Academic success, engagement and self-efficacy of first-year university students:personal variables and first-semester performance / Éxito académico, compromiso y autoeficacia de los estudiantes universitarios de primer año: variables personales y desempeño del primer semestre

La educación superior puede ser extremadamente transformadora para los estudiantes y tiene un papel importante en la formación del capital humano, en la innovación y en el desarrollo social, cultural y ambiental de la sociedad. La expansión de la educación superior promovió el acceso de una mezcla de estudiantes más heterogénea, pero garantizar el acceso no garantiza el éxito académico. Este artículo tiene como objetivo analizar los predictores de desempeño académico en 447 estudiantes de primer año en el 1er y 2do semestre, considerando variables como sexo, edad, nivel educativo de los padres y calificaciones al ingresar a la educación superior, junto con los niveles de compromiso académico e autoeficacia de los estudiantes tras algunas semanas en la universidad. Los resultados muestran trayectorias estadísticamente significativas para sexo, edad y GPA hasta el desempeño del primer semestre, para los niveles educativos de los padres hasta la autoeficacia percibida, para la implicación académica de los estudiantes hasta el desempeño del primer semestre y el desempeño del primer semestre hasta el desempeño del segundo semestre La participación académica de los estudiantes también tuvo un efecto indirecto en el desempeño del segundo semestre. La correlación entre compromiso académica y autoeficacia fue positiva, fuerte y estadísticamente significativa. El modelo explicó el 35.2% de la varianza del rendimiento académico en el segundo semestre y el 15.0% de la varianza del rendimiento académico en el primer semestre. El conocimiento sobre los predictores del rendimiento académico y la importancia del compromiso y la autoeficacia respaldará las intervenciones oportunas, promoviendo el éxito y previniendo el fracaso y el abandono.(AU)

Higher education can be hugely transformative for students and has an important role in empowering human capital, innovation, and socie-ty’s social, cultural, and environmental development. The expansion of higher education has promoted access for a more heterogeneous mix of students, but ensuring access does not guarantee academic success. This paper aims to analyse predictors of academic achievement in 447 first-year students in their 1stand 2ndsemesters, considering variables including sex, age, parents’ educational level and grades on entering higher education, along with levels of students’ academic engagement and self-efficacy after some weeks at university. Results show statistically significant paths for sex, age, and GPA to 1st-semester achievement, for parent’s educational levels to perceived self-efficacy, for students’ academic engagement to 1st-semester achievement, and 1st-semester achievement to 2nd-semester achievement. Students’ academic engagement also had an indirect effect on the 2nd-semester achievement. The correlation between academic engage-ment and self-efficacy was positive, strong, and statistically significant. The model explained 35.2% of the variance in 2nd-semester achievement and 15.0% of the variance in 1st-semester achievement. Knowledge about pre-dictors of academic achievement and the importance of engagement and self-efficacy will support timely interventions, promoting success and pre-venting failure and dropout.(AU)

Co-creation of educational commons spaces to reverse inequalities: project SMOOTH and the Children's Club.

This article presents an action-research project from the EU-funded SMOOTH project, which focuses on the potential of Educational Commons to address educational inequalities. The project adopts an emergent paradigm that views spaces for collaboration, content co-creation, socialization, governance, and play as catalysts for reversing inequalities. The action-research, conducted in a disadvantaged non-formal education setting in northern Portugal, involved children aged 8-10 years old. Over a span of 10 months, the innovative action-research program aimed to achieve several objectives: (1) reversing inequalities faced by vulnerable social groups, (2) strengthening inter-cultural and inter-generational dialogue and social integration, (3) developing essential social and personal skills, and (4) creating smooth spaces of democratic citizenship based on equality, collaboration, sharing, and caring. By understanding the tensions and conflicts that emerge in children's everyday situations, the project sought to build and foster community through embracing differences. This article analyzes the characteristics, behaviors, challenges, and strengths observed during the 30 sessions. The results provide insights into the dimensions of Children as commoners, in terms of sharing and care, cooperation and collective creativity and active citizenship. This research contributes to the exploration of Educational Commons as a means to promote equity and transform educational contexts.

