Permanence and dropout rates among university students: An organizational theory analysis

Abstract

Using an organizational perspective, the following article analyzes four mainstream theoretical models regarding permanence and dropout rates among university students. The analysis was based on a review of documents from primary sources, institutional databases and Google Scholar. In conducting the analysis, the documents were divided into three categories: explanatory theories regarding permanence and dropout rates among university students (1975-1991), contemporary research on the topic (2005-2015), and studies of the impact of institutional factors on students (2004-2011). The analysis revealed an insufficient inclusion of pedagogical variables and a limited number of mixed research methods employed in analyzing a phenomenon as complex as permanence and dropout rates among university students.