2013 NCA HLC Annual Conference
Hyatt Regency Chicago, Illinois. April 5-9, 2013
Why Do Students Fail?
Student’s Perspective
Abour H. Cherif, Ph.D
Farah Movahedzadeh, Ph.D
Gerald E. Adams, Ph.D
Jeremy Dunning, Ph.D.
DeVry University
Harold Washington College
Columbia College Chicago
Indiana University
1
Why Do Students Fail?
Student’s Perspective
• In the United States alone more than
370,000 students fail and drop out of
college every year for various reasons.
This level of failure is a
national tragedy and it
contributes to the low
graduation rates in US
colleges and universities.
2
The Average Graduation Rates for Associate and
Bachelor's Students (first-time students enrolled full-time)
Graduation rate for students pursuing an associate
degree (in 3-years)
In 2009, the graduation
In 2010, the graduation
rate was a 29.2%*
rate was a 29.9%*
(NCES 2009).
Graduation rate for students pursuing a bachelor’s
degree(completed in 6 years)
In 2009, the graduation
rate was 55.5%*
(College Board 2012)
Copyright © 2009 The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems.
http://www.higheredinfo.org/dbrowser/index.php?measure=19#
http://www.higheredinfo.org/dbrowser/?level=nation&mode=map&state=0&subm
easure=27#
In 2012, the graduation
rate was 58%*
(NCES 2012).
http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=40
http://completionagenda.collegeboard.org/graduation-rates-associatedegree%E2%80%93-and-certificate-seeking-students
Students Failing and Dropping Out of
College Are:
A Student
Concern Because
A Faculty
Concern Because
“The impact of college
failure can cause lasting
damage to self-esteem,
and the consequences
can influence an entire
lifetime” (CAS of University of
All too often faculty feel
frustrated and/or feel a sense
of personal failure and blame
their own teaching for the
failure of some students in
their classes (Tennen & Hagar 2011,
Alabama, n.p, ¶. 1).
Dawley 2011).
A College
Concern Because
Colleges and universities
are accountable not only
for a graduate rate, but
also for their students’
success during enrollment
and after graduation.
In fact, student failure has multiple
contributing factors and the
instructor’s pedagogical methods and
course materials are only two of many!
(CAS of University of Alabama, n.p, ¶. 1; NCES 2009)
4
The Study
We conducted a study with over 700 students
from two-year and four-year colleges in which we
asked them to provide their own perspectives on
why students fail college courses at the
undergraduate level.
The premise is that there is no better
way to find out than to ask the
students directly if something has
helped them to learn and to succeed
or has held them back and
discouraged them from learning (Bain 2004).
5
The Study
In this presentation, we will share the results
and discuss the implications of the findings on
students, instructors, curriculum, and academic
leaders.
Being aware of how students
themselves perceive the causes of
student failure in academic settings is
a necessary first step in clinically
analyzing the complexity of the
problem and in finding workable
solutions that could productively lead
to helping students.
6
Sources of Data and Information
Students’
Surveys
Review of
Related
Literature
Students’
Interviews
Why Do
Student’s
Fail? Student
Perspective
10-15
minutes of
Class
Discussion
Methodology
The research strategy applied in conducting this
study consisted of four main integrated stages
• Constructing, distributing, and
Stage
collecting the surveys
I
• Preparing the raw data of the
Stage
surveys for study and analysis
II
Stage • Analyzing the data
III
• Interpreting the results and making
Stage
sense out of the findings
IV
8
Methodology
Stage I: Constructing, distributing, and
collecting the surveys
A survey was prepared
containing one openended question that
asked, “As a student,
and from your own
perspective, why do you
think students fail
classes?” Additional
personal questions
related to college level,
academic majors, and
gender, were included
as optional.
Table 1
Dear Student: We are working on a study to identify what
we can do to help students succeed in class. We would like
your help in answering the following single question.
