The socioeconomic determinants of University dropouts: The case of Greece

Tasos Stylianou, Alexandros Milidis

Article ID: 3729
Vol 8, Issue 6, 2024

VIEWS - 281 (Abstract) 168 (PDF)

Abstract


This research paper aims to explore the issue of university dropouts in Greece, which has become a growing concern in recent years due to its impact on individuals, educational institutions, and society as a whole. One of the main contributing factors to students discontinuing their higher education in Greece is the choice of the wrong faculty. Financial challenges, unrelated to tuition fees, also significantly affect students’ ability to pursue their studies. Family background plays a crucial role, with students from families with higher educational attainment exhibiting greater persistence. The study found that gender, age, and academic performance can influence students’ perceptions of dropout factors, which can change as they progress through their educational journey. To address these challenges, the research proposes a multifaceted approach, including early intervention programs, expanded financial support, improved mental health and counseling services, flexible learning options, and strong academic advising.


Keywords


University dropouts; policy interventions; Greece; dropout determinants

Full Text:

PDF


References


Abdi, H., & Williams, L. J. (2010). Tukey’s honestly significant difference (HSD) test. Encyclopedia of research design, 3(1), 1–5.

Aina, C., Baici, E., Casalone, G., & Pastore, F. (2022). The determinants of university dropout: A review of the socio-economic literature. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 79, 101102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seps.2021.101102

Alban, M., & Mauricio, D. (2019). Predicting University Dropout trough Data Mining: A systematic Literature. Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 12(4), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.17485/ijst/2019/v12i4/139729

Araque, F., Roldán, C., & Salguero, A. (2009). Factors influencing university drop out rates. Computers & Education, 53(3), 563–574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2009.03.013

Armstrong, R. L. (1987). The Midpoint on a Five-Point Likert-Type Scale. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 64(2), 359–362. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1987.64.2.359

Bennett, R. (2003). Determinants of Undergraduate Student Drop Out Rates in a University Business Studies Department. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 27(2), 123–141. https://doi.org/10.1080/030987703200065154

Bound, J., Lovenheim, M. F., & Turner, S. (2010). Why Have College Completion Rates Declined? An Analysis of Changing Student Preparation and Collegiate Resources. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2(3), 129–157. https://doi.org/10.1257/app.2.3.129

Cappellari, L., & Lucifora, C. (2009). The “Bologna Process” and college enrollment decisions. Labour Economics, 16(6), 638–647. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2009.08.009

Checchi, D. (2000). University education in Italy. International Journal of Manpower, 21(3/4), 177–205. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437720010335969

Comay, Y., Melnik, A., & Pollatschek, M. A. (1976). Dropout Risks, Option Values, and Returns to Investment in Schooling. The Canadian Journal of Economics, 9(1), 45. https://doi.org/10.2307/134414

Contini, D., & Zotti, R. (2022). Do Financial Conditions Play a Role in University Dropout? New Evidence from Administrative Data. Teaching, Research and Academic Careers, 39–70. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07438-7_3

Contini, D., Cugnata, F., & Scagni, A. (2017). Social selection in higher education. Enrolment, dropout and timely degree attainment in Italy. Higher Education, 75(5), 785–808. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-017-0170-9

Esposito, G., Marôco, J., Passeggia, R., Pepicelli, G., & Freda, M. F. (2021). The Italian validation of the University Student Engagement Inventory. European Journal of Higher Education, 12(1), 35–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/21568235.2021.1875018

Eurostat Report (2022). Early leavers from education and training. Available from: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Early_leavers_from_education_and_training [Accessed 25th March 2024].

Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A.-G., & Buchner, A. (2007). G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behavior Research Methods, 39(2), 175–191. https://doi.org/10.3758/bf03193146

Fay, M. P., & Proschan, M. A. (2010). Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney or t-test? On assumptions for hypothesis tests and multiple interpretations of decision rules. Statistics Surveys, 4(none). https://doi.org/10.1214/09-ss051

Ghignoni, E. (2016). Family background and university dropouts during the crisis: the case of Italy. Higher Education, 73(1), 127–151. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-016-0004-1

Gitto, L., Minervini, L. F., & Monaco, L. (2016). University dropouts in Italy: Are supply side characteristics part of the problem? Economic Analysis and Policy, 49, 108–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eap.2015.12.004

Griffin, A., Johnson, K. V., & Jogan, K. (2019). First-Year College Students’ Behaviors and Characteristics of Those Who Stay and Those Who Go. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 23(4), 815–823. https://doi.org/10.1177/1521025119879414

Hecke, T. V. (2012). Power study of anova versus Kruskal-Wallis test. Journal of Statistics and Management Systems, 15(2–3), 241–247. https://doi.org/10.1080/09720510.2012.10701623

Hodges, J. L., & Lehmann, E. L. (1962). Rank Methods for Combination of Independent Experiments in Analysis of Variance. The Annals of Mathematical Statistics, 33(2), 482–497. https://doi.org/10.1214/aoms/1177704575

Manski, C. F. (1989). Schooling as experimentation: a reappraisal of the postsecondary dropout phenomenon. Economics of Education Review, 8(4), 305–312. https://doi.org/10.1016/0272-7757(89)90016-2

Ozdagli A, Trachter N (2014) The dropout option in a simple model of college education. Econ Q Fed Reserve Bank Richmond 4Q:279–295

Paura, L., & Arhipova, I. (2014). Cause Analysis of Students’ Dropout Rate in Higher Education Study Program. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 109, 1282–1286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.12.625

Perchinunno, P., Bilancia, M., & Vitale, D. (2019). A Statistical Analysis of Factors Affecting Higher Education Dropouts. Social Indicators Research, 156(2–3), 341–362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-019-02249-y

Ruxton, G. D. (2006). The unequal variance t-test is an underused alternative to Student’s t-test and the Mann–Whitney U test. Behavioral Ecology, 17(4), 688–690. https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/ark016

Santos, K. J. D. O., Menezes, A. G., de Carvalho, A. B., & Montesco, C. A. (2019, July). Supervised learning in the context of educational data mining to avoid university students dropout. In 2019 IEEE 19th International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT) (Vol. 2161, pp. 207-208). IEEE.

Scheunemann, A., Schnettler, T., Bobe, J., Fries, S., & Grunschel, C. (2021). A longitudinal analysis of the reciprocal relationship between academic procrastination, study satisfaction, and dropout intentions in higher education. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 37(4), 1141–1164. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-021-00571-z

Stylianou, T., Nasir, R., & Waqas, M. (2023). Inclusive Human Development and Governance Nexus: Causality Analysis of Selected Asian Countries. Economies, 11(3), 97.

Stylianou, T., & Ntelas, K. (2023). Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Socioeconomic Aspects in Greece. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3), 1843.

Tasos, S., Amjad, M. I., Awan, M. S., & Waqas, M. (2020). Poverty alleviation and microfinance for the economy of Pakistan: A case study of Khushhali Bank in Sargodha. Economies, 8(3), 63.

Terenzini, P. T., Lorang, W. G., & Pascarella, E. T. (1981). Predicting freshman persistence and voluntary dropout decisions: A replication. Research in Higher Education, 15(2), 109–127. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00979592

Vossensteyn H, Stensaker B, Kottmann A, Hovdhaugen E, Jongbloed B, Woll-scheid S, Kaiser F, Leon C (2015). Dropout and Completion in Higher Education in Europe Brussels. European Commission

Zotti, R. (2015). Should I stay or should I go? Dropping out from university: An empirical analysis of students’ performances. Working Papers 70, AlmaLaurea Inter-University Consortium.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i6.3729

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2024 Tasos Stylianou, Alexandros Milidis

License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.