The challenge of permanence in university students: a study on academic engagement and intention to drop out

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30827/relieve.v31i2.32947

Keywords:

student engagement, academic performance, student attrition, higher education

Abstract

In the context of higher education, the need to offer quality training and prevent the risk of dropping out of studies has been insisted upon, which implies reviewing all the elements involved in the student learning process. Engagement is one of the factors associated with the academic performance and well-being of students, so it is considered that there may be a close relationship with disengagement from studies. With the aim of analyzing the impact of academic engagement on the intention to drop out among undergraduate students, a quantitative study was conducted with 2,352 students from three Spanish universities. Participants were selected through stratified random sampling and completed a questionnaire on academic engagement, developed based on the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES).  The results showed significant differences between the different dimensions of academic commitment (vigor, dedication and absorption) and the risk of dropping out. The students were classified into four groups according to the risk of dropping out and it was found that those with the lowest risk (Q1) obtained higher scores in the dimensions of engagement. The results suggest that academic commitment is key to permanence in undergraduate university studies, so strategies should be implemented to develop it and optimize the educational process of students.

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Author Biographies

  • David López-Aguilar, University of La Laguna

    Associate Professor in the area of Didactics and School Organization within the Department of Didactics and Educational Research at the University of La Laguna (ULL), Spain. His main research interests focus on academic trajectories, student retention, and dropout in higher education. He has published several articles in high-impact journals, as well as book chapters and collective works related to his field of expertise. He is currently an active research member of both the GUFOI and the Learning Competence Innovation Group, which are recognized as consolidated research groups by the University of La Laguna. Additionally, he is a member of the Inter-University Network of Guidance Professors (RIPO) and the Spanish Association for Educational Research (AIDIPE).

    Author Contribution (DLA): conceptualization, data curation, formal analysis, funding acquisition, methodology, project administration, supervision, visualization, writing – original draft, writing – review & editing.

    Conflict of interest statement (DLA): The author declares that there is no conflict of interest related to the preparation and publication of this work.

  • Pedro Ricardo Álvarez-Pérez, University of La Laguna

    Full professor of Educational Guidance and Psychopedagogy in the Department of Educational Didactics and Research at the University of La Laguna. He directs the University Research Group on Integrated Training and Guidance, whose main lines of action are: 1) academic trajectories, retention and dropout; and 2) university guidance and tutoring systems. In these areas, he has led research projects, published articles in high-impact specialized journals, published book chapters, and various collective works, in addition to supervising numerous doctoral theses. He currently directs the University Guidance and Tutoring Laboratory (LabOri) and coordinates the Institutional Tutoring Plan (POAT) at the Faculty of Education.

    Author Contribution (PRAP): conceptualization, funding acquisition, project administration, supervision, writing – original draft, writing – review & editing.

    Conflict of interest statement (PRAP):  The author declares that there is no conflict of interest related to the preparation and publication of this work.

  • Nicole González-Benítez, University of La Laguna

    PhD in Education and professor at the University of La Laguna, in the Department of Didactics and Educational Research. Her teaching focuses on subjects related to teacher training and educational guidance. In addition, she actively collaborates in projects and research groups related to university guidance and the improvement of educational processes. Her main line of research focuses on studying students’ adaptation during the transition from high school to university, academic dropout, and the development of strategies that promote university students’ retention and academic success.

    Author Contribution (NGB): data curation, formal analysis, methodology, visualization, writing – original draft, writing – review & editing.

    Conflict of interest statement (NGB): The author declares that there is no conflict of interest related to the preparation and publication of this work.

  • Javier Matías Ramírez-Romero, University of La Laguna

    PhD in Psychology from the University of La Laguna (Spain). He currently serves as Head of the Observatory for Training and Employment at the University of La Laguna, where he leads initiatives aimed at enhancing graduate employability and professional development. He is also a faculty member at the European University of the Canary Islands and the University of La Laguna. His research interests include the university-to-work transition, professional competence development, career guidance, and quality in higher education. Dr. Ramírez Romero has participated in multiple applied research projects and has authored and co-authored several peer-reviewed publications and conference contributions at both national and international levels in the fields of education, employment, and university entrepreneurship.

    Author Contribution (JMRR): conceptualization, methodology, writing – review & editing.

    Conflict of interest statement (JMRR): The author declares that there is no conflict of interest related to the preparation and publication of this work.

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2025-12-30

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Vol. 31 No. 2 (2025): RELIEVE JOURNAL (july-december 2025)

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The challenge of permanence in university students: a study on academic engagement and intention to drop out . (2025). RELIEVE – Electronic Journal of Educational Research and Evaluation, 31(2). https://doi.org/10.30827/relieve.v31i2.32947