Academic Engagement and Intention to Drop Out: Levers for Sustainability in Higher Education

Camelia Truta, Luminita Parv and Ioana Topala
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Camelia Truta: Department of Psychology, Education and Teaching Training, Transilvania University of Brasov, 29 Eroilor Boulevard, Brasov 500036, Romania
Luminita Parv: Department of Manufacturing Engineering, Transilvania University of Brasov, 29 Eroilor Boulevard, Brasov 500036, Romania
Ioana Topala: Department of Psychology, Education and Teaching Training, Transilvania University of Brasov, 29 Eroilor Boulevard, Brasov 500036, Romania

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 12, 1-11

Abstract: The present paper analyses the relevance of academic engagement in the process of students dropping out of school. Previous studies have consistently shown strong associations between engagement and students’ achievement outcomes. The increased attention given to academic engagement in recent years is also visible in the efforts of stakeholders in higher education to increase engagement and, consequently, to reduce dropout. The relationships between engagement and dropout rates are somewhat fuzzier, vigor, dedication, and absorption vary inconsistently in students at risk. Using a correlation research design, we tested several dimensions of academic engagement as predictors of early dropout intentions on a sample of first-year students ( N = 1063). The results showed that psychological academic engagement of students is a significant predictor of early dropout intentions. Differences in academic engagement given by family background and academic context were also tested. The implications of the results are discussed in the light of possible interventions for increasing academic engagement of university students. Also, suggestions for including employers in academic engagement and dropout interventions are given.

Keywords: academic dropout; academic engagement; sustainable education; students at risk; students’ satisfaction; academic context (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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