DROPOUT RISK FACTORS IDENTIFIED IN STUDENTS REPEATING COURSES IN NURSING AND KINESIOLOGY PROGRAMS AT A CHILEAN UNIVERSITY

Abstract

High repetition and dropout rates for college students have raised concern among teaching personnel and authorities. This paper presents research conducted among first-year Nursing and Kinesiology students at a Chilean university, with the aim of describing how attrition risk factors affect this group of students repeating grades. It is a quantitative descriptive study in which a validated questionnaire was applied to 83 students who were enrolled in these programs, with the selection criterion of having failed at least one course. A statistical analysis (SPSS) was then applied to the information collected. Results: it was found that the majority of the students surveyed adopt a study technique consisting of reading and then underlining the course materials; a significant percentage indicated that they had previously been enrolled in a different university course; more students finance their studies using credits or scholarships than through any other funding mechanism; the most heavily represented family income group is the group with incomes of up to CLP350,000; a large number of those surveyed received secondary education at a municipally funded school; the vast majority of students’ parents had at least started secondary education but never entered the tertiary level; and finally, a large number of students indicated that they are the first in their immediate family to enter any form of higher education. Conclusions: It can be concluded that this group of students presents a number of the dropout risk factors already studied, which could lead them to abandon higher education at any point.