questionnaire design for the analysis of the dropout at a public university in argentina universidad...
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Questionnaire Design for the Analysis of the Dropout at a Public University in Argentina
UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE LA MATANZA. DEPARTAMENTO DE INGENIERÍA E INVESTIGACIONES TECNOLÓGICAS.
SAN JUSTO, BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
Questionnaire Design for the Analysis of the Dropout at a Public University in Argentina
GIULIANO, MÓNICA; PÉREZ, SILVIA; SPOSITTO, OSVALDO; AGÜERO, MABEL; GIL, MYRIAN
Questionnaire Design for the Analysis of the Dropout at a Public University in Argentina
Tinto’s Theory
Academic integrationWe keep in mind
Grade / mark performance
Personal development -- or does this just mean a student's private judgment on the value of what they are learning (as opposed to official marks / teachers' judgments).
Academic self-esteem "Do you think you are doing well academically?”
Enjoying your subject(s).
Enjoying studying your subject(s): i.e. the study patterns required/requested are or are not enjoyable.
Identification with academic norms and values
Identification with one's role as a student
Social integrationWe keep in mind How many friends you have. It probably
doesn't matter whether you fit with the dominant social crowd, only whether or not you have a group of friends you fit with.
Personal contact with academics. In fact, it may be that it is important to measure really small amounts of contact: how many staff know your name, smile at you, ... ("How many staff have you had a personal interaction with, even small?" "How many personal interactions with staff have you had this year?").
"Are you enjoying being at university?"
Engineers social demand in Argentina Even though the numbers of graduates in
engineering careers have increased slightly, the demand for engineers exceeds the current offer. Graduates only cover 40% of labor demand.
It is for them that we must focus on giving all the support and control in the first and last years to prevent dropout and completion of studies. The State pays them to
be received. They perceive better wages market and can decide where to work. However, technological vocation remains low for the country's needs.
Data UNLaM A relevant point is that The National University of La
Matanza (UNLaM) is the house of higher learning in the public sphere With the best average of graduates in the country
The UNLaM leads the ranking of public universities graduates with a rate of 59.8 graduates per hundred entrants, when the average of all institutions is only 26.9 percent.
However, we found more dropout rate in Engineering than in other careers
Department of Engineering and Technological Research
DIIT-UNLaM The university is mostly inserted in a community
characterized by low and medium socioeconomic levels, whose students are first college student in their family, and even of their environment.
Engineering Careers at the National University of La Matanza : Computer Engineering
Electronic Engineering
Industrial engineering
Civil engineering
Technical web development
Electronics Technician
Technical in production(footwear and Metalworking )
Technical in production
Developing technical applications
Prolonging studies at engineering careers
Nowadays, leaving or prolonging studies constitutes a serious problem at the university.
- A five year engineering career is now taking eight or ten.
- The dropout of the career is usually by the first two years.
- Few graduated people in engineering.
In DIIT-UNLaM A five year
engineering career is now taking eight or ten
Fig. 1: Percentage distribution of the quantity of years of study between 1992 and 2012 (N=1283).
Data The dropout on engineering careers is reflected
in the first and second year of studies. That is why constant monitoring in this early years is critical
Fig. 2: Percentage distribution of the quantity of years studied of students that have given up (N=11520).
Reinscriptions are frequent!for example in the cohort 2011: by 2012 the 80% of the students have reinscripted.
Frecuency Percentage
1st quarter of 2011 720 100 %
2nd quarter of 2011 700 97 %
1st quarter of 2012 591 82 %
2nd quarter of 2012 558 78 %
Quantity and percentage of students that have studied and approved, in 2011, subjects of the indicated year following the studies plan, in case of studying subjects that below to more than one year , we considered the student in the minor grade.
Minimum year of current studies
Number of students in 2011 % Of students
1st year 1973 65%
2nd year 391 13%
3rd year 294 10%
4th year 230 8%
5th year 129 4%
Total 3017 100%
Causes of dropout
The time of completion of the engineering careers such as computer engineering, electronics has been delayed due to various factors and these agree with those found in the bibliography.
The main causes of abandonment we have detected are: economic problems, family problems, vocation…
Methodology In order to investigate this problem, we
have analyzed the dropout rates that are found in our university: using the results of national and international
studies as background ;
the findings from our own investigation.
The data in academic register are insufficient
We have decided to design a survey which allows us to identify and weight the causes behind the fact that a large number of students are dedicating more time than the prescribed to finish their studies or even decided to give up.
Instrument: The Survey We have designed a survey instrument
which allows us to identify the causes of dropouts and the explanatory models to understand this issue, with the choice of the quantitative/qualitative methodology and analysis
Dimensions Survey research and questionnaire design put
the focus in three dimensions: academic, social and institutional.
We are particularly interested in: academic difficulties, such as the inability of individuals to
resolve their educational and occupational goals,
their failure to become or remain incorporated in the intellectual and social life of the institution;
their performance on specific courses such as mathematics.
The institutional experience in students support
other questionnaires used in Argentina and other countries.
The first pool of items had its origins at these points.
Contents Validation
To validate if the questions effectively capture the topics under investigation, content validity and pertinence, the questionnaire was pilot tested on:
A group of students ; A group of teachers A group of university tutors A group of DIIT authorities
Experts Moreover, we asked suggestions and
opinions to a selected academic staff (teachers, academic tutors, career coordinators) and to our own research team. Once these data is discussed and revised by the engineering staff for a further revision of the questionnaire, it could be applied.
Different Instruments We made different instruments to those
students that are still active and to those that have abandoned.
Active StudentsWith Google forms and then we
requested a review from: Career coordinators Academic secretary Teachers. Academic Tutors.
After that, reformulation and pilot prove with students (we have not started this stage yet)
First years students
Advanced students
Inactive Students Form (the ones that abandoned)
With Google forms and then we requested a review from:
Career coordinators Academic secretary Teachers. Academic Tutors.
After that, reformulation and pilot prove with students (we have not started this stage yet)
Statistical Analysis
Besides, on the design we considered the possibility to apply some particular methods, such as : logistic regression, factor analysis, correlation and structural modeling,
to carry on statistical analysis to classify the answers of the students.
Questionnaire As a result, we had a questionnaire that will be
administered to: many current university students (active) those that have already given up their careers
(inactive)
C172 Project: Weighting factors shelling and neglect in engineering careers.
Department of Engineering and Technological Research - DIIT-UNLaM.
Mg. Mónica Giuliano
Thank you