Prediction of the Responsible Determinants to Institutional Attributes for EFL Student Dropout at the Tertiary Level

Abstract

Many of the first-year undergraduate students who enrol in universities, particularly in top-ranked private universitiesin Bangladesh, struggle with getting good grades. As a result, many students look forward to a bleak future, droppingout midway through their studies. Thus, improving the rates of graduation and reducing the rates of attrition is extremelyimportant at the tertiary level in Bangladesh. The predominant determinants (whether personal or family related) thatpredict the institutional causes of student attrition before graduation need consideration and investigation. In order toinvestigate the strongest predictor from the above mentioned determinants, a survey questionnaire (with a five-Likertscale) was designed and applied to 390 EFL students who were pursuing their degrees in four disciplines at a universityin Dhaka, Bangladesh. The current study employed multiple regression analyses and found that family relateddeterminant causes not only closely correlated with institutional determinant attributes, but contributed the most inpredicting student dropout rates. The results of the current study will have further implications for researchers,educational administrators, and policy makers at the tertiary level.