Duration: 2017 – 2018
Principal Researcher
Manuela Ferreira
Team Members
Ana Paula Cardoso
Cláudia Chaves
Edurne Chocarro de Luís
João Duarte
José Luís Abrantes
Lídia Cabral
Manuela Ferreira
Raquel Guiné
Renato de Carvalho
Rodolfo Ambiel
Sandra Antunes
Sofia Campos
R&D UNIT
CI&DETS/IPV
Institutional and Enterprise Partners
Universidad de La Rioja;
Universidade São Francisco
Funding
IPV/CGD
Background: Academic failure, dropout, and the demotivation of many students are concerns for families, higher education institutions, and the country as a whole. Failure is often explained by a lack of interest, difficulty in adapting to the course and the higher education institution, a lack of study methods, and the complexity of emotional contexts and environments experienced by students.
At this stage of their lives, students are confronted with new tasks, challenges, increased responsibilities, as well as opportunities for the development of personal and academic projects. However, these new projects can also be a source of frustration and demotivation. Students may lack the emotional and cognitive skills necessary to integrate into this context, potentially having a negative impact on their adaptation and academic success, leading them to drop out of higher education.
Objective
The general objective of the study is to diagnose and systematize data related to dropout and academic failure at the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, across its various scientific domains. The specific objectives include: identifying predictors of success and academic performance in higher education; identifying potential patterns of failure and dropout in the studied domains; analyzing determinants of students' emotional competencies and their relationship with academic success; identifying potential factors influencing the decision to drop out of higher education; and finally, identifying priorities for preventive intervention and suggesting action plans to promote success.
Study Type: The study will be non-experimental, analytical, and correlational, with a cross-sectional design. Throughout the research, scales will be developed and validated, including the Learning Performance Scale adapted from Young et al. (2003), the Higher Education Dropout Motives Scale (M-ES) adapted from Ambiel, R. (2015), the Emotional Intelligence Scale (ESCQ) by Faria, L.; Lima Santos, N. (2005), and the Academic Experiences Questionnaire (QVA-r) by Almeida, Soares, and Ferreira (2002). Confirmatory factor analysis will be employed to develop models of causal explanation through structural equations, utilizing the Lisrel 8.8 program.