Event History of Attrition for Southern Rural Kansas Community College Students Assigned to Remedial Math

Abstract

This regression event history study identified factors that are related to the attrition of remedial math students at a rural Kansas community college. It was guided by Bean and Metzner’s Nontraditional Undergraduate Student Attrition Model (1985). This study extended the applicability of the Bean and Metzner’s (1985) Conceptual Model to remedial math students.

The purpose of this regression event history study was to examine the success or unsuccessful transition of students taking a remedial math course. This event history approach examined the student’s decision of when they chose to drop out or persists. This study also used the predictor variables; age, ethnicity, full/part-time status, and gender.

To what extent does event history of remedial math classes predict the point of student attrition? Earning a higher grade or passing grade in a remedial math course was associated with an increased likelihood of completing a community college degree. However, when a student decided to drop out of college was not statistically different; before taking remedial math, during remedial math or after failing remedial math all had similar results based on attrition.

To what extent does a demographic variable predict attrition for students assigned to remedial math education? Females had 1.027 times higher odds to complete a degree than males. Increasing age was associated with an increased likelihood of completing a community college degree, but being a minority or working on a degree part-time was associated with a decreased likelihood of completing a degree.

To what extent do the predictor variables and the event history of remedial math classes predict attrition for students assigned to remedial math education? The predictor variables of age, ethnicity, full/part-time status, gender, and event history in remedial math classes significantly predict attrition for students enrolled in remedial math education.