student attrition

In this study, we examine students’ reasons for course non-completion at a large, diverse, public research university in the university system of Georgia. We found these reasons in multiple datasets and used a mixed-methods approach to interpret them. While many studies have framed course withdrawals as rational decisions based on academic or personal factors, this study explores a variety of factors, including both practical and emotional considerations, that shape students’ withdrawal decisions. We analyzed emotional sentiment and reasons for course non-completion cited at the moment of withdrawal (i.e., disclosed on the registrar withdrawal form) as well as at retrospective timepoints (i.e., in a survey and semi-structured interview). At the time of withdrawal, students most frequently cited academic, personal, or mental health struggles as reasons for withdrawal, often expressing negative emotions. In some cases, students indicated the need for immediate crisis intervention. However, retrospective reflections revealed more positive emotions about their decisions and cited poor academic performance and an overall imbalance in their lives as key reasons. These findings highlight the complex interplay between academic challenges and emotional responses in the withdrawal process, suggesting that educators should consider both factors when addressing course non-completion. We also discuss the implications for future research and administrative policy.

Student retention, graduation, and employment are major outcomes in higher education. They reflect the effectiveness of the institution in shaping the future workforce. Thus, this study examined undergraduate retention, graduation, and employment in 2020-2024. The Divisions of Academic Affairs, Registration, and Planning provided secondary data on 9 issues: admission plans, enrolment reporting, course registration, leave of absence, academic results, loss of student status, retention, graduation, and employment status. The study found that most students who lost status were from large northeastern institutions and were reported for portfolio round enrolment. They had low entrance academic performance. Most students in this cohort had GPAXs between 0.00 and 0.99 in 2024, with the lowest being 1.19. The Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies lost the most students. Mahasarakham Business School had the most, mostly first-year students. Many retained students came from big northeastern schools and reported for enrolment in the Portfolio round, followed by the Quota round. The mean entrance GPAX was 3.27, and the mean current GPAX was 2.34. The Faculty of Nursing had the greatest retention rates in the second and third years. Pharmacy and veterinary sciences had the highest retention rates in the fifth year and above. Most students who graduated within the curriculum's timeframe came from major northeastern schools and reported for portfolio round enrolment. Most students graduated on schedule, usually in the second semester. Large-school graduates worked largely in the northeast. The Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies had the greatest employment rate, whereas Mahasarakham Business School had the most employed graduates. Overall, 94.92% of graduates found work within a year. At 100.00%, the Faculty of Medicine achieved the greatest employment rate in its field.

Understanding students' cost perceptions in introductory science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses and what precedes them is critical in preventing the considerable loss of talent in STEM.In this study, we examined the extent to which students' fixed mindset at the beginning of a semester predicts their weekly task effort and emotional cost perceptions.We also examined indirect associations of a fixed mindset with weekly perceived learning, STEM career intentions at the end of the semester, and final achievement, via weekly cost perceptions.Participants were 694 college students in introductory chemistry at a large midwestern university in the United States.Using multilevel structural equation modeling, we found that students with a greater endorsement of a fixed mindset tended to perceive higher task effort cost.Furthermore, students' fixed mindset indirectly predicted lower perceived learning, STEM career intentions, and achievement via higher perceived task effort cost.Fixed mindset did not significantly predict emotional cost perceptions.This study offers both theoretical insights and practical implications by demonstrating the differential predictions of mindsets across cost dimensions and identifying mindsets as a precursor of task effort cost. Educational Impact and Implications StatementCost is a key motivational factor contributing to college student attrition from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors.This study shows that college students' beliefs in the innateness and fixedness of intelligence (i.e., fixed mindset) predicted their higher effort cost perceptions in an introductory chemistry course over a semester, which in turn was linked to lower perceived learning, STEM career intentions, and achievement.These findings underscore the potential of lowering a fixed mindset in STEM college students to enhance student learning and achievement by mitigating their perceptions of effort cost.Such efforts should also promote retention in STEM fields.

درک ادراک هزینه دانشجویان در دوره‌های مقدماتی علوم، فناوری، مهندسی و ریاضیات (STEM) و عوامل پیشین آن‌ها، برای جلوگیری از از دست رفتن قابل توجه استعدادها در حوزه STEM حیاتی است. در این مطالعه، میزان پیش‌بینی ذهنیت ثابت دانشجویان در ابتدای ترم برای ادراک هفتگی هزینه تلاش وظیفه و هزینه هیجانی آن‌ها بررسی شد. همچنین ارتباطات غیرمستقیم ذهنیت ثابت با یادگیری ادراک‌شده هفتگی، قصد ادامه مسیر شغلی در STEM در پایان ترم و دستاورد نهایی، از طریق ادراک هفتگی هزینه، مورد بررسی قرار گرفت. شرکت‌کنندگان شامل ۶۹۴ دانشجوی دانشگاهی در درس شیمی مقدماتی در یک دانشگاه بزرگ در منطقه غرب میانه ایالات متحده بودند. با استفاده از مدل‌سازی معادلات ساختاری چندسطحی، مشخص شد دانشجویانی که ذهنیت ثابت بیشتری داشتند، هزینه تلاش وظیفه بالاتری را ادراک می‌کردند. علاوه بر این، ذهنیت ثابت دانشجویان به طور غیرمستقیم، یادگیری ادراک‌شده پایین‌تر، قصد ادامه مسیر شغلی در STEM و دستاورد پایین‌تر را از طریق ادراک بالاتر هزینه تلاش وظیفه پیش‌بینی می‌کرد. ذهنیت ثابت، پیش‌بینی معناداری برای ادراک هزینه هیجانی نداشت. این مطالعه با نشان دادن پیش‌بینی‌های افتراقی ذهنیت‌ها در ابعاد مختلف هزینه و شناسایی ذهنیت به عنوان پیش‌زمینه هزینه تلاش وظیفه، بینش‌های نظری و پیامدهای عملی ارائه می‌دهد. بیانیه تأثیر و پیامدهای آموزشی: هزینه، عامل انگیزشی کلیدی در ترک تحصیل دانشجویان دانشگاهی از رشته‌های علوم، فناوری، مهندسی و ریاضیات (STEM) است. این مطالعه نشان می‌دهد باور دانشجویان دانشگاهی به ذاتی و ثابت بودن هوش (یعنی ذهنیت ثابت)، ادراک هزینه تلاش بالاتر را در طول یک ترم در درس شیمی مقدماتی پیش‌بینی می‌کند که به نوبه خود با یادگیری ادراک‌شده پایین‌تر، قصد ادامه مسیر شغلی در STEM و دستاورد پایین‌تر مرتبط بود. این یافته‌ها بر اهمیت کاهش ذهنیت ثابت در دانشجویان STEM برای ارتقای یادگیری و دستاورد دانشجویان از طریق کاهش ادراک هزینه تلاش تأکید می‌کند. چنین تلاش‌هایی باید به افزایش ماندگاری در حوزه‌های STEM نیز کمک کند.