A structural equation model for analysis of factors associated with the choice of engineering degrees in a technical university

Copyright © 2013 Antonio Herv´as et al.This is an open access article distributed under the Creative CommonsAttribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Many different factors are taken into account by students when choosing a degree and university. Some of these are general considerations, such as the quality of the degree course (ratio available places/places in first choice, cut-off mark, etc.) while others are subjective factors (e.g.: friends doing the same course). This paper presents a partial multivariate model that considers the weight of the different variables linked to this decision, as identified in the bibliography. We analyzed four samples of first-year students (total n = 1790) from different engineering degree courses at the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV) in the 2010-11 and 2011-2012 academic years. All the students involved in the study had chosen this university and their courses as their first option. The overall effect shows that the structural model adjusts reasonably well to the different engineering courses analyzed. Similarly, the individual models for each engineering degree manage to identify the different effects involved. In the case of the engineering degree based on new technologies (ICT) the statistical effects are much greater and more statistically significant than in the other three branches of engineering considered. Social and individual factors were seen to have more impact on the choice of ICT degrees at the UPV.research was made possible in part by the PSI2010-21214- C02-01 Project and was carried out by members of the Generalitat de Catalunya's SGR 388 Consolidated Research Group and also by members of the Grup Consolidat d'Innovacio Docent en Aprenentatge de l'Estadistica en Salut de la Universitat de Barcelona (GCID-2011/EST). This work forms part of the project entitled "A Longitudinal Model Impact Assessment of Variables Involved in Selecting Studies and University. Academic Achievement in High School and University Entrance Exam, as Predictors of Initial Performance at University," financed by the ICE at the University of Barcelona in the REDICE 2012, with Code no. 1641-01.Hervás, A.; Guàrdia Olmos, J.; Peró Cebollero, M.; Capilla Lladró, R.; Soriano Jiménez, PP. (2013). A structural equation model for analysis of factors associated with the choice of engineering degrees in a technical university. Abstract and Applied Analysis. 2013:1-7. doi:10.1155/2013/368529S17201