New 3-year project focuses on dropout and completion of NAT students
The dropout level from higher education in Denmark is high. Five years after study start, instead of putting the final touches to their thesis, 32 % of students have long since waved goodbye to what was once their dream education.
By Trine Søndergaard, trinesh@sdu.dk
Dropout is also a problem in the Science study programmes at SDU, and it is far from a new phenomenon. Nor is it new that attempts are being made to do something about it. In 2012, NAT modernised the structure of the first year of all bachelor programmes, introducing the course FF500 with subject matters such as study technique, group dynamics, and structuring of study time into the first-year curriculum. Introducing the course has had many positive effects, but it has not made a significant difference to dropout rates. During the study year 2015/16, bachelor programmes at the Faculty of Science had an average dropout of 16 % during the first year, and similar dropout rates during the second and third study years.
Many researchers have investigated dropout, but most studies look at the reasons only after the student has dropped out. A new 3-year project at NAT will instead investigate dropout before it happens. The project, named STAY, will be conducted by Student Counsellor Camilla Gundlach Kromann along with Nadia Rahbek Dyrberg Kristensen who has just earned a PhD based on investigations into students' motivation for studying science. The Faculty's management group has allocated resources for the project.
The STAY project is currently in its preliminary phase, which consists of interviews with students, teachers and other relevant people. One of the teachers is Associate Professor and PhD Rolf Fagerberg from the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. Since he was employed in 2004, the problem of dropout from the Computer Science study programmes has been one of his focus points:
"It's very difficult to get the students to put into words the many personal and often unconscious considerations they experience, such as 'do I belong here?' and 'what will I do when I'm finished?' and all the other thoughts, feelings and expectations that are natural during that phase of life," says Rolf Fagerberg.
"But in my opinion, these considerations and feelings are central factors in the students' dropout and completion times. For that reason, we at IMADA make an effort to make sure that the new students feel welcome and that they develop a sense of belonging as quickly as possible. Therefore, we have done a lot of work with the study environment. For instance, there should be close contact between the teacher and the individual student. There should be good working facilities for students at the department, and the Student Council should be supported. We are also constantly fine-tuning the study programme and trying to remove anything that could hinder the students," says Rolf Fagerberg, who is enthusiastic about the STAY project:
"I am really pleased that we at NAT are prioritising a project like STAY. I myself have wanted to carry out qualitative, interview-based investigations for many years, but they are very resource-heavy. I expect that the knowledge that comes out of the project will be valuable for all of the scientific study programmes, and on a national level as well," concludes Rolf Fagerberg.
The STAY project will run from January 2017 to October 2019. During the project, investigations will be conducted into why science students choose to continue with or leave their studies, and concrete approaches will be formulated, put into action and assessed.
Photo: Emil Ryge