Drop-out and social well-being in first year students
Method Stream: Longitudinal Intensive Methods
ECs: Both 14 and 23 EC thesis possible
Description: One-third of students in higher education drop out during their first year. In addition to academic integration (such as good performance and class attendance), social well-being also plays a crucial role in student retention. Within the first few weeks, new students begin to form an impression of whether they feel they belong in their program. Therefore, it is essential to understand the factors that contribute to a sense of belonging, how different student groups (e.g., international students, women in technical studies) experience these factors, and what role the study environment (e.g., diversity climate, teacher attitudes) plays in dropout. In this thesis you work with survey data that was collected among first year students in 14 technical study programs across 3 waves (after 1 month, 6 months and 12 months) and data from study programs about grades and drop-out. With your work you can provide insights into how social well-being can be enhanced and drop-out prevented.