Guidelines for Enhancing Institutional Commitment of Students at Risk of Dropping Out of Walailak University
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Abstract
This research aims to 1) identify the level of engagement factors for students at risk of dropping out of Walailak University, 2) compare the factors in the institutional engagement of students at risk of dropping out of Walailak University classified by gender, department of study, and year, and 3) find ways to strengthen engagement with students at risk of dropping out of Walailak University. This research was conducted using an explanatory sequential mixed method design. The procedure was divided into 2 phases and carried out with a sample group of 202 students at risk of dropping out of Walailak University during the academic years 2016-2019. For Phase 1’s quantitative part, descriptive statistics were employed for data analysis which included percentage, arithmetic average, standard deviation, and t-test and f-test. In case of statistically significant differences, multiple comparisons were made by the least significant difference (LSD). For Phase 2’s qualitative part, the instrument used was a focus group discussion for seeking ways to strengthen commitment to the institution. The data was analyzed using content analysis.
The results of the research can be summarized as follows: 1) Students at risk of dropping out of Walailak University expressed a high level of overall institutional commitment, 2) Students at risk of dropping out of Walailak University, categorized by gender and department, demonstrated no relationship with the institution as a whole. However, students of different years of study showed statistically significant ties to the institution at level .05, and 3) The approaches which demonstrated a strengthening of the engagement of students at risk of terminating their studies at Walailak University were in six areas, namely: 1) relationships with peers, seniors and juniors, 2) rapport with teachers, such as training skills where teachers play a role in mentoring students, 3) atmosphere in the educational institution, such as improving environments, educational materials and technology, 4) a sense of institutional ownership, 5) institutional engagement, and 6) belief in the institution, such as encouraging students to have a more balanced quality of academic life, and well-being.
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