Research Database

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

Type of Publication: Journal article

Lead Organisation: La Trobe University

Year Published: 2014

Lead Researcher: Andrew Harvey

Written by Andrew Harvey and Michael Luckman, La Trobe University

Published in The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education Vol 5 Issue 1

March 2014

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.

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Harvey, A., & Luckman, M. (2014). Beyond demographics: Predicting student attrition within the Bachelor of Arts degree. The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education, 5(1). 19-29. doi: 10.5204/intjfyhe.v5i1.187.

Posted 10 March 2014