Observa Science in Society

Science and technology are among the most important disciplines for economic and social development. However, in recent years in Italy the number of students abandoning their studies in scientific faculties before the final examination is still significant. In addition, those who enroll on these courses of study frequently opt out of them at an early stage in order to move to other subjects. There are several causes for drop-out or migration to other courses of study. In this chapter we identify some factors that influence student retention in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) higher education by using quantitative and qualitative IRIS survey data from 2,667 Italian students. We begin by presenting theoretical and empirical perspectives from recent studies and by analyzing the science education literature. We then use quantitative data to examine students’ experiences, with a particular focus on interest, social relations, learning processes and working conditions at university. The second part of the chapter features an analysis of factors crucial for course abandonment which considers qualitative data on those students who assess their course selection negatively. Finally, we propose approaches that might sustain student motivation, with particular emphasis on external factors which might reduce drop-out and opt-out rates.