Dropping out of university has serious consequences not only for the student who drops out but also for the institution and society as a whole. Although this phenomenon has been widely studied, there is a need for broader knowledge of the context in which it occurs. Yet research on the subject often focuses on variables that, although they affect drop-out rates, lie beyond a university's control. This makes it hard to come up with effective preventive measures. That is why a northern Spanish university has undertaken a ex post facto holistic research study on 1,311 freshmen (2008/9, 2009/10 and 2010/11 cohorts). The study falls within the framework of the ALFA-GUIA European Project and focuses on those drop-out factors where there is scope for taking remedial measures. This research explored the possible relationship of degree dropout and different categories of variables: variables related to the educational stage prior to university entry (path to entry university and main reason for degree choice), variables related to integration and coexistence at university (social integration, academic integration, relationships with teachers/ peers and value of the living environment) financial status and performance during university studies (in terms ofcompliance with the program, time devoted to study, use of study techniques and class attendance). Descriptive, correlational and variance analyses were conducted to discover which of these variables really distinguish those students who drop out from their peers who complete their studies. Results highlight the influence of vocation as main reason for degree choice, path to university entry, financial independency, social and academic adaptation, time devoted to study, use of study techniques and program compliance in the studied phenomenon.

University dropout is a phenomenon that is a concern in many countries all over the world. However, although there are studies in which the direct relationship of the personal and contextual variables is observed individually to predict dropout, there is little research to know whether any of these variables mediate each other in a more dynamic and complex model. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze the extent to which the intention to drop out of university courses is predicted by (i) satisfaction and expectations with the course, (ii) engagement with the course, and (iii) by the use of Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) strategies. Eight hundred and seventy-seven students from two Spanish universities completed the CARE questionnaire. Path analyses were performed using Mplus 8.3. The data obtained indicate that the intention to drop out is directly and significantly explained by students´ engagement (in 17.8%) and indirectly explained by the use of SRL strategies through engagement. Changes in engagement and in the use of SRL strategies were seen to be associated with satisfaction. Finally, the effect of satisfaction and the use of SRL strategies explained a proportion of students’ engagement (53.6%). It is important for research or interventions focused on students’ intention to drop out to understand that there are multiple variables that both directly and indirectly influence those intentions.

The expansion of Higher Education increased the diversity of students, with heterogenous characteristics, needs, and values. Institutions, intending to preserve the mission and the transformative potential of the tertiary level of education, are facing and implementing policies and practices that enhance success conditions, persistence, and avoid student dropout, in order to meet the goals for sustainable development of people and societies. The present study aims to analyze the impact of personal and academic variables on students’ academic difficulties in adaption to HE, academic achievement, and dropout among first-year STEM students. From a cohort of STEM first-year students at a Portuguese public university, the participants numbered 1376. Applying the structural equation modelling, the results highlight the effect of the variables age, gender, scholarship, and grade point average on access to higher education, difficulties in adapting to higher education, and dropout decision. Understanding STEM students who have already dropped out can contribute to better identification of institutional actions to prevent and reduce its occurrence, especially in first-year students.

University dropout is a growing problem with considerable academic, social and economic consequences. Conclusions and limitations of previous studies highlight the difficulty of analyzing the phenomenon from a broad perspective and with bigger data sets. This paper proposes a new, machine-learning based method, able to examine the problem using a holistic approach. Advantages of this method include the lack of strong distribution hypothesis, the capacity for handling bigger data sets and the interpretability of the results. Results are consistent with previous research, showing the influence of personal and contextual variables and the importance of academic performance in the first year, but other factors are also highlighted with this model, such as the importance of dedication (part or full time), and the vulnerability of the students with respect to their age. Additionally, a comprehensive graphic output is included to make it easier to interpret the discovered rules.

The increase in dropout rates in higher education is a phenomenon that has generated a lot of interest because of the need to deal with its economic, personal, and social consequences, and because of its prevalence, estimated around 30% in Spain. There is a similar interest in violent behavior in university classrooms, which has also been seen to have increased in recent years. Given that, and the fact that research has shown personal variables to be more influential in dropout from higher education, the aim of this study is to explore whether those students who are the victims of bullying (both traditional and cyberbullying) are closer to dropping out from their degree courses. To that end, 1,653 first-year students doing various degree courses in the north of Spain were asked to complete a questionnaire. The results of a Bayesian analysis showed that students who were victims of bullying were more likely to consider dropping out than students who were not victims of bullying. In addition, variables related to social integration (support from friends and teachers) exhibited a moderating effect. These findings raise the urgent need to include intervention strategies in relation to bullying in university plans to prevent dropout. El aumento del abandono en los estudios superiores es un fenómeno que suscita un gran interés por la necesidad de paliar los efectos económicos, personales y sociales que genera; y por su nivel de prevalencia, que informes recientes cifran en España en torno a un 30%. Algo semejante ocurre con los comportamientos violentos en las aulas universitarias, cuyo incremento se ha constatado en los últimos tiempos. Teniendo esto en cuenta, y dado que tal y como pone de manifiesto la investigación científica son las variables personales las que parecen ejercer un mayor peso en el abandono de los estudios superiores, el objetivo que este trabajo persigue es investigar si aquellos universitarios que están siendo víctimas de acoso (acoso tradicional y ciberacoso) pueden tener un mayor planteamiento de abandono de la titulación. Para ello, se implementó un cuestionario a 1.653 estudiantes de primer curso de varias titulaciones de una universidad del norte de España. Los resultados del análisis bayesiano realizado muestran que aquellos estudiantes que son víctimas de acoso, en comparación con aquellos que no lo son, se plantean abandonar sus estudios en mayor medida, teniendo además las variables relacionadas con la integración social (apoyo de amigos y profesores) un efecto moderador. Estos hallazgos plantean la urgente necesidad de incluir estrategias de intervención sobre el acoso en los planes de prevención del abandono universitario.

The implementation of the European higher education area (EHEA) is a true paradigm change in university education in which the student, with particular consideration given to autonomous work, takes the place of the teacher as the central element of the teaching-learning process. In this autonomous work, the strategies the students regularly use become particularly important, given the supposition that doing that work will lead to academic success. The objective of this study is to analyze the variables that influence students’ expectations of success, measured through their intention to persist on the course they are doing. A questionnaire designed ad hoc was given to a sample of 1037 university students. It included aspects related to reasons for choosing the course, institutional integration, use of self-regulation strategies, and intention to drop out. Data analysis allowed the identification of satisfaction with the course chosen and appropriate study skills acquired in secondary education as predictors of expectations of academic persistance, with some differences in terms of gender. Other strategies such as class attendance or going deeply into course content did not figure. These results are at odds with the principles underlying the EHEA and show that they have not yet been interiorized by the students, who continue to perceive their studies more traditionally.