As a student, and
from your own
perspective, “Why
Do You Think
Students Fail
Classes?”
Major
Optional College
Level
Gender
Science
Non-science
2-year
college
Female
4-year
college
Male
9
Methodology
Stage I: Distributed and Collected Surveys
Copies of the final survey were distributed to 900 (300 + 600)
students from two-year and four-year colleges located in two
major metropolitan areas in the Midwest.
700
600
500
400
Distributed Surveys
300
Total Collected
200
100
0
2-Year level
4-Year Level
739 (212 + 527) were completed and
obtained, with an 82.1% rate of return.
10
Methodology
Stage II: Preparing the raw data of the survey
for study and analysis.
After the surveys were collected, a
copy of each survey was distributed to
three faculty reviewers.
http://office.microsoft.com
Each of the reviewers read and
identified key words, phrases, and/or
sentences that indicated answers to
the posed question.
Upon completion, the three reviewers shared and compared
findings. The following disarm shows the methodological
strategy and mechanism that the three reviewers followed and
applied for accepting a given answer.
11
Stage II: Preparing
the raw data of the
survey for study and
analysis
A word or phrase
was selected as an
answer by ...
Methodological
strategy applied for
accepting an answer.
all three
reviewers in
agreement.
two of the three
reviewers. One
reviewer
disagreed.
only one of the
three reviewers.
Two reviewers
disagreed.
none of the
reviewers.
No agreement.
Accepted to use in the analysis with no
further discussion.
If at least one of those who selected the
answer agreed with the one who didn’t
select the answer, then the answer was
rejected and is not included in the
analysis.
If neither of the two who selected the
answer agreed with the one who didn’t
select the answer, then the answer was
selected and is included in the analysis.
If at least one of the two agreed with the
answer, the answer was selected and is
included in the analysis.
If neither of the two who disagreed
changed their mind, the answer was
rejected and is not included in the
analysis.
If, after discussion, an answer was selected
by the three reviewers, then it was
included. If one was not selected by the
three reviewers, then it was rejected.
Stage II: Preparing the raw data of the
survey for study and analysis
College
Level
Different types
of answers
Total of identified
given answers
2-Year
College
84
596
4-Year
College
109
2088
Total
193
2684
• The final list from the 2-year college level contained 84 different
types of word/phrase with a total of 596 identified as answers.
• The final list from the 4-year college level contained 109 different
types of word/phrase with a total of 2088 identified as answers.
• The total of identified answers from all the participants in the
study was 2684 (596 + 2088).
13
Methodology
Stage III: Analyzing the Data
The identified key words, phrases, and sentences that indicated
answers to the posed question were listed with their number
of frequently mentioned times.
• Six copies of the final list were made.
• One copy of the final list was given to
each of six other faculty colleagues.
• Each faculty was asked to individually
read the identified key words, phrases,
and sentences and to group them into
categories, sub-categories, and give
specific reason for their choices that
were listed.
http://office.microsoft.com
Stage III: Analyzing the data
We collected the six independent faculty colleagues’ tables, sat
with them and discussed how they aggregated the students’
answers into categories, subcategories, and the specific reasons
for choice.
Category
Subcategory
Specific
Reason
# of Times
Mentioned
Notices
I
II
15
The Journey from a Written Survey to Identified Categories
-16-
Stage III: Analyzing the data
Based on the survey answers given, the reasons
for student failure are divided into seven main
categories and fifteen sub-categories.
Category
I
II
Motivation &
Related Issues
IV
Study habits &
Related Issues
Instruction &
Materials
Academic
Preparedness
V
External Factors
III
VI
Subcategory
Notices and
Observation
Level of interest
Lack of conscientiousness
Laziness
Study habits
Managing time
Instructor’s instruction
Perceptions of the class
Academic challenges
Stress
Course rigor
Outside influences
Cost of education
Pride
Attitudinal concerns
Attitudes &
Related Issues
VII Relevancy Issues Disconnect of course work
17