ERIC Number: EJ1026953
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Jul
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
Reference Count: 32
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1469-7874
Why Students Consider Terminating Their Studies and What Convinces Them to Stay
Xuereb, Sharon
Active Learning in Higher Education, v15 n2 p145-156 Jul 2014
A substantial proportion of students doubt whether they should continue their studies, and are consequently more likely to withdraw. In the study described in this article, undergraduates who reported they doubted gave their reasons why they did, outlined support they received and stated why they ultimately decided to continue with their studies. A total of 176 psychology undergraduates answered open-ended questions in a questionnaire. Findings for traditional and non-traditional students were compared. The most common reasons for doubting were an academic workload perceived as too high and course-related problems. Friends and family were the most commonly cited sources of support. Students' main reasons for continuing with their studies were to achieve their end goal and to finish what they had started. These findings are discussed in light of what universities can do to prevent and manage doubting.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Undergraduate Students, Academic Persistence, Withdrawal (Education), Questionnaires, Comparative Analysis, Goal Orientation, Student Attitudes, Correlation, Nontraditional Students, Student Characteristics, Age Differences, Gender Differences, Student Personnel Services, Social Support Groups, Family Role, Friendship, Difficulty Level
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: England; National Survey of Student Engagement

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