The Analysis of the Factors That Weaken Engineering Students’ Engagement and Lead Them to Transfer to Other Universities

Yıl 2018, Cilt: 47 Sayı: 2, 384 - 410, 01.10.2018

Adnan Boyacı , Mehmet Fatih Karacabey Mustafa Özdere Yakup Öz

Öz

Turkey has been
living a massive growth in higher education since 2006. This rapid acceleration
in the growth of higher education can be considered as a positive situation for
the participation and access to higher education. However, it also brings a
substantially growing concern in the higher education system related to college
satisfaction or engagement. The purpose of this study is to examine
the factors challenging student engagement in higher education in the Turkish
context, specifically focusing on the engagement of engineering students with a
qualitative approach. Participants in the study are all engineering students
who had been transferred from some other universities and enrolled in a state
university. Participants were determined by criterion and snowball
sampling methods.  The data were gathered by semi-structured interviews. A
descriptive design was adopted in the study and the thematic analysis was
employed during the analysis of the participants’ opinions. According to
the aim of the study, opinions of the participants are categorized into three main themes as
individual level, institutional level and environmental factors affecting the
college engagement and persistence among engineering students. At the end of
the study, there are a discussion how the engagement and persistence of
engineering students in Turkey differ from the context in the western countries
and some bits of advice for the policymakers, universities, and
researchers. 

 

Anahtar Kelimeler

Engineering students, College engagement, College persistence, Transfer students, College retention

