Study environment factors associated with retention in higher education

ABSTRACT

There is a substantial body of research concerned with student retention in higher education. However, in regard to factors related to study environment, existing research is described as incomplete. Based on Tinto’s institutional departure model and a literature review of recent international articles on dropout in higher education, this article suggests a revised model for understanding dropout processes. The model envisages study environment as a concept consisting of overlapping domains of a social system, an academic system, and teaching. The article distinguishes between factors related to each of these three systems and discusses how they can be used to understand and prevent dropouts.

KEYWORDS:

• Retention
• higher education
• study environment
• institutional factors
• teaching

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. The measures of teaching quality in all three studies are based on the teaching quality assessment carried out by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.