Analysis of Factors Influencing Academic Dropout Rates

Is there any correlation between academic performance indicators and student dropout rates? The analysis focuses on three key performance indicators collected over five academic years (2016-2020): average exam grades, number of honours and total ECTS credits earned. The study aims to identify consistent patterns that could inform strategies to improve student retention.

Introduction

School dropout is a critical issue affecting educational institutions worldwide. Identifying the factors that contribute to dropout rates is essential for developing effective interventions. This study analyses historical data from 2016 to 2020, focusing on the relationship between academic performance and dropout rates.

Methodology

The datasets for each year included variables such as age at enrolment, gender, type of school, geographical location, economic class and key academic performance indicators. The study focused on three variables: average exam grades, number of honours and total ECTS credits at the end of the first year of enrolment. The data were categorised into dropout and non-dropout groups. Welch’s t-tests were used to compare means between these groups, taking into account unequal variances and sample sizes.

Results

The analysis revealed significant differences in all three academic measures between dropouts and non-dropout students across all years. Key findings include:

Average exam grades: Dropout students consistently had lower average exam grades than their counterparts. Note that many students who dropped out did not take exams and were awarded a grade of 0 (and thus the average mark is low).
Number of Honours: Where data was reliable (2018-2020), students who dropped out were awarded fewer honours.
Total ECTS credits: Dropout students consistently earned fewer ECTS credits.

Discussion

The results underline the strong correlation between academic performance and dropout rates. Lower exam marks and fewer credits indicate that academic difficulties are a key factor in the decision to drop out. This pattern was consistent across all years studied, indicating a persistent trend.