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Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 116 (2014) 2630 – 2634

5th World Conference on Educational Sciences - WCES 2013

Determinants to retain students during the first year of university

studies

Ana María Graffignaa *, María de los Ángeles Morella, María Laura Simonassib, Analía Morales b
a
Universidad Católica de Cuyo. Facultad de Educación. Av. José I. de la Roza 1516 oeste Rivadavia. San Juan 5400. Argentina
b
Universidad Católica de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias de la Alimentación, Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Av. José I. de la Roza 1516 oeste
Rivadavia. San Juan 5400. Argentina

Abstract

The entry and stay of students in college is a decision that is influenced by familiar, educational, cultural, social, economic,
political, institutional, academic, and pedagogical aspects. In this sense, the possibility of continuing studying arises not as linear
or unicausal process but as derived from the way the social, institutional, educational and didactic dimensions intersect and
interplay (Mastache, A. et al, 2005 ).
If we look primarily to socioeconomic factors there are approaches that relate the material living conditions with socio-cultural
conditions. The first are observed through income, type of housing, family composition, parents' occupational categories. The
latter, through the parents' educational level, education’s perceived value, language patterns, study and leisure habits, access to
cultural goods. All these factors, combined with institutional variables, set the most frequent context of dropout rates.

© 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Academic World Education and Research Center.

Keywords: retention, graduation rate, college entrance

1. Academic institutional determinants: Core concepts

The adjective academic answers to the usual use of the term, that is, to refer to higher education activities, as to
aspects of pedagogical-didactic dimension in university classrooms. "Academic" has several meanings; it specifies
the level of schooling that we are referring to: the higher level, and more specifically the university level, with its
vast secular functions (teaching, research, extension). Academic: applies to courses or degrees obtained in higher
education institutions.
The academic-institutional determinants (Danegger Ruiz, C. 2000), signal as the object of study the events of the
higher education classroom in their pedagogical-didactic dimension. These determinants are both determined by the

* Corresponding Author: Ana María Graffigna. Tel.: +0054-0264-4292384

E-mail address: gburgos@sinectis.com.ar

1877-0428 © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Academic World Education and Research Center.
doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.625
 Ana María Graffigna et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 116 (2014) 2630 – 2634 2631

available materials and the academic traditions (Quiroz, 1991) and determinants of the contract that students enter or
sign an agreement with the institution when they start university (Entwistle, 1988).
Alfiz (2001) defines the institution as a set of forms and social structures that regulate relationships, preexist
individuals and impose themselves to it. Lidia Fernández (1998) refers to the Educational Institution as "a cultural
object that expresses a certain amount of social power (...) the institution expresses the possibility of the group or
collective to regulate individual behavior." This author proposes a descriptive outline of the institution, stemming
from:
- A comprehensive set of human beings and their particular form of organization
- A set of cultural productions that seek to support this organization because it has been proven useful
- Some processes that enable this support: socialization and social control
- An inevitable tension between the desires of individuals and the need to adapt them to the social form admitted
- A set of social productions intended to convince and generate the decision that requires the sacrifice of
individual desire on behalf of the collective stability.
The formal structure of the institution is shaped by the actors, organigram, rules- what is instituted; while the
operating modes that are hidden or obscured to the observer make up the instituting.
From this perspective, the institutional dynamic is the ongoing relationship between the instituted (the fixed and
stable) and the instituting (the questioning, the criticism and the opposing or transforming proposal).
The 'institutional style' refers to certain aspects or qualities of the institutional action which, by repetition,
characterize the establishment as responsible in some way for producing, causing judgments and images, facing and
solving problems, interacting with the material, interpersonal and symbolic world, keeping certain conceptions, etc.;
it is the mediator between the 'conditions' and the 'results'.
The 'conditions' constitute all the pre-existing aspects of the phenomenon under study that establish a relationship
of determination with it. The 'results' are the objects derived from the institutional production at material and
symbolic levels. The students’ prevailing conditions suffer the intermediation of the institutional style; so that the
same conditions are received, interpreted, valued and responded in ways that are sometimes diametrically opposed
in different establishments (Fernandez, 1998).

2. Methodology

The present study is of exploratory, descriptive and comparative nature. It employs a qualitative-quantitative
mixed methodological approach, with the addition and complementarity of data and information obtained in the
field. The techniques and instruments used include surveys and focused interviews with key informants. A total of
137 students were surveyed and interviewed, out of which twenty-six (26) belong to the Bachelor’s in Pedagogical
Psychology Degree; thirty (30) to the Teaching Programme; seventeen (17) to Pharmacy and sixty-four (64) to the
Bachelor’s in Biochemistry Degree.
For data collection the following techniques were used: a) Semi-structured individual survey: applied to freshmen
of 1st and 2nd year of the careers previously mentioned b) collection of data from the institutional assessment
survey addressed to students c) Observation of documents: students’ personal data and academic status; d) In-depth
interview to students and teachers.

