The issues behind college students dropout
The major issues that been handled by responsible authorities (governmental bodies) not only focused on health issues under the pandemic season, but as well the transition to digitized learning which cause hectic to many parties; like management, students, teaching and administrative staff, peculiarly on students engagement during teaching and learning session. It’s an eye-opening for all of us either you been involve directly or indirectly. Let us see the most affecting symptoms that leads to increases in students dropout;
- Financial stress
- Flexibility
- Technology literacy
- Teaching expertise
- Internet accessibility
It’s very stereotyped that people relating financial stress with college students dropout. However, the ‘disaster’ of COVID-19 pandemic has brought everyone down and it affected many in diverse way including college students. In time where students has to bare the cost of online learning and living costs by having a computer gadget, a good internet connection and even technology competencies. Nevertheless, due to incapable to manage the costs incurrence, which ultimately increases the burden of family into debts chose to dropout. It happened when they have to choose to sacrifices either on the cost of family expenses or their education. Moreover, the recession during pandemic affects the entire households in worldwide. Thus, financial stress increased tremendously during pandemic that leads students to dropout.
Flexibility. It’s another issue that been pinpoint by many authorities in mentioning students flexibility in adapting new learning environment. Somehow there are students who prefers to dropout rather learn new skills and accommodating themselves into contemporary learning design. In midst, many students were face external challenges, such as the increases of family dependency towards them and they had to work to reduce the family’s burden, (Cedefod, 2022). At the same time, they may require flexibility in course delivering system in which the responsible authorities may not able to accommodate. Thus, it could be the reason of why students tend to dropout due to the incapability to be flexible.
Yet, to what extend it’s true? In my personal experience, students able to adjust the unexpected emergency and eager to learn new technologies and be competent enough to handle their own learning and even their social media platforms that been continuously upgraded. It’s prove enough the students are flexible in adapting new changes on their lifelong learning skill in aspect of contextualized learning. Only that, the essential is self-regulation which is a must to ensure students flexibility.
Technology literacy is directed to students who endure the changes of new format of learning. There is positive correlation between students technology literacy and college dropout. Moreover, many studies found the significant correlation and enhance that technology or digital literacy is compulsory for a student in order for them to perform in academic as well to smoothen their learning process. Furthermore, there are many evidence provided by university management on student dropout cases due to incapability of handling advance technologies and they (students) been left behind compared to their friends in classes. It is crucial where in Malaysia about 17,000 public university’s students were dropout without providing any detailed or specific reason (freemalaysiatoday.com, March 2022). Thus, here its pointed where technology or digital literacy is vital for future generations.
In addition, teaching expertise is an unleash issue to be discussed. professional skillset needed to be diversify and updated according to the current situation demands especially during the online learning transition. In time, university authorities should ensure the job resources for a teaching staff were met in order to facilitate learning and the met the job demands. Furthermore, its proven when universities doesn’t provide basic resources for their teaching staff would end up facing energy drainage in their staff. It’s ultimately reflected in their work performance (teaching and learning process would be affected). This would be another solid reason for college students dropout, due to the teaching incompetency.
Internet accessibility is a must in this 21st century as all the communication mode was digitized worldwide, regardless to its field. No matter where you are, you able to communicate to each other as long you have the accessibility of internet. The importance of having internet connection was increased tremendously during global pandemic in order for you to be connected. Similarly, it applied to online learning. The essential material that you need is a good internet connection for you to access the learning materials and be in online classes. However, students that have a poor internet accessibility at their home, either it’s due to the rural area coverage or because of bad whether, it influences students tendency to dropout when the situation is continuously happen.
In a nutshell, as the technological possibilities evolve, many aspects that a student and people around need to take into consideration and upgrade by time goes, otherwise it leads the student to left behind and they may not be able to meet the digitized world demands in future.
References:
CEDEFOP, (2022).Flexible education and training systems. Retrieved from: https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/vet-toolkit-tackling-early-leaving/intervention-approaches/flexible-education-and-training-systems
