Warning Signs of Doctoral Students' Attrition

• In Event: Assessing Student Progress and Attainment

Abstract

By drawing on a longitudinal survey of doctoral students, we examined the factors associated with the students’ intention and determination to quit. We benefit from the rich information obtained from both quantitative and qualitative data, which enabled us to adopt a mixed-methods approach to understand the doctoral students’ attrition process holistically. The preliminary findings suggest that motivation, career plan, and identity are key factors associated with the intention to abandon doctoral studies and actual attrition behavior. The qualitative findings also illuminate the pivotal role the basic psychological needs play in integrating one’s socialization experiences into the personal identity. Our study contributes to the scholarship on doctoral student socialization by positing a conceptual framework of student attrition.

Authors

• Heeyun Kim, University of Michigan
  Presenting Author

• Sooji Kim, North Carolina State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• John Gonzalez, University of Michigan
  Non-Presenting Author