3. Findings and results

3.1. Characterization of the student population

Most of the students are single, and live with both parents in families with no more than three children. There are
also some cases of students who live well with other members, such as grandparents, uncles, nephews or children of
their own. Although they are not a relevant factor in both groups of entrants, it is important to consider given that
this raises due to the differences in the family structure where the student coexists.
2632 Ana María Graffigna et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 116 (2014) 2630 – 2634

Some studies indicate that the level of education of the mother, in particular, seems to have a greater influence,
since in most homes the mother is primarily responsible for the education of children, therefore the greater her level
of education over her children, she will instill the need to continue studying (Mari-Klose et al 2009). Given the
above, there are differences in both groups, since about a third of mothers and about 50% of the students’ fathers
who enrolled in the Faculty of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences have a higher level of education, while
36% of mothers and only 17% of students’ fathers from the Faculty of Education have a high level of education.
Most of the mothers of these students are in the middle (41%) and students’ fathers at a low level (46%). Regarding
the employment status of the students’ fathers, it is observed that 98% of students’ fathers of both groups have a job.
As regards mothers, just under half (48%), in the case of students who are in the Faculty of Education and 33% of
the mothers of the ones enrolled in the Faculty of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, work as housewives.
Taking into account the time spent on studies, representing an opportunity cost because since a part-time academic
results can may harm or mean a delay to complete the studies, it was found that only about 27% (Faculty of
Education) and 10 % (Faculty of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences) of the students spend part of their time
to work and study, as the source of family income comes mainly in two groups, the work of parents (70% in the case
of the Faculty of Education entrants and 90 % for those of the Faculty of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Science).
According to data collected in both faculties, most of the students devote less than 10 hours a week out of the few
students who work.

3.2. Academic and institutional determinants

3.1.1. Structural aspects of the institution

Regarding the space, time and groupings, it is possible to notice some difficulties impeding permanence. Students
say that the teaching hours are many times inconvenient to meet the academic obligations provided. Specifically,
times without activity between different subjects are mentioned, schedule changes or absence of teachers who do not
communicate promptly to students, in the careers related to chemical science the demand for double shift completed
is added, that impacts the declining time to develop self-study.
Regarding space, in careers related to the human science there is some unease as regards the distance between the
place of studies and administration of the Faculty, students also reported feeling isolated from the university
community. These statements are significant, particularly when compared with chemical science students, who
attend off-campus but do not have any discomfort about it. This aspect, which appears particularly relevant in the
career of psychopedagogy, it seems to be hindering also shared by the teachers, who are the drivers of the concern
that the students are spokespersons.

3.1.2. Links and social networks that are established within the institution
The links that are prioritized and appear to be stronger are the ones related to peer group, student assistants and
teachers. The students that are in the selected careers positively value the relationship with teachers, considering that
the main characteristic is containment, openness to dialogue. In pharmacy and biochemistry there is a good social
integration in terms of good understanding with the university community and the relationship with teachers and
peers.

3.1.3. Curriculum Structure

It was observed that, in careers related to human science during the 1st year there are more curricular activities,
although the workload of the curriculum is less than the careers of chemical sciences, while the latter had a greater
number of semiannual subjects .
Students coming from human science expressed difficulty regarding the correlative system, which has been
measured at the moment of registration in second year, showing lack of knowledge on this aspect. From the
 Ana María Graffigna et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 116 (2014) 2630 – 2634 2633

chemical sciences, while recognizing that the system was explained to them, they admit having failed and they
recognize it at the moment they study the subjects of the second semester.
It is also perceived as an obstacle the percentage of attendance demanded in relation with the qualifications that
must be obtained in the mid-term exams.
98% of the students surveyed in the Faculty of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences know the Career
Syllabus, while the Faculty of Education only 82% knows it, then between 91 and 93% of students in both faculties
know the conditions of regularity of the subjects being studied. Regarding the correlativity of the career 80% is
recognized in the Faculty of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and a smaller percentage, 68% in Faculty of
Education. As regards the system of excemption from the final exam and instances of final exams, in both faculties
it is known by 90% approximately. Finally, the instances of sitting for the mid term exams again are known by 66%
in the Faculty of Education and 69% in the Faculty of Biochemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

3.1.4. Institutional Interactions

The students interviewed expressed keeping little or no interaction with the actors responsible for the Institutional
Administration, however it is possible to discern a relationship between teachers and directors of study. This
situation constitutes an important aspect for the management as it gives meaning to the mediation of the director of
study as a key actor for the institutional life. However, in interviews students clearly show that the relationship with
the authorities may appear when there are “problems” or “conflicts” that have to be talked or solved by the
authority, these statements show the need that the people in charge of the administration or management promote
other exchanges apart from those related to conflict resolution. Students express that there are not adequate formal
communication mechanisms, many times contrary information is received from different channels, making this an
issue that hinders the students to stay. It attaches special importance to the support received from the peer group in
circumstances where students were on the verge of dropping out. The possibility to take part in activities designed
from this area which may favor the sense of belonging of the student towards the institution is not observed.

4. Conclusions and recommendations

The work focuses on the socialization process that involves university that the student must perform a conversion
process in order to fit in the culture with respect to the new level and the institution to which he/she is enrolling.
From the analyzed data, the need to create institutional actions that promote the understanding of the inherent
roles in the education system and the specific institution to which the student is enrolling. At this point it is essential
to take into consideration the academic socialization process as a period which is the passage through three stages:
a) the estrangement period, which for the student means joining an unknown institutional universe, b) the time of
learning, in which the processes of progressive adaptation to the new institutional rules is developed, c) the time of
affiliation, which involves the mastery of the new rules. Transit through these stages, involves the fact that the
student must perform a conversion process to become "native" with respect to the new level and the institution to
which he/she is enrolling.

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