1. Predictors of Student Retention in Colleges of Agriculture.
- Author
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Dyer, James E., Breja, Lisa M., and Wittler, Penny S. Haase
- Abstract
The primary purpose of this study was to identify those factors that most accurately predict a student's intention to complete a degree in a college of agriculture. Specific research objectives were to identify similarities and differences of college of agriculture freshmen from predominately urban backgrounds, as compared to those in an institution with students predominately from rural backgrounds; determine the relationship between a student's intention to change colleges and majors and selected demographic variables; and determine if a combination of perceived effect components could explain the variance in students' retention plans. Freshmen in the two Midwestern institutions who comprised the study differed in background and levels of agricultural experience. Students who had experience in agriculture, completed high school agriculture courses, were members of the Future Farmers of America and/or 4-H, and lived in a rural setting were more likely to complete a degree in a college of agriculture than were freshmen who have not had those experiences. By contrast, students with higher class ranks were more likely to drop out of colleges of agriculture than were students with agricultural experience or students who had completed high school agriculture coursework. The best predictors of student retention in the colleges involved in this study were the students' prior experience in agriculture and their enrollment in high school agriculture programs. (Contains 16 references.) (Author/MM)
- Published
- 2002