Student Persistence in and Attrition from Engineering Technology Programs at a Mid-Atlantic Community College
Student Persistence in and Attrition from Engineering Technology Programs at a Mid-Atlantic Community College

Author: Melvin L. Jr Roberts

Publisher:

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 174

ISBN-13:

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This study of 309 participants utilized a mixed-method approach to identify cognitive and non-cognitive contributors to student persistence and attrition from engineering technology programs at a mid-Atlantic community college. The quantitative component of the study utilized linear discriminant analysis techniques on 13 independent variables to predict participant membership in either of 3 groups: those students who persisted, those who dropped out, or those who switched out of engineering technology programs. The complementary qualitative component used focus groups to triangulate the quantitative component and strengthen the study findings. The study revealed that math placement test scores and high school math/science preparation were the most significant predictors of student persistence. Student financial status also figured prominently in participants' decisions to depart the college altogether.

Increasing Persistence
Increasing Persistence

Author: Wesley R. Habley

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2012-09-04

Total Pages: 513

ISBN-13: 0470888431

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INCREASING PERSISTENCE "Of all the books addressing the puzzle of student success and persistence, I found this one to be the most helpful and believe it will be extremely useful to faculty and staff attempting to promote student success. The authors solidly ground their work in empirical research, and do a brilliant job providing both an overview of the relevant literature as well as research-based recommendations for intervention." GAIL HACKETT, PH.D., provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs; professor, counseling and educational psychology, University of Missouri, Kansas City Research indicates that approximately forty percent of all college students never earn a degree anywhere, any time in their lives. This fact has not changed since the middle of the 20th century. Written for practitioners and those who lead retention and persistence initiatives at both the institutional and public policy levels, Increasing Persistence offers a compendium on college student persistence that integrates concept, theory, and research with successful practice. It is anchored by the ACT's What Works in Student Retention (WWISR) survey of 1,100 colleges and universities, an important resource that contains insights on the causes of attrition and identifies retention interventions that are most likely to enhance student persistence.?? The authors focus on three essential conditions for student success: students must learn; students must be motivated, committed, engaged, and self-regulating; and students must connect with educational programs consistent with their interests and abilities. The authors offer a detailed discussion of the four interventions that research shows are the most effective for helping students persist and succeed: assessment and course placement, developmental education initiatives, academic advising, and student transition programming. Finally, they urge broadening the current retention construct, providing guidance to policy makers, campus leaders, and individuals on the contributions they can make to student success.

Identifying Causal Configurations for Engineering Graduate Student Attrition Outcomes Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis
Identifying Causal Configurations for Engineering Graduate Student Attrition Outcomes Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis

Author: Megan Ellery

Publisher:

Published: 2021

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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The statistics surrounding graduate engineering student attrition are staggering and have seen little to no improvement in past years. The Council of Graduate Schools reports a 24 percent attrition rate for men and a 35 percent rate for women (Council of Graduate Schools, 2008). Rates are only higher among students who fall into minority groups (Sowell et al., 2015). While past research had identified prevalent factors that strongly influence doctoral students' decision to remain in or depart from their Ph.D. programs, this study aims to identify how these factors work together to form common pathways to student attrition outcomes including questioning, departure, and persistence. Interviews were conducted with engineering graduate students (N=41) from the top 50 engineering Ph.D. granting universities who had previously or were currently considering leaving their program along with students who had already departed. Participant were asked to share their personal experience in graduate school including their path into graduate school, relationships with advisors and peers, experiences with research, perceived costs, and how their experiences contributed to their thoughts about leaving. Student narratives were used to craft quantitative input data to be analyzed using Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) in order to identify combinations of factors which frequently lead to the same student attrition outcomes. QCA has long been used in social sciences but this is the first study to apply the method to engineering education. Findings indicate that while engineering graduate student experiences are varied, common pathways to questioning, departing, and persisting exist and are made up of multiple attrition factors acting simultaneously. In addition, results indicate that the combinations that most heavily influence men and women differ. The findings of this study contribute to the growing body of graduate engineering education literature and provide a deeper understanding of how graduate engineering students, graduate advisors, and university engineering departments can develop better practices to ameliorate graduate engineering attrition and to ensure that graduate engineering students are receiving the necessary support and tools to achieve success.

Characteristics of Persistence and Retention Among First-generation College Students Majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, Or Math
Characteristics of Persistence and Retention Among First-generation College Students Majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, Or Math

Author: Lorie Lasseter Burnett

Publisher:

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 158

ISBN-13:

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Persistence and retention of college students is a great concern in American higher education. The dropout rate is even more apparent among first-generation college students, as well as those majoring in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). More students earning STEM degrees are needed to fill the many jobs that require the skills obtained while in college. More importantly, those students who are associated with a low-socioeconomic background may use a degree to overcome poverty. Although many studies have been conducted to determine the characteristics associated with student attrition among first-generation students or STEM majors, very little information exists in terms of persistence and retention among the combined groups. The current qualitative study identified some of the characteristics associated with persistence and retention among first-generation college students who are also STEM majors. Participants were juniors or seniors enrolled at a regional 4-year institution. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to allow participants to share their personal experiences as first-generation STEM majors who continue to persist and be retained by their institution. Tinto's Theory of Individual Departure (1987) was used as a framework for the investigation. This theory emphasizes personal and academic background, personal goals, disconnecting from one's own culture, and institutional integration as predictors of persistence. The findings of the investigation revealed that persisting first-generation STEM majors are often connected to family, but have been able to separate that connection with that of the institution. They also are goal-driven and highly motivated and have had varied pre-college academic experiences. These students are academically integrated and socially integrated in some ways, but less than their non-first-generation counterparts. They are overcoming obstacles that students from other backgrounds may not experience. They receive support from their families and institution, but have diverse academic backgrounds. The findings show that a culmination of many characteristics have enabled the participants to persist and be retained by their institution.