Promoting Success and Persistence in Pandemic Times: An Experience With First-Year Students.

The transition and adaptation of students to higher education (HE) involve a wide range of challenges that justify some institutional practices promoting skills that enable students to increase their autonomy and to face the difficulties experienced. The requirements for this adaptation were particularly aggravated by the containment and sanitary conditions associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). With the aim of promoting academic success and preventing dropout in the first year, a support program was implemented for students enrolled in two courses in the area of education at a public university in northern Portugal during the first semester of 2020/2021. Three sessions of 50/60 min were implemented, namely, the first session focused on the verbalization of the demands, challenges, and difficulties of the transition, and the second and third sessions focused on the difficulties of academic adaptation and academic performance. Data from a dropout risk screening instrument and from the activities performed during sessions were analyzed. The main results point to student satisfaction with the content and the activities of the sessions and their usefulness. Students report not only high satisfaction levels with HE attendance, but also some emotional exhaustion due to academic activities. The continuity of the program is recommended with some improvements in its planning to ensure a more definitive version of the program in the next two years.

University Dropout in Engineering: Motives and Student Trajectories.

BACKGROUND: Dropout in higher education is a concern for students, families, educational institutions, and society. Tertiary education is an important mechanism for empowering people and STEM courses are vital to countries' development. METHOD: The study combined quantitative and qualitative data. Step 1 was an analysis of personal and contextual variables in a comprehensive examination of dropout in a sample of 1,016 engineering students. In step 2 a short interview by telephone were conducted with 82 students who dropped out, identifying their reasons and their academic/professional situation. In step 3 in-depth interviews were conducted with six students in order to understand the dynamic process of their decisions to leave. RESULTS: The academic/professional situations of students who dropped out were quite varied, for example the same course or a different course at another institution, starting a job, not working or studying, or attending another level of professional training. There were three main reasons for dropping: vocational, learning process and achievement, and reconciling roles. CONCLUSIONS: Engineering student dropout is related to vocational and academic achievement. This should be considered in the implementation of programs to reduce the rate of dropout.

University Dropout in Engineering: Motives and Student Trajectories / Abandono Universitario en Ingeniería: Motivos y Trayectorias de los Estudiantes

Background: Dropout in higher education is a concern for students, families, educational institutions, and society. Tertiary education is an important mechanism for empowering people and STEM courses are vital to countries’ development. Method: The study combined quantitative and qualitative data. Step 1 was an analysis of personal and contextual variables in a comprehensive examination of dropout in a sample of 1,016 engineering students. In step 2 a short interview by telephone were conducted with 82 students who dropped out, identifying their reasons and their academic/professional situation. In step 3 in-depth interviews were conducted with six students in order to understand the dynamic process of their decisions to leave. Results: The academic/professional situations of students who dropped out were quite varied, for example the same course or a different course at another institution, starting a job, not working or studying, or attending another level of professional training. There were three main reasons for dropping: vocational, learning process and achievement, and reconciling roles. Conclusions: Engineering student dropout is related to vocational and academic achievement. This should be considered in the implementation of programs to reduce the rate of dropout. (AU)

Antecedentes: la deserción en la educación superior es una preocupación para los estudiantes, las familias, las instituciones educativas y la sociedad. La educación terciaria es un mecanismo importante para el empoderamiento de las personas, y los cursos STEM son vitales para el desarrollo de los países. Método: estudio que combina datos cuantitativos y cualitativos. En el paso 1 analizamos variables personales y contextuales y la deserción de 1.016 estudiantes de ingeniería. En el paso 2 se realizó una breve entrevista telefónica a 82 estudiantes que desertaron, identifi cando sus motivos y situación académica/profesional. En el paso 3 se realizaron entrevistas en profundidad a seis estudiantes para comprender el proceso dinámico de decisión de abandonar. Resultados: la situación académica/profesional de los estudiantes que desertaron es bastante diferente, por ejemplo cursar la misma o otra carrera en otra institución, empezar trabajando, no trabajar ni estudiar y cursar otro nivel de formación profesional. Los estudiantes informaron tres razones principales para la deserción: vocacional, proceso de aprendizaje y logro, y reconciliación de roles. Conclusiones: la deserción de los estudiantes de ingeniería está relacionada con el rendimiento académico y vocacional. Esto debe tenerse en cuenta en la implementación de programas para reducir la deserción. (AU)

