Causes of Student Attrition In Bahlr Dar University: Qua litative and Quantitative Analyses

Abstract

The study investigated major causes of student attrition m Bahlf Dar
University. Longitudinal design was used to look into the trend of attrition rate over
two years. The subjeds of the study were all freshman students admitted to the
Faculty of Education of the university in the 1997198 academic year. The total
number of students admitted to the fawlty in that academic year was 414 (333
males and 81 females). All students were involved in the study. In addition to the
freshman students, all second year students (156) were included to supplement the
data obtained from freshman students. Questionna/fes were used to gather
information about those factors that account for stufients· discontinuation of their
education. Documents were also assessed to obtain academic performances and
attrition rates of students over the two years. For analysis, both quantitative and
qualitative techniques were employed. Results portrayed that the rates of attrition
were high in the first year of university education and declined considerably there
after. It was indicated that the overall rate of attntlon of boys was 0.342 and of
females was 0.568. The incidence of female students · attrition rate was almost
twice that of their male counterparts. Qualirative data revealed that the major
causes of attrition were anxiety, homesickness. health problems, social and
environmental adjustment problems, inaccurate perception of one's competence.
lack of information about college lite and how to study, falling in love. lack of
appropriate study skills, scarcity of reference malerlals to study, overcrowded
dormitories and library, curriculum incompatibilities of high school and tertiary level,
distorted information provided to freshman students by seniors, and gradmg
problems of teachers. On the other hand, quantitative data showed that the only
predictor variable for survwal was GPA. However, GPA itself was affected by
gender, self-efficacy. and level of anxiety. Male students had higher mean GPAs
than female students. It was also found out that anxiety was caused by feelmg of
inadequacy, which was negatively yet strongly affected by self-efficacy, and gender.
where male students were more anxious than female students. Finally suggestions
that may help alleviate the problem were forwarded