Influence of Study Skills on the Dropout Rate of Universities: Results from a Literature Study

Abstract

A high dropout rate from universities has been a topic of interest in educational research for more than a decade. The withdrawal from the university on the one hand is frustrating for the students and their families, and on the other hand mostly means a waste of time and money. Tailoring every higher education program to each students’ learning styles and needs is difficult. However, mastering the requisite study skills at the pre-university phase (K-12) is considered one of the solutions to diminish university dropouts. By conducting a literature study, we identified relevant study skills and their influencers as well as the appropriate period to improve these skills. We created a model illustrating the relationship between five study skill categories, their influencers and their effects on dropout from university. This study aims to increase awareness and active stakeholders such as families, teachers, and universities for cooperating to strengthen the study skills of school students.