Regulation of cognition: Validation of a short scale for Portuguese first-year university students / Regulación de la cognición: Validación de una escala corta para estudiantes universitarios portugueses de primer año

The quality of learning in Higher Education is particularly dependent on students' skills in regulating their cognition. This regulation requires cognitive and metacognitive skills as well as motivational dimensions. Due to its relevance in explaining students' academic achievement and developing lifelong learning skills, it´s important to increase research in the area. This study aims to adapt and validate a short version of the Regulation of Cognition of Metacognitive Awareness Inventory to first-year Portuguese university students. A sample of 360 students was considered and was identified a three-dimensional structure (Planning, 4 items; Strategies, 7 items; and Monitoring and evaluation, 7 items) with a second-order factor (Regulation of Cognition). The internal consistency values of the reduced scale are within the acceptable parameters for a self-report scale and the correlations with academic achievement at the end of the first year of the university guarantee the predictive validity of the scale. This short version of regulation of cognition measure allows its use in research with other instruments in larger studies and can function as a diagnostic / screening tool to help students in higher education learning challenges

La calidad del aprendizaje en la Educación Superior depende, especialmente, de las habilidades de los estudiantes para regular su cognición. Esta regulación requiere habilidades cognitivas y metacognitivas, así como dimensiones motivacionales. Dada su relevancia en el rendimiento académico y el desarrollo de habilidades para el aprendizaje a lo largo de la vida, es importante aumentar la investigación en el campo. Este estudio pretende adaptar y validar una versión abreviada de la dimensión Regulación de la Cognición del Metacognitive Awareness Inventory para estudiantes universitarios portugueses de primer año. Se empleó una muestra de 360 estudiantes y se identificó una estructura tridimensional (Planificación, 4 ítems; Estrategias, 7 ítems; y Monitoreo y evaluación, 7 ítems) con un factor de segundo orden (Regulación de la cognición). Los valores de consistencia interna de la escala reducida son aceptables para una escala de auto-informe y las correlaciones con el logro académico al final del primer año de la universidad garantizan su validez predictiva. Esta versión abreviada para medir la regulación de la cognición puede usarse en investigación junto con otros instrumentos en estudios más amplios y puede funcionar como una herramienta de diagnóstico para ayudar a los estudiantes en los desafíos del aprendizaje en la enseñanza superior

Validity studies of the scale of positive and negative perceptions about alcohol effects.

OBJECTIVE To describe the process of elaboration and validation of the Scale of Perceptions about Alcohol Consumption in Higher Education Students in a Portuguese sample, considering the relationship between alcohol use rates and students' perceptions about the effects of this consumption. METHODS The validation study included 531 Portuguese college freshmen who answered the instrument, which is composed of five items that express positive perceptions and five items that express negative perceptions about the effects of alcohol consumption. RESULTS Evidence of content validity, internal structure and external variables were obtained. The results of the factor analysis confirm the distribution of positive and negative perceptions by two different factors according to the theoretical model. Adequate internal consistency indexes were obtained for each dimension. The data obtained showed expected correlations between the perceptions and consumption behaviors of the students, indicating evidence of criterion validity of the scale. Moreover, the study showed that different consumption patterns between men and women, with higher alcohol consumption in the students' households and restaurants or cafés by male students, in addition to the similarity in the consumption pattern between the two genders in parties and bars or nightclubs. CONCLUSION The data obtained show the validity of the instrument. In the discussion, the article presents considerations about the responsibility of higher education institutions in the prevention and reduction in consumption rates among their students.

