Comparative Analysis of Dropout and Student Permanence in Rural Higher Education

Alfredo Guzmán, Sandra Barragán and Favio Cala-Vitery
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Alfredo Guzmán: Center of Research of Asturias (Centro de Investigación de Asturias), Corporación Universitaria de Asturias, Bogota 110221, Colombia
Sandra Barragán: Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Universidad de Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Bogota 111711, Colombia
Favio Cala-Vitery: Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Universidad de Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Bogota 111711, Colombia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 14, 1-25

Abstract: The growing dropout and low permanence of rural students in higher education has become a central problem in the education system, both affecting the quality conditions of training programmes and preventing the materialisation of the benefits that achieving this educational level entails for society. However, the study of these events in rural populations is scarce, resulting in an inadequate treatment of dropout and, consequently, the impossibility of consolidating student permanence. Thus, the aim of this article is to identify which individual, academic, socio-economic, and institutional variables influence the dropout and the retention of the rural student population in higher education. To achieve this purpose, a cross-sectional study was defined. The sample used was a non-probabilistic sample with an n of 269 rural Colombian students who were administered a self-report questionnaire that assessed 59 variables. Data analysis was based on means comparison and cluster modelling. The results show that dropout and permanence in rural students is related to the educational level of the father, family and work obligations, the need to move from their place of residence, the academic average in higher education, satisfaction with the choice of programme, communication with the institution, and the attention of teachers, among other things.

Keywords: educational quality; higher education; dropout; permanence; public policies; institutions; modelling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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