Factors Associated with Post-Secondary Student Retention at a Technical Campus
Creators: name: Clarke, Angela R.
Publisher: name: Werklund School of Education
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: student retention; higher education; technical institution; career certainty; major certainty; institutional commitment; goal commitment
subject: Education--Higher

description: As post-secondary institutions struggle to create conditions that support student success, they also struggle to maintain and successfully manage student retention. The study of retention within post-secondary education is complex, and significant models have been constructed in an effort to further understand the retention of students in post-secondary institutions (Astin, 1984, 1993; Bean, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1990; Bean &amp; Metzner, 1985; Cabrera, Castañeda, Nora, &amp; Hengstler, 1992; Cabrera, Nora, &amp; Castañeda, 1993; HeavyRunner &amp; DeCelles 2002; Spady, 1970, 1971; Tinto, 1975, 1987, 1993; Webb, 1989). In an effort to further the study of student retention, the integrated model of student retention (Cabrera et al., 1992; Cabrera et al., 1993) identified the overlap in the student attrition model (Bean, 1980, 1982) and the student integration model (Tinto, 1975, 1987). The results highlighted that incorporating the two models provided an improved explanation of retention (Cabrera et al., 1993), and the integrated model was used as the theoretical foundations for this work. Considering students’ institutional and goal commitments, with an emphasis on both their career and major certainty, this research aimed to determine the factors associated with the first- to second-year retention of students enrolled at the Marine Institute campus of Memorial University. For institutions that offer direct-entry, career-focused programs or for those of a technical nature, this research has the potential to add value to the existing work on student retention. Using pragmatism as the philosophical approach to the research, an explanatory mixed-methods design was implemented, collecting quantitative and qualitative data (Creswell, 2014; Creswell &amp; Plano Clark, 2010). Survey data were collected from first-year students at the Marine Institute to investigate the factors they identified as associated with their post-secondary experience, certainty of their choices, and retention. In the second phase, focus groups were divided into four career disciplines and conducted with the intent to further explain the survey data. A principal component analysis was conducted and established nine factors from the survey data. Further analysis confirmed that in this specific sample, both major and career certainty contributed to students’ institutional commitment and that first- to second-year retention is most significantly impacted by institutional commitment, goal commitment, and intent. The student voice highlighted the value in the contribution and insight of faculty in the students’ commitment to the institution, including the certainty of their major and career. Obligation was expressed as a distinct element of goal commitment in this specific population and is one of the study outcomes that led to productive recommendations for future research and practice. This research will contribute to the available Canadian retention research and, more specifically, contribute to the development of improved retention and support practices in institutions that seek to support students studying in technical, career-oriented programs.