ERIC Number: ED245647
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1984-Apr
Pages: 20
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
A Follow-up Survey of College Dropouts: Who Responded and How Valid Were Their Answers?
Hall, Eleanor R.
Reasons dropouts offer for withdrawal from college and differences between respondents and nonrespondents to a followup questionnaire were studied. During the spring 1980 semester, freshmen and sophomores completed a questionnaire describing their background and college experiences. A total of 156 dropouts (those who did not complete courses during the fall 1981 semester) were mailed a followup questionnaire. The response rate was 47 percent (74 questionnaires were returned). Respondents did not differ from nonrespondents on 1979-1980 grade point average (GPA) or on key background and experience variables. Relationships of GPA and spring 1980 survey variables to reasons given for dropping out provided evidence for the validity of academic problems, responsibilities for children, other family responsibilities, and career indecision as reasons for dropping out. There was little evidence for the validity of lack of money as a reason; students who were not achieving important goals tended to cite lack of money. (Author/SW)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (68th, New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 1984).