HoStaNu- Making use of Federal Higher Education Data!

Description

The project reflects the international need to analyse student success, and consequently also that of student dropout rates. Precisely because the topic has received relatively little attention in Germany, partly due to the lack of accessible data, this project aims at filling this gap. Federal Higher Education data will be accessed in order to gain insight into this field. Further data will be added in order to expand on, and contribute to the explanatory strength of the project. Due to data protection laws, the analysis will take place in the German federal data centre in Kiel. Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, (STEM) and international students, due to their (suspected) higher dropout rates, will receive special attention in the analyses.

First and foremost is the identification of success rates in the initial cohorts, with their respective graduations. In addition, institute, subject, and temporal combinations will be calculated for:

•   Graduation rates in regular time

•   Graduation rates in regular time plus one year

•   Graduation rates in regular time plus two year

•   Rates according to regular time plus two years after matriculation without a graduation.

The second aim of the project is to analyse the success rates from the HEI data, student and personnel data, structurally drawing on possible reasons. From the student data certain factors are available, such as gender, age, type of entitlement to matriculate. Via the region and type of  matriculation it is possible to identify certain factors related to non-nationals. With the personnel data, additional factors such as the size of the institutions, or the student – professor ratio will be analysed. In addition, the Konstanz Student Survey, with its large sample of institutes, facilitates in researching the third aim of the project, namely the motivational factors, also covering a number of socio-economic perspectives possibly contributing to student success and student dropout.

The goal of the project is to analyse on an institutional and subject related student success and student dropout, and to identify, influential factors, thereby, facilitating institutions, where possible, in its guiding of students’ (successful) experience.