The relevance of basic psychological needs and subject interest as explanatory variables for student dropout in higher education — a German case study using the example of a cooperative education program

• Published in: European journal of psychology of education Vol. 38; no. 4; pp. 1791 - 1808
• Main Authors: Wild, Steffen, Rahn, Sebastian, Meyer, Thomas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.12.2023; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: basic psychological needs; College Students; Cooperative Education; Cross-sectional studies; Dropout Characteristics; Dropout Rate; dualer Studiengang; Education; Educational Psychology; Foreign Countries; Higher education; Hypotheses; Influence; Intellectual Disciplines; Longitudinal studies; Messinstrument zur Identifikation von Studienabbruchneigung im dualen Studium (MISANDS) (ZIS 265); Motivation; Pedagogic Psychology; person-object theory of interest; Predictor Variables; Psychological Needs; School dropouts; self-determination theory; Student Interests; Student Motivation; Students; subject interest; Germany; Self-determination theory; Subject interest; Person-object theory of interest; Basic psychological needs; Dropout
• ISSN: 0256-2928; 1878-5174; 1878-5174
• DOI: 10.1007/s10212-022-00671-4

  Student dropout in higher education is a challenge for higher education systems. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on analyzing motivational aspects in order to counteract dropout. However, the detailed impact mechanisms and processes of motivation on dropout have not been sufficiently researched. For example, there is very little research analyzing the preconditions of motivation and their influence on motivation as well as their eventual influence on dropout. From the background of self-determination theory and the person-object theory of interest, this study analyzes the effects of satisfying the three basic psychological needs on dropout via subject interest. We use data from a cross-sectional design with N  = 2662 cooperative students in their first academic year. Our analysis identifies a direct effect of relatedness and subject interest on dropout. Furthermore, indirect effects of satisfying basic psychological needs, specifically, autonomy and relatedness, on dropout via subject interest are noted. We evaluate our results in the context of the current state of research and discuss implications.