Catalan university dropout
The results of the research point the relevance of contextualize strategies for retention to satisfy particular needs of degrees, faculties and universities.
David Rodríguez, EDO-UAB member, has published an entry in UAB Divulga about a study of Catalan university abandonment from a transnational point of view, recently published in Studies in Higher Education.
The aim of this study, published in the international journal Studies in Higher Education, is to look in depth at how dropout is being studied and dealt with in a variety of contexts, in order to help design actions to increase student retention and performance in higher education institutions (HEI). In particular, it addresses the common reasons for this phenomenon in America, Europe and, more specifically, in Spain and Catalonia, and illustrates the difficulty of measuring dropout due to different countries and organizations using different formulas and concepts, such as desertion, retention and survival rates, among others..
The findings suggest the importance of contextualizing retention strategies to meet the particular needs of degrees, schools and universities and understand the potential influence of national policies, managerial priorities, learning traditions and organizational cultures. The data and research evidence obtained justify the need to improve vocational counseling practices and to rethink particular policies, such as university access, induction, tutorship and fellowship programs in order to counterbalance the main causes of university dropout.
In this international review, there is sufficient evidence to indicate that despite the diversity of research methodologies, which enormously hinders any general treatment or unified approach to the phenomenon, dropout itself has a severe impact on students’ lives and those of their families and, in turn, on the skills of each country’s workforce.
Retention is, therefore, considered a determining factor of the prestige, credibility and economic stability of universities and, consequently, of the university system. Retention policies not only contribute to the successful completion of studies by promoting student satisfaction and engagement, but also provide major benefits to the university and to society through keeping enrollments stable in order to guarantee the university budget.
For further information, please visit: http://goo.gl/tSG4O8
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