Resumo:
This research project investigates student dropout in undergraduate programs at IFES Campus Aracruz, analyzing its determinants and proposing educational interventions. The general objective was to analyze dropout rates in the Campus’s undergraduate courses, identify the main factors influencing this phenomenon, describe the profile of dropouts based on socioeconomic and academic variables, examine dropout rates by cohort between 2019 and 2022 using data from the Nilo Peçanha Platform (PNP), and understand the perceptions and difficulties reported by students and staff. The methodology adopted a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach. Quantitative data were collected from the PNP and the institutional Academic System and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square independence tests to identify associations. Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with students and questionnaires administered to Campus staff, analyzed using content analysis. The quantitative results revealed high dropout rates, often exceeding national averages, particularly in the Industrial Chemistry and Chemistry Teaching Degree programs. Statistically significant associations were identified between dropout and demographic variables such as gender (higher among men), place of residence (more prevalent among students from distant municipalities), age group (especially between 19 and 24 years), ethnicity (higher among Black and Brown students), and type of high school attended (greater among those from public schools). The qualitative analysis complemented these findings by highlighting individual, institutional, and external factors. The study concluded that dropout at IFES Campus Aracruz is a complex and multifactorial phenomenon. Based on these results, an Integrated Plan of Actions for Student Retention was developed, focused on strengthening pedagogical support and academic guidance, promoting students’ social integration and engagement, and expanding material student assistance, with the aim of reducing dropout and fostering academic success.
