught. Universities had to suddenly switch to online learning with virtually no preparation. Students and teachers lacked experience in online learning. This sudden change generated a high degree of uncertainty and a notable fear in the decline in the perceived quality of higher education due to the absence of in-person classes. In this context, this study explains how an accounting instructor navigated the crisis by adopting a diverse high impact mini-teaching approach. The quantitative analyses of the online student surveys showed that this strategy was successful in sustaining students’ interest levels high during the Covid pandemic period. The teaching strategy increased student retention and progression rates and can help address the current drastic declining undergraduate accounting student enrolments. The findings of this study suggest the strategy is exportable to other courses and can provide practical guidance for instructors who would like to achieve high level student engagement and satisfaction in the online classroom using digital learning platforms in the future.

Use of machine learning to assess factors affecting progression, retention, and graduation in first-year health professions students in Qatar: a longitudinal study

BackgroundAcross higher education, student retention, progression, and graduation are considered essential elements of students’ academic success. However, there is scarce literature analyzing these attributes across health professions education. The current study aims to explore rates of student retention, progression, and graduation across five colleges of the Health Cluster at Qatar University, and identify predictive factors.MethodsSecondary longitudinal data for students enrolled at the Health Cluster between 2015 and 2021 were subject to descriptive statistics to obtain retention, progression and graduation rates. The importance of student demographic and academic variables in predicting retention, progression, or graduation was determined by a predictive model using XGBoost, after preparation and feature engineering. A predictive model was constructed, in which weak decision tree models were combined to capture the relationships between the initial predictors and student outcomes. A feature importance score for each predictor was estimated; features that had higher scores were indicative of higher influence on student retention, progression, or graduation.ResultsA total of 88% of the studied cohorts were female Qatari students. The rates of retention and progression across the studied period showed variable distribution, and the majority of students graduated from health colleges within a timeframe of 4–7 years. The first academic year performance, followed by high school GPA, were factors that respectively ranked first and second in importance in predicting retention, progression, and graduation of health majors students. The health college ranked third in importance affecting retention and graduation and fifth regarding progression. The remaining factors including nationality, gender, and whether students were enrolled in a common first year experience for all colleges, had lower predictive importance.ConclusionsStudent retention, progression, and graduation at Qatar University Health Cluster is complex and multifactorial. First year performance and secondary education before college are important in predicting progress in health majors after the first year of university study. Efforts to increase retention, progression, and graduation rates should include academic advising, student support, engagement and communication. Machine learning-based predictive algorithms remain a useful tool that can be precisely leveraged to identify key variables affecting health professions students’ performance.

Coaching program sets struggling students up for success

BOSTON — When student affairs staff at Texas State University wanted to boost student retention and graduation rates, they decided to focus on students on academic probation and in developmental education courses. According to Victoria Black, Associate Dean for Student Services at Texas State University, 20% of first‐year students find themselves on academic probation and 75% of those students don’t get into good academic standing, lose their financial aid, and thus have to leave the institution. To set those struggling students on a path to success, staff developed a success coaching program, resulting in improved GPAs for at least 50% of students who received success coaching at least three times. Also, about 75% of students who received coaching at least two times described the program as helpful, Black said during a presentation at the annual conference for NASPA — Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

Relationship between the availability of instructional resources and student retention in part-time teacher education programs in universities: The case of Kabarak University

The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between the availability of instructional resources and student retention in part-time teacher education programs at Kabarak University in Nakuru. The government of Kenya has made several attempts to address part-time programs through its regulator, the Commission for University Education (CUE). Despite these attempts, student retention in part-time teacher education programs is still low. This study used a close-ended questionnaire, a focus group discussion and an interview schedule as the instruments of data collection. The study adopted a case study design. The main sampling techniques that were used in this study were census and purposive sampling techniques. Purposive sampling was used in the selection of the part-time program, which is the main interest of the researcher, part-time teacher-education programs, as well as the university under study. The target population was a total of 261 students enrolled in the Part-time Teacher Education Program with a sample size of 155 students. The findings revealed that there is a statistically significant negative relationship between the availability of instructional resources and student retention (r=-0.531*; p<0.05). The study concludes that the problem of low student retention in universities is exemplified by the limited availability of instructional resources in institutions, which could have a significant impact on student retention. The study recommended that universities should focus more on availing the necessary instructional resources for successful retention rates of students in their enrolled programs. This approach would lead to increased student retention at the university.