Validity studies of the scale of positive and negative perceptions about alcohol effects / Estudos de validade da escala de percepções positivas e negativas sobre efeitos do álcool

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To describe the process of elaboration and validation of the Scale of Perceptions about Alcohol Consumption in Higher Education Students in a Portuguese sample, considering the relationship between alcohol use rates and students' perceptions about the effects of this consumption. METHODS The validation study included 531 Portuguese college freshmen who answered the instrument, which is composed of five items that express positive perceptions and five items that express negative perceptions about the effects of alcohol consumption. RESULTS Evidence of content validity, internal structure and external variables were obtained. The results of the factor analysis confirm the distribution of positive and negative perceptions by two different factors according to the theoretical model. Adequate internal consistency indexes were obtained for each dimension. The data obtained showed expected correlations between the perceptions and consumption behaviors of the students, indicating evidence of criterion validity of the scale. Moreover, the study showed that different consumption patterns between men and women, with higher alcohol consumption in the students' households and restaurants or cafés by male students, in addition to the similarity in the consumption pattern between the two genders in parties and bars or nightclubs. CONCLUSION The data obtained show the validity of the instrument. In the discussion, the article presents considerations about the responsibility of higher education institutions in the prevention and reduction in consumption rates among their students.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Considerando a relação entre as taxas de uso de álcool e as percepções dos estudantes sobre os efeitos desse consumo, descrever o processo de elaboração e validação da Escala de Percepções sobre o Consumo de Álcool em Estudantes do Ensino Superior em uma amostra portuguesa. MÉTODOS Participaram do estudo de validade 531 estudantes portugueses do primeiro ano do ensino superior que responderam ao instrumento, composto por cinco itens que expressam percepções positivas e cinco itens que expressam percepções negativas sobre os efeitos do consumo de álcool. RESULTADOS Evidências de validade de conteúdo, de estrutura interna e baseadas em variáveis externas foram obtidas. Os resultados da análise fatorial confirmam a distribuição das percepções positivas e negativas por dois fatores diferenciados em acordo com o modelo teórico de partida. Índices adequados de consistência interna foram obtidos para cada dimensão. Os dados obtidos mostraram correlações esperadas entre as percepções e os comportamentos de consumo dos estudantes, indicando evidências de validade de critério da escala. Em acréscimo, o estudo indicou haver padrões de consumo diferenciados entre os sexos, registando-se maior consumo de álcool nas residências e nos restaurantes ou cafés por parte dos homens, além de similaridade entre os dois sexos no padrão de consumo em festas e bares ou discotecas. CONCLUSÃO Os dados obtidos evidenciam a validade do instrumento. Na discussão dos dados, o artigo apresenta considerações sobre a responsabilidade das instituições de ensino superior na prevenção e redução das taxas de consumo entre a sua população estudantil.

Construção de um questionário transcultural de motivos de abandono do ensino superior / Development of a transcultural questionnaire of motives for higher education dropout / Construcción de un cuestionario transcultural de motivos de abandono de la enseñanza superior

O abandono no Ensino Superior é um tema relevante pela sua incidência e consequências negativas no estudante, família, instituição e sociedade em geral. Procurando conhecer os motivos da intenção de abandono, investigadores do Brasil, Espanha e Portugal convergiram na construção de um questionário de avaliação transcultural. Atendendo à multidimensionalidade das causas de abandono, o questionário abarca seis dimensões: Social, Acadêmica, Professores, Saúde e Bem-estar, Institucional e Financeira. A análise fatorial, com amostras autônomas de estudantes do 1º ano do Brasil, Espanha e Portugal, mostrou uma distribuição adequada dos itens nas seis dimensões, com alguma discrepância na dimensão Professores na amostra do Brasil. Os índices de consistência interna atingiram níveis adequados nas seis dimensões (valores entre 0,74 e 0,91). Futuros desenvolvimentos devem testar a dimensionalidade do questionário e a sua invariância nos três países, incluindo já variáveis psicológicas e académicas para análise da validade de critério. (AU)

