Social mobility, and in particular, intergenerational mobility, can be driven by increased opportunities for extended education. Movement beyond a family's social class will often see positive changes to overall life satisfaction, however, this movement can introduce feelings of alienation. This in turn can lead to detachment either from the…

This paper offers a critical discourse analysis of documents relating to the introduction of predictive learning analytics at a small, UK university. Semiotic and interdiscursive analysis was carried out on texts from three different sources: the institution, the commercial analytics software provider, and one academic subject area. Authority…

Pre-entry information and transitional support are identified as key factors promoting student success and retention, encouraging a pro-active approach to entry into Higher Education. Furthermore the Equality Act, in terms of anticipatory duty, emphasises this. However, some student groups studying for professional degrees, such as physiotherapy,…

Purpose: This paper outlines a variety of the research on student attrition and recognises some of the sensitivities that may be involved for some students in dealing with dropping out of university. This paper claims that because of these sensibilities, some student's responses to direct questions about the reasons for attrition may be biased by…

This study aims to explore the current published research on Language Massive Open Online Courses (LMOOCs), outlining the types of papers, countries where studies were performed and institutions devoted to this field. Also, it intends to classify the reviewed literature following a general categorisation of MOOCs, and to identify the main trends…

One of the major issues that concerns tertiary institutions around the world is the student retention rate. In general, higher rates of completion give more positive image about the academic, administrative and financial statues of these institutions. However, improving the student completion and retention rates can be a challenging task. One way…

International trends for pre-registration nurse education at degree level alongside "widening access" initiatives mean that academic achievement of students entering via different educational routes is of interest to both higher and further education institutions. This article examines the academic achievement of students undertaking a…

The study considers the retention of 708 students studying for higher education awards at further education colleges in 2008-2009. The study challenges the relevance of literature on retention at higher education institutions to students studying at partner colleges. Using data provided on registration and end-of-year status, the study considers…

The shipping industry worldwide is experiencing a shortage of trained and qualified officers to operate a rapidly expanding global merchant fleet. High cadet wastage in Maritime Education and Training (MET) institutions is an obstacle to skills replenishment in the UK. This paper examines the specificity of MET programmes with regard to the…

This paper discusses the engagement of Year 10 students with the Bible-based ethos of their City Technology College by describing and analysing their engagement with tutor prayers. It concludes that students are impacted by some of the key beliefs which underpin the ethos, conceptualised as a faith habitus. In particular they privilege being…

This study examined the selection process at the Sultan Qaboos University MBA program in relation to other respected institutions in the Gulf area and worldwide to determine the reason(s) for the high rate of attrition among students joining the MBA program. In addition, the study assessed the correlation between Graduate Management Admission Test…

Within the context of funding changes in further education, a British study of three training providers with successful retention programs found that two further education colleges were more successful than an industry provider. Key factors in reducing student withdrawal included support and guidance services for trainees, delivery of key skills,…

Growing concerns about retention and attrition rates in a mass and increasingly marketised higher education system have encouraged the idea that "meeting learner needs" should be a key focus for institutional attention. It is suggested that this approach is unrealistic, however, because of the extent of the diversity which it attempts to…

Discusses the impact of the education 'Revolution' on the work and role of the headteacher specifically investigating the introduction of the Local Management of Schools (LMS) and the Local Education Authority. Considers the future of education, such as increased student empowerment and financial resources, that also will affect the headmaster's…

This comment is a response to a paper on noncompletion rates in United Kingdom universities (Johnes and Taylor 1989). The causal inferences are ill founded because they are based on data aggregated to university level. Individual-level data are essential, and data on other levels may also be necessary. (Author/MLW)