Factors associated with dropping out of the program for Bachelor’s and Licentiate’s Degrees in Mathematics Teaching at the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (UNA): Evidence from the 2016 Student Cohort

This study addresses the problem of dropouts among students in the program for Bachelor's and Licentiate’s Degrees in Mathematics Teaching of the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica. It is intended to describe the 2016 cohort of students in the program, and identify factors associated with academic dropout through semi-structured telephone interviews conducted with dropouts. Among the variables considered for the descriptive analysis are the grades students obtained in their high school of origin, their admission exam scores, standardized scores, an index of social development, social class, sex, type of school financing, scholarship status, place of residence, and the number of credits for which a student enrolled and how many of them he or she earned. The investigation found that there are differences between dropouts and non-dropouts in terms of admission exam scores and the number of credits that students enrolled for and earned. In addition, dropping out is more frequent among women, students without a scholarship, and students from urban areas. Eleven dropouts were interviewed, and three of these cases were analyzed in detail; final results showed that vocational and economic factors, teaching methods, and unmet expectations of students about the program are the main factors associated with dropping out.El estudio abarca la problemática de la deserción universitaria en los estudiantes de la carrera de Bachillerato y Licenciatura en la Enseñanza de la Matemática de la Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica. Se pretende describir a la cohorte 2016 y determinar algunos factores asociados con la deserción, mediante la aplicación de entrevistas telefónicas semiestructuradas a los desertores. Se consideraron, para el análisis descriptivo, variables como la nota del colegio de procedencia, la nota del examen de admisión, la nota tipificada, el índice de desarrollo social, el estrato, el sexo, el tipo de financiamiento del colegio, la condición de beca, la zona de residencia, los créditos matriculados y aprobados. Como resultado de la investigación, se encontró que existen diferencias entre desertores y no desertores en las variables nota de admisión, créditos matriculados y aprobados. Además, la deserción afecta más a las mujeres, estudiantes no becados y de zonas urbanas. Se entrevistaron 11 desertores y se ilustraron tres de esos casos, en los cuales se logró determinar que los aspectos vocacionales, los económicos, los métodos de enseñanza y las expectativas no satisfechas hacia la carrera son los principales factores asociados con el abandono escolar