The dropout in higher education assumes relevant percentages, with negative consequences for the students, family, institution and society in general. In order to know the reasons for the dropout intention, researchers from Brazil, Spain and Portugal converged on the construction of a transcultural questionnaire. Face the multidimensional nature of dropout causes, the questionnaire assesses six dimensions: Social, Academic, Faculty, Health and Wellbeing, Institutional, and Financial. The factorial analysis, with autonomous samples of first-year students from Brazil, Spain and Portugal, showed an adequate distribution of the items by the six dimensions, with some difficulties in Faculty dimension in Brazilian sample. The internal consistency of items reached adequate levels in those six dimensions (values range from .74 to .91). Future developments should test the dimensionality of the questionnaire and its invariance in all three countries, including other psychological and academic variables for criterion validity analysis. (AU)

El abandono en la enseñanza superior es un tema relevante por su incidencia y por sus consecuencias negativas a nivel personal, familiar, institucional y social. En búsqueda de conocer las razones de intención de abandono, investigadores de Brasil, España y Portugal participaron en la construcción de un cuestionario de evaluación transcultural. Dicho instrumento, de naturaleza multidimensional, se organiza en seis dimensiones: Social, Académica, Profesorado, Salud y Bienestar, Institucional y Financiera. El análisis factorial, con muestras independientes de los estudiantes del primer año de Brasil, España y Portugal, mostró una distribución adecuada de los ítems en las seis dimensiones, con alguna discrepancia en la dimensión Profesorado en la muestra brasileña. Los índices de consistencia interna alcanzaron niveles adecuados (valores entre .74 y .91), si bien que se debe realizar nuevos estudios para probar la dimensionalidad del cuestionario y su invariancia en los tres países, incluyendo las variables psicológicas y académicas para analizar la validez de criterio. (AU)

Factors that determine the persistence and dropout of university students / Factores determinantes de la permanencia y abandono de los estudiantes universitarios

BACKGROUND: The increase of students in higher education means a more heterogeneous student body, complicating the identification of the variables that influence students' decisions to stay in or drop out of university. The objective of this study is to analyze the influence of these variables on students' decisions by establishing specific groups of students based on performance. METHOD: A study was carried out with 2,970 first-year university students from Portugal, using the decision tree technique. RESULTS: Academic performance is confirmed as a determining variable in the decision to remain or drop out, allowing us to establish three groups (high, medium and low achievement), in which different types of variables act as mediators: sex, type of course (licenciatura [BA] or mestrado integrado), the fact of studying at the students' first-choice university or the mother's educational level. CONCLUSIONS: Without neglecting the weight of academic achievement as a priority variable, we must consider these secondary variables in the configuration of student groups in order to plan support policies to avoid higher-risk students dropping out

ANTECEDENTES: el aumento de estudiantes en la educación superior supuso una mayor heterogeneidad del alumnado, complicando la identificación de las variables que influyen en la decisión de los estudiantes de permanecer o abandonar los estudios. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar la influencia de algunas variables en tal decisión estableciendo grupos específicos de estudiantes en función del rendimiento. MÉTODO: se ha realizado un estudio con 2.970 alumnos universitarios de primer año de Portugal recurriendo a la técnica de los árboles de decisión. RESULTADOS: el rendimiento académico se corrobora como variable determinante en la decisión de permanencia o abandono, permitiendo establecer tres grupos (alto, medio y bajo rendimiento), en los cuales actúan como mediadoras de forma diferencial otro tipo de variables como: el sexo, el tipo de estudios realizados (licenciatura o mestrado integrado), el hecho de cursar estudios en la universidad elegida como primera opción o el nivel de estudios de la madre. CONCLUSIONES: sin restar peso al rendimiento académico como variable prioritaria, debemos de considerar estas variables secundarias en la configuración de grupos de estudiantes de cara a planificar políticas de apoyo para evitar el abandono de los estudiantes en situación de mayor riesgo

Factors that determine the persistence and dropout of university students.

BACKGROUND: The increase of students in higher education means a more heterogeneous student body, complicating the identification of the variables that influence students' decisions to stay in or drop out of university. The objective of this study is to analyze the influence of these variables on students' decisions by establishing specific groups of students based on performance. METHOD: A study was carried out with 2,970 first-year university students from Portugal, using the decision tree technique. RESULTS: Academic performance is confirmed as a determining variable in the decision to remain or drop out, allowing us to establish three groups (high, medium and low achievement), in which different types of variables act as mediators: sex, type of course (licenciatura [BA] or mestrado integrado), the fact of studying at the students' first-choice university or the mother's educational level. CONCLUSIONS: Without neglecting the weight of academic achievement as a priority variable, we must consider these secondary variables in the configuration of student groups in order to plan support policies to avoid higher-risk students dropping out.

