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Analysis of critical factors related to undergraduate students' success in French higher education

This analysis focuses on critical factors influencing undergraduate success in French higher education to address dropout rates and boost completion for better attainment levels. Insights from the French Ministry of Higher Education and relevant studies are explored to understand success and failure in higher education, including factors like student characteristics, learning environment perceptions, and early semester performance predictors. The impact of student characteristics, staff engagement, course experience, and social integration on academic achievement is examined to promote retention and academic success.

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Analysis of critical factors related to undergraduate students' success in French higher education

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  1. Analysis of critical factors related to undergraduate students' success in French higher education Laurent Cosnefroy Professor in HigherEducation Ecole normale supérieure de Lyon

  2. SRHE Annual Research Conference, Newport, 6-8 December 2017 South Wales, UK Reducing dropout and increasing completion are regarded prime strategies to achieve higher attainment levels. A key concern is that too many students in Europe drop out before obtaining a higher education diploma or degree. This is a problem across the EU, as success in higher education is vital for jobs, social justice and economic growth. (Dropout and completion in highereducation in Europe, European Commission, 2015) Dropout and failure in HE: a key issue

  3. French backdrop • Threekinds of baccalauréats : general, technological, vocational. • Percentage of eligible (by age) students passing the baccalauréat in 2018 : 79,9% • Completion rate : 88,3%(source :French Ministry of HE, RERS, NI 18.18, 2018) • Proportion of each baccalauréat among the baccalaureatholders (2016) : • General bac. : 51,6 % • Technological bac. : 20 % • Vocational bac. : 28,4 %

  4. Undergraduate drop-out rates(source : French Ministry of HE, NI 13.02 2017) • 100 studentsenteringuniversity in 2007 • 40.8% enter year 2 • 31.2% enter year 3 • 27% graduate at the end of year 3 (Bachelordegree) • (11.9% take 4 years to graduate) • Success rate: 38.9 %

  5. Completion rates : evolving trends

  6. What do success and failuremean ? • Definition of academicsuccess : a direct path to the degree • Any interruption of studies, or repeating a year, are viewed as failure • Implications for research: longitudinal studies are needed to follow up studentsbeyond the first year of study.

  7. SRHE Annual Research Conference, Newport, 6-8 December 2017 South Wales, UK • What are the factorsthat have an impact on persistance and academicachievement ? • Putting togetherstudentcharacteristics(e. g schoolcareerqualitybeforeenteringhighereducation) and perception of the learningenvironment (studentexperience)  A psychosocial perspective : Interplaybetweenpersonal and contextualcharacteristics. Student’sperception of his/herlearningenvironment has a major impact on his/herbehaviour. Understandingstudysuccess

  8. Overriding impact of the first semester • S1 performance predicts S2 performance veryaccurately • High correlationbetween S2 and S1 performances About 70% of the S2 average score variabilitycanbeexplained on the basis of S1 average score. • Morlaix & Suchaut (2012), Neuville, Frenay & al., (2013) Sameresults for technology-twoyear institutions (Cosnefroy ; 2017, Lardy, 2017)

  9. SRHE Annual Research Conference, Newport, 6-8 December 2017 South Wales, UK • Factorsassociatedwithstudentsuccess/failure at the end of the first year of study(Losego, 2012 ; Michaut, 2012 ; Morlaix & Suchaut, 2012 ; RERS, 2018). - Gender (womensucces rate 31,8% vs 21,4%) • - Kind and specialist focus of baccalauréat degree • - Graduatingwithhonours • - Age (havingrepeated one or more years) - Working part-time Major resultsregardingstudentcharacteristics (French-speaking area studies)

  10. SRHE Annual Research Conference, Newport, 6-8 December 2017 South Wales, UK Educationalmodels (Tinto) and motivational/self-regulatedlearningmodels (Zimmerman, Pintrich) Peers Academic staff Understanding Endorsing A psychosocial approach of student performance Social integration Retention Achievement Academicintegration

  11. SRHE Annual Research Conference, Newport, 6-8 December 2017 South Wales, UK Approach drawing on Tinto’s concepts of academic integration and social integration. • « the classroomis the crossroadswhere the social and the academicmeet. If academic and social involvement or integrationisto occur, itmust occur in the classroom. » (Tinto, 1997). • Social integration and quality of the relationshipswithteachers and classmates over the first months are key(Neuville, Frenay, Noël & Wertz (2013) « Persévérer et réussir à l’université») •  course experience Course experience

  12. SRHE Annual Research Conference, Newport, 6-8 December 2017 South Wales, UK • teachers’concern for students’ development and teaching • competitiveclimate versus collaborative climate • peers’ support Three components of course experience

  13. (Mannan, 2001, French version by Neuville & al., 2013). Interested in alleviatestudents’ academicweakness Available for obtening information Accessible to discussmatters of intellect Willing to spend time out of class Genuinelyconcerned by students’ academicwork Bothacademic and social integration are supported Academic staff concern for studentsdevelopment and teaching

  14. Impact of course experience Academic staff concern / competitiveclimatepredictors of interest for courses (Cosnefroy, 2017). Academic staff concern/competitiveclimate/peers’ support predictors of social integration (Neuville, Frenay, Noël, Wertz, 2013). Academic staff concernpredictor of academicachievement (Lardy, 2017)

  15. SRHE Annual Research Conference, Newport, 6-8 December 2017 South Wales, UK Educationalmodels (Tinto) and motivational/self-regulatedlearningmodels (Zimmerman, Pintrich) Peers Academic staff Understanding Endorsing A psychosocial approach of student performance Social integration Retention Achievement Academicintegration

  16. Fromretention to success Studentstudybehavior • (Neuville & al., 2013 : Diseth & al., 2010 ; Losego, 2012 ; Torenbeek & al., 2011, 2013) • Time spent on studying : no • Class attendance : no • Assessment : yes • Learning strategies : yes • Time management skills : yes • - setting goals • - definingpriority • - time allocation

  17. SRHE Annual Research Conference, Newport, 6-8 December 2017 South Wales, UK 1) Teacher’sconcernreflects an attitude • Ability to adopt the student’s perspective • Cf. Reeve (2009) and the continuum Controllingvsautonomysupportivebehaviors A major component, regardless the pedagogical design beingused. 2) The characteristics of studentassessment : a major issue Conclusion : from course experienceto teachingquality

  18. SRHE Annual Research Conference, Newport, 6-8 December 2017 South Wales, UK Thankyou for your attention ! laurent.cosnefroy@ens-lyon.fr

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