Attrition Patterns in a Diversified Student Body: A Case Study
Abstract
The composition of the student population in Australian universities has changed significantly over the last two decades. Not only have overseas students become a significant proportion of the student body, but there are also increasing numbers of students from non-traditional backgrounds such as mature-aged students and students entering from the TAFE sector. This paper aims to understand student attrition patterns in Australian universities with diversified student bodies. Using data collected from business students enrolled at University of South Australia, Adelaide in Australia in 2005, this study explores the impact of several factors on attrition including gender, birth country, funding source, academic load, language spoken at home, citizenship, credit transfer and time of admission. Findings from this study suggest that, while attrition of a diverse student body exhibits some similar patterns as described in the literature, there are some largely overlooked factors, such as language spoken at home and credit transfer that may have a significant impact on attrition.
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References
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