ArticlePloS one2025
Predictors of higher education dropout intention in the post-pandemic era: The mediating role of academic exhaustion.
Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Factors associated with university dropout intention among health sciences students: the mediating role of academic burnout and satisfaction with education.BMC medical education · 2026Observational
- Construction and validation of an instrument to assess the university dropout intention formation process UDIFP-29.PloS one · 2026Article
- Academic demands and resources as predictors of emotional exhaustion and academic engagement in Chilean university students.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- The mediating role of academic satisfaction and examination-related stress in explaining the association between academic grit and university students' subjective well-being.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- When stress meets the feed: algorithmic curation, digital stress relief, and academic amotivation in the attention economy.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
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6 authors.
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Abstract
introductionThe phenomenon of dropout in higher education needs the acknowledging of its multi-domain complexity. In the post-pandemic era, exhaustion may be a relevant feature affecting students. This cross-sectional study aimed primarily to test a predictive model of five domains of variables (background, academic, social, psychological, and economic) on dropout intention, in a relation mediated by academic exhaustion. Secondarily, it aimed to assess the structural invariance of this model across working status (working vs. non-working students) and residence status (living away from family's residence vs. living in family residence). If these groups are differently affected by dropout determinants, specific dropout prevention measures should be implemented.
methodA stratified sample of 1402 Portuguese university students aged between 19 and 45 years (M = 22.87, SD = 3.64), selected through a convenience quota method, was assessed for background, academic, social, psychological, and economic variables using self-report instruments. Structural equation modelling was used.
resultsThe predictive model explained 51% of the variance in dropout intention. Academic exhaustion was the stronger predictor (β = 0.523, p < .001), followed by social connecteness to the campus (β = -31, p < .001), vocational difficulties (β = 0.274, p < .001), and course value (β = -0.256, p < .001). Except for the course value, and family educational level, all significant predictors had their effect on dropout intention through academic exhaustion. The model was invariant across working and residence status. DISCUSSION: This study shows the relevance of students' academic exhaustion experiences as a pathway through which different types of factors exert their influence on students´ dropout intentions. The invariance of the predictive model of dropout intention across different groups points the robustness of the model and the relevance of the integrated variables. The results emphasize the importance of student´s individual factors (e.g., academic exhaustion, lack of fit with the course) in dropout decisions, also stressing the role of academic institutions and of the education system in addressing this phenomenon, concerning academic workload, vocational orientation, social environment, and financing.
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