Retaining College Students Experiencing Shocks: The Power of Embeddedness and Normative Pressures

Promoting Success and Persistence in Pandemic Times: An Experience With First-Year Students

“…Results of the program suggest that in the initial weeks, students describe their academic experiences in terms of challenges and demands felt, presenting negative and positive sentences to explore those experiences, which is in accord with previous research ( Pascarella and Terenzini, 2005 ; Kuh et al, 2008 ). In addition, notwithstanding the difficulties, most students are excited and enter HE with enthusiasm, positive expectations, and a desire to be successful in learning activities and social interactions ( Kuh et al, 2008 ; Diniz et al, 2018 ; Casanova et al, 2021a ; Wangrow et al, 2022 ). These positive feelings and expectations explain the majority of optimistic words and sentences students use in the first session of the program, oriented to explore the initial academic experiences related to the transition to university.…”

“…His holistic approach points to teachers, academic staff, and peer relationships as relevant variables in the process of dropout decision-making. Research in this area evidences that student dropout can be related to personal characteristics (e.g., abilities, competencies, and motivations), family characteristics (e.g., first-generation students, sociocultural, and socioeconomic situation), academic background (e.g., previous achievement and vocational choices), and contextual characteristics (e.g., curriculum organization, size, and quality of institutions), among other ( Häfner et al, 2015 ; Lindblom-Ylänne et al, 2017 ; Casanova et al, 2021b ; Wangrow et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Despite the relevance of initiatives, such as summer programs, workshops, and specialized services that institutions can offer, a broader and more democratic way to promote students’ participation, success, and persistence is through initiatives in the classroom ( Tinto, 2012 ). In this way, promoting adaptation and retention will reach those who do not have time beyond classes, nor the autonomy or agency to engage in other activities besides the mandatory ones ( Tinto, 2012 ; Wangrow et al, 2022 ).…”

Ensino Superior: mudanças e desafios na perspectiva dos estudantes

“…Esta diferença pode ser ainda maior em grupos étnicos e socioculturais tradicionalmente afastados da frequência do ES, de estratos socioeconomicos baixos ou estudantes de 1ª geração, ou seja, sem tradição familiar de frequência do ES (Banks & Dohy, 2019). Por vezes, estes estudantes, face a dificuldades na sua adaptação, não se sentem pertencentes ao novo nível de ensino e, daí, mais facilmente, tomam a decisão de abandonar (Tinto, 2017), sentindo menor pressão dos outros significativos (familia, pares, professores) para a sua permanência (Wangrow et al, 2022).…”