Beyond demographics: Predicting student attrition within the Bachelor of Arts degree

  • Andrew Harvey La Trobe University
  • Michael Luckman

Abstract

This paper examines factors linked to first year attrition within the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree at an Australian university. Drawing on a broad range of institutional data, the authors considered correlations between attrition and several variables. Our research revealed the need to move beyond analysis of geo-demographic factors towards indicators of student choice and educational achievement. While few demographic factors were found to be strong indicators of attrition, two other factors were clearly correlated. These factors – course preference, and first year educational performance – were significant predictors of attrition. Because subject failure is the single strongest predictor of attrition, and because the BA offers a wide range of subjects, developing strategies to ensure consistency and quality across those subjects is imperative.
Published
Feb 25, 2014
How to Cite
HARVEY, Andrew; LUCKMAN, Michael. Beyond demographics: Predicting student attrition within the Bachelor of Arts degree. The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education, [S.l.], v. 5, n. 1, p. 19-29, feb. 2014. ISSN 1838-2959. Available at: <http://fyhejournal.com/article/view/187>. Date accessed: 16 aug. 2018. doi: https://doi.org/10.5204/intjfyhe.v5i1.187.
Section
Articles

Keywords

retention; analytics; first year curriculum; course preferences

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