Qualitative Analyses of Exit Survey Responses of Undergraduate Students for Retention purposes

Location

DeSantis Room 1054

Format Type

Plenary

Format Type

Paper

Start Date

15-1-2020 4:30 PM

End Date

15-1-2020 4:50 PM

Abstract

Exit survey responses from students were analyzed qualitatively in order to categorize student withdrawal reasons for determining appropriate retention initiatives. The responses to the survey were analyzed in two phases. In the first phase, comments on the student survey were categorized and analyzed manually and compared among the two researchers. In the second iterative phase of analysis, the software NVIVO was used to further examine the content and language of comments. In this phase, word trees were generated from the nodes already established through the first phase. These word trees were then scrutinized to consider additional text associated with them. The generation of word trees were instrumental in visualizing associated contexts, concepts and motives of student withdrawal and departure. To further compare and reconcile categories of variables e.g. personal, social, academic, and so on, perspectives of student administrators were also gathered. This comprehensive process helped establish categories of withdrawal reasons taking into account multiple perspectives obtained through extensive qualitative analysis.

Keywords

Qualitative, exit survey, retention, student withdrawal reasons

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Jan 15th, 4:30 PM Jan 15th, 4:50 PM

Qualitative Analyses of Exit Survey Responses of Undergraduate Students for Retention purposes

DeSantis Room 1054

Exit survey responses from students were analyzed qualitatively in order to categorize student withdrawal reasons for determining appropriate retention initiatives. The responses to the survey were analyzed in two phases. In the first phase, comments on the student survey were categorized and analyzed manually and compared among the two researchers. In the second iterative phase of analysis, the software NVIVO was used to further examine the content and language of comments. In this phase, word trees were generated from the nodes already established through the first phase. These word trees were then scrutinized to consider additional text associated with them. The generation of word trees were instrumental in visualizing associated contexts, concepts and motives of student withdrawal and departure. To further compare and reconcile categories of variables e.g. personal, social, academic, and so on, perspectives of student administrators were also gathered. This comprehensive process helped establish categories of withdrawal reasons taking into account multiple perspectives obtained through extensive qualitative analysis.