The Influence of Principals’ Mentorship Practices on Students’ Retention in Public-Day Secondary Schools in Nakuru County-Kenya

The purpose of this study was to look into potential relationships or associations between various Principal mentoring practices in the mentorship scheme and student retention at a day secondary school in Nakuru County, Kenya. Low secondary school retention has long been an issue in much of the existing literature, and therefore complex, multifaceted, and poorly understood. The purpose of this research was to find out how principals' student mentorship practices affected student retention in Nakuru County public-day secondary schools. The study found a positive but insignificant relationship between principal mentoring practices and student retention rates in day public secondary schools (p > 05). Based on this finding, principals should strengthen mentorship practices in order to increase student retention and foster a positive learning environment for academic performance.

Message from the Editor-in-Chief

I am proud to introduce our 2023 Special Issue focusing on university and college Thai graduates. In an increasing complex global set of events, we are reminded of the importance and value the role of education has in securing our futures. It is important that our scholars of tomorrow maintain their trust and faith in how their contribution will encourage others to pursue their hopes and dreams. To that end, this issue provides numerous strategies, program suggestions, personal development, teacher and peer support systems, and guidelines to empower upcoming educators, supervisors and managers. We are proud to present this Special Issue with a focus on sharing the latest research findings that may assist in improving student retention rates and improving the overall tertiary student experience, through contributions from China and Thailand.

A Survey of Student Dropout Analysis Using Machine Learning Approach

Online learning and conventional learning are two important methods that students pursue their educational degrees or expand their knowledge. The enormous rate of dropout of online students and the fact that this rate is still increasing leads to the concern of raise student retention rate. And the large number of conventional student dropout create loss in economics, time and education resources. Therefore, it is important to seek the factor affecting student dropout and investigate effective machine learning-based models on prediction of student dropout. Different factors including the clickstream, academic information, family are discussed, followed by introductory information about current popular machine learning algorithms. According to this comprehensive review, the grade of online learners and the total number of students assessment to courses seem to be the most powerful features and conventional students are affected by social contact and attendance of social activities.

THE BALANCED SCORECARD ASSESSMENT FOR PUBLIC UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT

The objective of this study is to conduct an analysis of a public university utilising the Balanced Scorecard framework. The purpose of conducting this study is to evaluate the performance of the university using a strategic management framework that incorporates four key perspectives: Financial, Customer (Student), Internal Processes, and Learning and Growth. The methodology utilised include the collection of primary and secondary data from the public university. The study emphasises the significance of proficiently managing resources, achieving a balance between endowment performance and return on investment, and securing the institution's long-term sustainability within the Financial Perspective. The importance of attaining high levels of student satisfaction and retention rates is emphasised in the context of the Customer (Student) Perspective. The Internal Processes Perspective places significant emphasis on the necessity of maintaining a harmonious among several aspects, including curriculum development, faculty productivity, operational efficiency, and quality assurance. The Learning and Growth Perspective highlights the institution's dedication to achieving high academic standards, fostering adaptation, and promoting innovation. The implementation of strategic management practises, such as the balanced scorecard, within public universities has been found to have a positive impact on their overall academic performance and success. KEYWORDS: Public University, Strategic Management, Balanced Scorecard

Coaching program sets struggling students up for success

BOSTON — When student affairs staff at Texas State University wanted to boost student retention and graduation rates, they decided to focus on students on academic probation and in developmental education courses. Knowing that 20% of first‐year students find themselves on academic probation, and 75% of those students don’t get into good academic standing, so they lose their financial aid and have to leave the institution, according to Victoria Black, Associate Dean for Student Services at Texas State University. To set those struggling students on a path to success, staff developed a success coaching program, resulting in improved GPAs for at least 50% of students who received success coaching at least three times. Also, about 75% of students who received coaching at least two times described the program as helpful, Black said during a presentation at the annual conference for NASPA — Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.