Abandono no Ensino Superior: Impacto da autoeficácia na intenção de abandono / Dropout in higher education: Impact of self-efficacy in dropout intention / Abandono en la enseñanza superior: Impacto de la autoeficacia en la intención de abandono

As taxas crescentes do abandono no Ensino Superior acompanham a maior democratização do acesso, justificando o seu estudo. Buscou-se analisar o impacto de variáveis pessoais, percurso escolar, escolha do curso e perceções de autoeficácia na intenção de abandono. Tomando 1.085 estudantes do 1.º ano, aplicou-se a Escala de Autoeficácia na Formação Superior (Vieira, Polydoro, & Guerreiro-Casanova, 2017). Recorrendo à Modelagem de Equações Estruturais, os resultados realçam o efeito das variáveis sexo, habilitação académica dos pais, média de acesso e frequência de curso de primeira opção na intenção de abandono. A autoeficácia, para além do impacto direto na intenção de abandono, mediou o impacto da média de acesso e do curso de primeira opção. Mencionam-se medidas para minorar o problema.

The increasing rates of dropout in Higher Education follow the greater democratization of access, justifying its study. It is intended to analyze the impact of personal variables, school course, degree choice and perceptions of self-efficacy in dropout intention. The Self-efficacy Scale in Higher Education (Vieira, Polydoro, & Guerreiro-Casanova, 2017) was applied to 1,085 first year students. Applying the Structural Equation Modeling, the results highlight the effect of the variables gender, parental academic qualification, grade point average to access higher education and frequency of first choice degree in the intention of dropout. Self-efficacy, in addition to the direct impact on the intention to dropout, measured the impact of the grade point average and the first option degree. Some recommendations to reduce the problem are mentioned.

Las tasas crecientes de abandono en la enseñanza superior van en paralelo con una mayor democratización del acceso, lo que justifica su estudio. Se ha propuesto analizar el impacto de variables personales como trayectoria escolar, elección de la carrera y percepciones de autoeficacia en la intención de abandono. Tomando 1.085 estudiantes de primer año, se aplicó la Escala de Autoeficacia en la Formación Superior (Vieira, Polydoro, y Guerrero-Casanova, 2017). Apoyándonos en el Modelo de Ecuaciones Estructurales, en los resultados resalta el efecto de las variables sexo, preparación académica de los padres, media de acceso y frecuencia de la carrera universitaria solicitada en primera opción en la intención de abandono. La autoeficacia, además del impacto directo en la intención de abandono, sirvió para medir el impacto del promedio de acceso y de la carrera solicitada en primera opción. Se mencionan medidas para mitigar el problema.

Freshmen Program Withdrawal: Types and Recommendations.

University program dropout is a problem that has important consequences not only for the student that leaves but also for the institution in which the withdrawal occurs. Therefore, higher education institutions must study the problem in greater depth to establish appropriate prevention measures in the future. However, most research papers currently focus primarily on the characteristics of students who leave university, rather than on those who choose to pursue alternative courses of study and therefore fail to take into account the different kinds of abandonment. The aim of this paper is to identify the different types of dropout to define their characteristics and propose some recommendations. Thus, an ex post facto study was carried out on a sample of 1,311 freshmen from a university in the north of Spain using data gathered using an ad-hoc designed questionnaire, applied by telephone or an online survey, and completed with data available in the university data warehouse. A descriptive analysis was performed to characterize the sample and identify five different groups, including 1. Students persisting in their initiated degree 2. Students who change of program (within the same university) 3. Students transferring to a different university 4. Students enrolling in non-higher-education studies 5. Students that quit studying. Also, data mining techniques (decision trees) were applied to classify the cases and generate predictive models to aid in the design of differentiated intervention strategies for each of the corresponding groups.