TY - JOUR

T1 - Refining the Spady–Tinto approach

T2 - the roles of individual characteristics and institutional support in students’ higher education dropout intentions in Luxembourg

AU - Hadjar, Andreas

AU - Haas, Christina

AU - Gewinner, Irina

N1 - Funding Information: This work was financially supported by the Luxembourgish Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR). EUROSTUDENT is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union, by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF, Germany) and by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of the Netherlands (MinOCW).

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Based on the classic models developed by Spady and Tinto on the link between social and academic integration and dropout, we propose a refined model to explain dropout intentions–relating to dropout from higher education (HE) and dropout from a specific study programme–that more strongly emphasises individual background characteristics (e.g. gender, social origin, and immigration background). Additionally, we consider students’ satisfaction with the institutional support structures. Using Eurostudent survey data, this conceptual model was tested using structural equation modelling in the international and diverse HE context of Luxembourg. While the fitted model confirmed most of the expected associations of the conventional Spady–Tinto approach, initial study commitment was not linked to social integration (contacts with fellow students). We were able to identify satisfaction with institutional support as a key factor in explaining dropout intention, thus contributing to existing knowledge. In addition, we found that the link between socioeconomic factors and dropout intention from a study programme is not entirely mediated by the Spady–Tinto factors of commitment and integration.

AB - Based on the classic models developed by Spady and Tinto on the link between social and academic integration and dropout, we propose a refined model to explain dropout intentions–relating to dropout from higher education (HE) and dropout from a specific study programme–that more strongly emphasises individual background characteristics (e.g. gender, social origin, and immigration background). Additionally, we consider students’ satisfaction with the institutional support structures. Using Eurostudent survey data, this conceptual model was tested using structural equation modelling in the international and diverse HE context of Luxembourg. While the fitted model confirmed most of the expected associations of the conventional Spady–Tinto approach, initial study commitment was not linked to social integration (contacts with fellow students). We were able to identify satisfaction with institutional support as a key factor in explaining dropout intention, thus contributing to existing knowledge. In addition, we found that the link between socioeconomic factors and dropout intention from a study programme is not entirely mediated by the Spady–Tinto factors of commitment and integration.

KW - dropout

KW - educational inequalities

KW - Higher education

KW - institutional support

KW - integration

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85127588701&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/21568235.2022.2056494

DO - 10.1080/21568235.2022.2056494

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85127588701

VL - 13

SP - 409

EP - 428

JO - European Journal of Higher Education

JF - European Journal of Higher Education

SN - 2156-8235

IS - 4

ER -