Dropping out of university has serious consequences not only for the student who drops out but also for the institution and society as a whole. Although this phenomenon has been widely studied, there is a need for broader knowledge of the context in which it occurs. Yet research on the subject often focuses on variables that, although they affect drop-out rates, lie beyond a university’s control. This makes it hard to come up with effective preventive measures. That is why a northern Spanish university has undertaken a ex post facto holistic research study on 1,311 freshmen (2008/9, 2009/10, and 2010/11 cohorts). The study falls within the framework of the ALFA-GUIA European Project and focuses on those drop-out factors where there is scope for taking remedial measures. This research explored the possible relationship of degree drop-out and different categories of variables: variables related to the educational stage prior to university entry (path to entry university and main reason for degree choice), variables related to integration and coexistence at university (social integration, academic integration, relationships with teachers/peers and value of the living environment) financial status and performance during university studies (in terms of compliance with the program, time devoted to study, use of study techniques and class attendance). Descriptive, correlational and variance analyses were conducted to discover which of these variables really distinguish those students who drop-out from their peers who complete their studies. Results highlight the influence of vocation as main reason for degree choice, path to university entry, financial independency, social and academic adaptation, time devoted to study, use of study techniques and program compliance in the studied phenomenon.

The current investigation aims at assessing the effectiveness of an intervention program designed to enhance self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies at the university level, with students from different cultural, linguistic, and educational backgrounds. The central tool of the program is a set of letters in which a fictional first-year student describes his experiences as an SRL student. The program was implemented in four universities in different countries and continents (Portugal, Spain, Chile, and Mozambique), with an experimental group and a comparison group at each university (263 students from experimental groups and 247 from comparison groups). Findings display the effectiveness of the program in enhancing a set of motivational variables related to the study process and the use of SRL strategies. Data were consistent across the different cultural and academic contexts in which the program was implemented. The implications of these findings for university administrators and faculty are discussed.

Resumen: El objetivo del presente estudio ha sido analizar la capacidad predictiva de diferentes variables motivacionales, comportamentales y socio-educativas sobre el uso de estrategias de autorregulación del aprendizaje. Se ha trabajado con una muestra de 552 alumnos universitarios de primer curso de diferentes titulaciones. Los resultados de los análisis de regresión jerárquica muestran que el uso de estrategias de autorregulación del aprendizaje depende en gran medida de la capacidad percibida para ello, aunque también de otras variables personales como el interés por aprender (y obtener buenos resultados académicos) y la utilidad percibida del uso de dichas estrategias. Además, se ha observado que más que la cantidad de tiempo invertido en el trabajo sobre las tareas académicas, lo verdaderamente relevante es el aprovechamiento del tiempo empleado. No se ha encontrado asociación significativa entre el nivel de estudios de los padres y un comportamiento más o menos autorregulado en el trabajo académico. Los datos obtenidos tienen claras implicaciones tanto para el diseño de procesos instruccionales en el aula, como para el diseño del trabajo requerido en las horas no presenciales de los estudiantes universitarios. Palabras clave: Autorregulación del aprendizaje; motivación; horas de estudio; contexto. Title: Prediction of use self-regulation strategies in higher education Abstract: The aim of this study has been to analyze the relevance of different motivational variables, behavioral and socio-educational variables about predicting the use of self-regulated learning strategies. We have worked with a sample of 552 first-year college students from different degrees. The results of the hierarchical regression analysis show that the use of self-regulated learning strategies depends largely on the perceived selfefficacy for the use of these strategies, but also other personal variables such as interest in learning (and also to get good academic results) and perceived usefulness of using such strategies. A relevant fact was that more than the amount of time spent at work on academic tasks, it is the optimization of time spent. No significant association was found between parents´ educational level and a more or less self-regulated behavior on academic work. The data have clear implications not only for the design of instructional processes in the classroom, but also for the design work required in the not-attending hours of university students. Key words: Self-regulation learning; motivation; hours of study; context. IntroducciónEl análisis de los factores que determinan el éxito en la universidad ha sido un tema de gran interés para la comunidad educativa en los últimos años. Se ha intentado explicar a . Un amplio núme-ro de investigaciones sugieren que el logro académico en universitarios se encuentra principalmente relacionado con variables personales del alumno, aunque también con las condiciones de enseñanza. Dentro del ámbito del alumno, una de las variables que más peso tiene en la formación de los estudian...

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