Kaynakça

• Alford, S. M. (1998). The impact of inner-city values on student social adjustment in commuter colleges. NASPA Journal, 35(3), 225-233. Astin, A. (1975). Preventing students from dropping out. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Astin, A. W. (1985). Achieving educational excellence. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Astin, A. W. (1991). Assessment for Excellence: The Philosophy and Practice of Assess- ment and Evaluation in Higher Education. New York: MacMillan. Astin, A. W. (1993a). What matters most in college? Four critical years revisited. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Astin, A. W. (1993b). Engineering outcomes. ASEE Prism, 3(1), 27-30. Audet, J., and d'Amboise, G. (2001). The Multi-Site Study: An Innovative Research Methodology. The Qualitative Report [On-line serial], 6 (2). http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR6-2/audet.html Aydin, Y. Ç., Güneri, O. Y., Yildirim, F. B., & Çag, P. (2015). Predicting College Student Success: College Engagement and Perceived English Language Proficiency. Çukurova University. Faculty of Education Journal, 44(2), 229.Aypay, A., Çekiç, O., & Boyaci, A. (2012). Student retention in higher education in Turkey: A qualitative study. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 14(1), 91-116.Baillie, C., & Fitzgerald, G. (2000). Motivation and attrition in engineering students. European Journal of Engineering Education, 25(2), 145-155.Bean, J. P. (1980). Dropouts and turnover: The synthesis and test of a causal model of student attrition. Research in Higher Education, 12, 155-187.Berger, J. B., & Braxton, J. M. (1998). Revising Tinto's interactionalist theory of student departure through theory elaboration: Examining the role of organizational attributes in the persistence process. Research in Higher education, 39(2), 103-119. Bogdan, C. ve Biklen, K. (1992). Qualitative Research for Education. An Introduction to Theory and Methods (2nd ed.) Boston, London, Toronto, Sydney, Tokyo, Singapore, Allyn and BaconBoles, W., & Whelan, K. (2017). Barriers to student success in engineering education. European Journal of Engineering Education, 42(4), 368-381.Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77-101.Braxton, J. M., & Hirschy, A. S. (2005). Theoretical developments in the study of college student departure. College student retention: Formula for student success, 3, 61-87.Cabrera, A. F., Nora, A., & Castaneda, M. B. (1993). College persistence: Structural equations modeling test of an integrated model of student retention. Journal of Higher Education, 123-139.Caroni, C. (2011). Graduation and attrition of engineering students in Greece. European Journal of Engineering Education, 36(1), 63-74.Case, J. (2007). Alienation and engagement: Exploring students’ experiences of studying engineering. Teaching in Higher Education, 12(1), 119-133.Chen, R. (2008). Financial aid and student dropout in higher education: A heterogeneous research approach. In Higher education (pp. 209-239). Springer Netherlands.Costa, P., & McCrae, R. (1992). Normal personality assessment in clinical practice: TheNEO Personality Inventory. Psychological Assessment, 4, 5213. doi: 10.1037/1040-3590.4.1.5Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative And Mixed Method Approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage publications.Fenske, R. H., Porter, J. D., & DuBrock, C. P. (2000). Tracking financial aid and persistence of women, minority, and needy students in science, engineering, and mathematics. Research in Higher Education, 41(1), 67-94.French, B. F., Immekus, J. C., & Oakes, W. C. (2005). An examination of indicators of engineering students' success and persistence. Journal of Engineering Education, 94(4), 419-425.Gunuc, S., & Kuzu, A. (2015). Student engagement scale: Development, reliability and validity. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 40(4), 587-610.Habley, W. R., & McClanahan, R. (2004). What Works in Student Retention? Four-Year Public Colleges. ACT, Inc.Hall, C. W., Kauffmann, P. J., Wuensch, K. L., Swart, W. E., DeUrquidi, K. A., Griffin, O. H., & Duncan, C. S. (2015). Aptitude and personality traits in retention of engineering students. Journal of Engineering Education, 104(2), 167-188.Hartman, H., & Hartman, M. (2006). Leaving engineering: Lessons from Rowan University's college of engineering. Journal of Engineering Education, 95(1), 49.Hoit, M., & Ohland, M. (1998). The Impact of a Discipline‐Based Introduction to Engineering Course on Improving Retention. Journal of engineering education, 87(1), 79-85.Hossler, D., Schmit, J. L., & Vesper, N. (1999). Going to college: How social, economic, and educational factors influence the decisions students make. Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press. Ing, M. & Victorino, C. (2016). Differences in Classroom Engagement of Asian American Engineering Students. Journal of Engineering Education, 105(3), 431-451.Kim, H., Sefcik, J. S., & Bradway, C. (2017). Characteristics of qualitative descriptive studies: a systematic review. Research in nursing & health, 40(1), 23-42. Kuh, G. D. (2009). What student affairs professionals need to know about student engagement. Journal of College Student Development, 50, 683–706. doi:10.1353/csd.0.0099 Kuh, G. D., Cruce, T. M., Shoup, R., Kinzie, J., & Gonyea, R. M. (2008). Unmasking the effects of student engagement on first-year college grades and persistence. The Journal of Higher Education, 79(5), 540-563. Kuh, G. D., Kinzie, J., Schuh, J. H., & Whitt, E. J. (2005). Assessing conditions to enhance educational effectiveness. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Marra, R. M., Rodgers, K. A., Shen, D., & Bogue, B. (2012). Leaving engineering: A multi-year single institution study. Journal of Engineering Education, 101(1), 6.McCroskey, J. C., Booth‐Butterfield, S., & Payne, S. K. (1989). The impact of communication apprehension on college student retention and success. Communication Quarterly, 37(2), 100-107.McDonough, P. (1997). Choosing colleges: How social class and schools structure opportunity. Albany: State University of New York Press.McMillan, J. H. & Schumacher, S. (1993). Research in Education, A Conceptual Introduction (3rd Edition). New York. Harper Collins College Publishers.Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco, USA: Jossey-Bass Publishers, Inc.Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. 1994. Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Source Book. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.MoNE (2011). National Education Statistics (2010-2011). MoNE Strategy Development Precedency. MoNE (2012). National Education Statistics (2011-2012). MoNE Strategy Development Precedency. MoNE (2013). National Education Statistics (2012-2013). MoNE Strategy Development Precedency. MoNE (2014). National Education Statistics (2013-2014). MoNE Strategy Development Precedency. MoNE (2015). National Education Statistics (2014-2015). MoNE Strategy Development Precedency. MoNE (2016). National Education Statistics (2014-2015). MoNE Strategy Development Precedency. MoNE (2017). National Education Statistics (2014-2015). MoNE Strategy Development Precedency. Napoli, A. R., & Wortman, P. M. (1998). Psychosocial factors related to retention and early departure of two-year community college students. Research in Higher Education, 39(4), 419-455.Nora, A. (1990). Campus-based aid programs as determinants of retention among Hispanic community college students. The Journal of Higher Education, 312-331.Nora, A., Cabrera, A., Hagedorn, L. S., & Pascarella, E. (1996). Differential impacts of academic and social experiences on college-related behavioral outcomes across different ethnic and gender groups at four-year institutions. Research in higher education, 37(4), 427-451.OECD (2015), “Indicator B1 How Much is Spent Per Student?”, in Education at a Glance 2015: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris.Ott, M. D. (1978). Retention of men and women engineering students. Research in Higher Education, 9(2), 137-150. Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (1991). How college affects students: Findings and insights from twenty years of research. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (2005). How college affects students: A third decade of research. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative Research Evaluation Methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks. QA. Sage Publications.Roberts, J., & Styron, R. (2009). Student satisfaction and persistence: Factors vital to student. Research in Higher Education Joumal, 6, 1-18.
Santiago, A. M., & Einarson, M. K. (1998). Background characteristics as predictors of academic self-confidence and academic self-efficacy among graduate science and engineering students. Research in Higher Education, 39(2), 163-198.Sax, L. J. (2008). The gender gap in college: Maximizing the developmental potential of women and men. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Strauss, L. C., & Volkwein, J. F. (2004). Predictors of student commitment at two-year and four-year institutions. Journal of Higher Education, 203-227.Tinto, V. (1987). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition, 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Tinto, V. (2006). Research and practice of student retention: what next? Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 8(1), 1-19.Trow, M. (2007). Reflections on the transition from elite to mass to universal access: Forms and phases of higher education in modern societies since WWII. In International handbook of higher education (pp. 243-280). Springer Netherlands.TurkStat (2015). Eğitim Harcamaları İstatistikleri, 2014. http://www.tuik.gov.tr/PreHaberBultenleri.do?id=18688Vaismoradi, M., Turunen, H., & Bondas, T. (2013). Content analysis and thematic analysis: Implications for conducting a qualitative descriptive study. Nursing & health sciences, 15(3), 398-405.Veenstra, C. P. (2009). A strategy for improving freshman college retention. The journal for quality and participation, 31(4), 19.Westrick, P. A., Le, H., Robbins, S. B., Radunzel, J. M., & Schmidt, F. L. (2015). College performance and retention: A meta-analysis of the predictive validities of ACT® scores, high school grades, and SES. Educational Assessment, 20(1), 23-45.