Summary :
The results of an investigation into the factors affecting attrition and retention in higher education are presented. It has a history as previous research conducted in the department of drawing García FADU CBC between 2009 and 2012, in which variables related to academic performance were explored, showing the weight percentages of factors explaining significant variance in retention rate. This motivated the design of a new research to systematically explore these factors.
We worked with a sample of 1647 students of CBC, with the specific objectives to explore:
The relation between attrition and levels of spatial competition.
'The mediator of learning styles in the relationship role.
'The influence of demographic factors in the dropout rate: sex, school of origin (technical and non-technical, private-state) source of information about the chosen career (school, vocational counseling, family, internet, other sources) ability attributions for freehand drawing, prior knowledge of technical drawing, place of origin of the students (federal capital inland or foreign country), at which the registration comes into effect (October / November, before or after) race for enrolling in the CBC.
Regarding the methodology, used a crossover design, no probabilistic quasi-not experimental variables were manipulated and one test analysis before and later-intentional and was done-because we worked with the students who attended the material, establish other criteria of selection-and eco-since the data were collected in the classroom-.
The sample consists of 1647 students 67% female and 33% male, a proportion which respects the composition of the population from which the sample is taken. The average age is X = 18.74 SD = 2.36. There is a 6% of students come from abroad, 20% from inside the country, the rest of the City of Buenos Aires and Greater Buenos Aires. The average level of state management comes 29.4%, the rest he studied privately run schools.
For data collection were used as instruments:
A test of spatial competition, prepared ad hoc, consisting of 12 items. The four items of rotation belonging to Purdue Spatial Visualizations Test / Visualizations of Rotations (PSVT / TR), a test designed to assess the ability to visualize three-dimensional objects rotation. The four items corresponding to surface development were taken from the sub-scale spatial relations test -Differential Skills Test-DAT (Bennett, Seashore and Wesman, 1947). The surface development tasks to assess the ability of individuals to move between dimensions and back up the volume and is linked to the development of the ability to imagine mental projections and configuration of complex volumes. Finally, four items of projections were developed from exercises that are common in problem-solving tasks in technical careers, because there are no standardized tests referred to such visualization tasks. It asks subjects to identify in the given projections (top, front and side views), which surfaces correspond to the perspective and identify the axonometric perspective of an object surfaces that are represented in their projections.
The diagnostic test was taken in the first week of classes of the school year; the post-test was taken at the end of the course, both in-school and was in charge of each one of the teachers that make up the chair of drawing. In previous research the reliability, validity and difficulty level of the test was established.
For the evaluation of the variable academic performance ratings middle and end of the year were collected. The values of the variable are from 0 to 10.
For the evaluation of the motivational variables and use of strategies which integrate the construct of learning-style questionnaire MSLQ (Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, Pintrich, De Groot, 1990, Duncan and McKeachie, 2005) was used, an instrument composed of 81 items divided into 15 subscales assessing cognitive Lickert meta-cognitive and affective components, which are part of the self-regulated academic behavior:
Referrals to the motivational aspect of expectations and value:
• intrinsic and extrinsic goals of academic task
• Self-efficacy: subject's belief in their ability to successfully accomplish a task
• Value of the task: beliefs about the intrinsic importance of a task and its interest and value to the subject
• Control Beliefs results
• Anxiety: negative emotional reaction to learning in school
Referrals to cognitive and socio-cognitive aspects:
• Use of cognitive strategies: strategies of repetition, elaboration, organization and critical thinking
• Self-regulation: planning, monitoring of the activity itself
• Time management and study environment
• Investment of effort
• Tilt to group work
• Search help
From the analysis of the data collected it was found that factors more weight in explaining the variance for attrition / retention were the level of spatial competition at the time of joining the course, the performance of the first half and variables related with learning style. Sex, time of registration, place of origin and type of middle school and orientation--management: In addition, relationships with demographic factors were verified. Pedagogical action lines are suggested.