A bimonthly publication of AQU Catalunya

49

July 2010

Research groups at the University of Barcelona (UB), the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the Rovira i Virgili University (URV) have carried out a series of studies, which were the result of a competitive funding scheme run by AQU Catalunya in 2007 for research projects aimed at gaining a better understanding and diagnosis of the higher education system in Catalonia. The studies come under one of the Agency’s main courses of action, the aim of which is to make systematised information available to the university community and society in general that has been rigorously analysed and the context of which is the international panorama.

 Student drop outs at Catalan universities [ca], Joaquín Gairín Sallán, Pilar Figuera Gazo, Xavier Maria Triadó Ivern et al. (UAB-UB)

Students who drop out from their university studies are a concern not just for academic coordinators, financial managers, academic staff, careers advisors, the students’ families and in particular the students themselves but also, and possibly for purely economic reasons, the university funding bodies.

Aside from presenting the international panorama of the phenomenon of university student drop-outs and the theoretical models that seek to explain this, the study offers evidence that helps to answer questions such as: Does dropping out of a course mean dropping out of university? When do students drop out? What is the social and demographic profile of students who drop out? Which courses have the highest drop-out rates? Are there any differences according to the type of studies and the university?

 The academic performance of first-year university students [ca], Ferran Mañé Vernet, Daniel Miravet Arnau (URV)

Access to study at university and, in particular, the analysis of the first year spent at university are a subject of special interest that, at the international level, have been analysed from numerous different perspectives.

To what degree does the social and family context and the quality of a student’s entrance qualifications affect his/her academic outcomes during their first year at university? Are there any differences in the academic performance of students at different universities? Is the fundamental factor for explaining differences in academic outcomes the type of studies? This study seeks to provide answers to all of these questions.

 The academic performance of first-year Law students at the University of Barcelona [ca], Max Turull Rubinat, Berta Roca Acedo (UB)

This study covers an in-depth analysis of degree programmes in Law, which are always well subscribed. The first part gives a general panorama of significant outcome indicators, such as the graduation, continuity and drop-out rates for the public universities in Catalonia as a whole and in relation to the student entry profile for each university. In the second part, attention is paid to the fact that, aside from the numerous indicators that covered, a better understanding is required of the evidence provided by qualitative factors associated with the quality of the approach to the teaching and learning process from the point of view of the students, who are a leading player in this process. Focusing on the specific context of the University of Barcelona, the study offers guidelines and instruments for systematically carrying out a comprehensive analysis of the first year spent at university by students.