Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Role of Professional Integration in Higher Education IT Studies

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Student Retention and Success in Higher Education

Abstract

Student retention is an issue in many countries especially in the field of information technology (IT) studies. One explanation for this might be the challenge of integrating academic and professional education. IT students in universities tend to be interested in more professional skills-oriented education. Thus, it seems that the only way to enhance their retention is to provide them with good practice opportunities in their workplace in order to build stronger connections with IT companies, the IT industry and people who integrate them in the professional community. This chapter focuses on IT students undertaking higher education studies in Estonia. The chapter discusses the causes of student attrition and strategies for improving retention. This may give some insight into how IT studies could be designed in higher education to improve student retention and support students in becoming professional learners. In addition, we discuss the COVID-19 related challenges of retention, attrition, and completion in IT studies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adnan, M., & Anwar, K. (2020). Online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic: Students’ perspectives. Online Submission, 2(1), 45–51. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPSP.2020261309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Altin, H., & Pedaste, M. (2013). Learning approaches to applying robotics in science education. Journal of Baltic Science Education, 12(3), 365–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Altin, H., & Rantsus, R. (2015). Why students fail to graduate ICT-related curricula at university level. INTED2015: 9th International Technology, Education and Development Conference Proceedings, 5364–5368.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barker, L. J., McDowell, C., & Kalahar, K. (2009). Exploring factors that influence computer science introductory course students to persist in the major. Proceedings of the Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE’09), 153–157.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benda, K., Bruckman, A., & Guzdial, M. (2012). When life and learning do not fit: Challenges of workload and communication in introductory computer science online. ACM Transactions on Computing Education (TOCE), 12(4), 1–38. https://doi.org/10.1145/2382564.2382567

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borzovs, J., Niedrite, L., & Solodovnikova, D. (2016). Strategies to reduce attrition among first year computer science students. In M. M. Pinheiro & D. Simões (Eds.), Handbook of research on engaging digital natives in higher education settings (pp. 98–120). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-0039-1.ch005

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • De Jong, T., van Joolingen, W. R., Giemza, A., Girault, I., Hoppe, U., Kindermann, J., … Weinbrenner, S. (2010). Learning by creating and exchanging objects: The SCY experience. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(6), 909–921. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2010.01121.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2008). Self-determination theory: A macrotheory of human motivation, development, and health. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 49(3), 182–185. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012801

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Divjak, B., Ostroski, M., & Hains, V. V. (2010). Sustainable student retention and gender issues in mathematics for ICT study. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 41(3), 293–310. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207390903398416

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gijbels, D., Kyndt, E., Peeters, L., & Schelfhout, W. (2017). Getting out the most of the combination of working and learning: The case of teachers-in-training in Flanders. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 32(2), 183–199. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-016-0309-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hagan, D., & Markham, S. (2000). Does it help to have some programming experience before beginning a computing degree program? Proceedings of the 5th Annual SIGCSE/SIGCUE ITiCSE Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, 25–28. https://doi.org/10.1145/343048.343063.

  • HaridusSILM. (n.d.). Education. Statistics. Retrieved December 16, 2019, from https://www.haridussilm.ee/

  • Hooshyar, D., Lim, H., Pedaste, M., Yang, K., Fathi, M., & Yang, Y. (2019). AutoThinking: An adaptive computational thinking game. In L. Rønningsbakk, T. T. Wu, F. Sandnes, & Y. M. Huang (Eds.), Innovative technologies and learning. ICITL 2019. Lecture notes in computer science (Vol. 11937, pp. 381–391). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35343-8_41

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Hooshyar, D., Malva, L., Yang, Y., Pedaste, M., Wang, M., & Lim, H. (2020a). An adaptive educational computer game: Effects on students’ knowledge and learning attitude in computational thinking. Computers in Human Behavior, 114(106575), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106575

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hooshyar, D., Pedaste, M., Saks, K., Leijen, Ä., Bardone, E., & Wang, M. (2020b). Open learner models in supporting self-regulated learning in higher education: A systematic literature review. Computers & Education, 154(103878), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2020.103878

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hooshyar, D., Pedaste, M., & Yang, Y. (2020c). Mining educational data to predict students’ performance through procrastination behavior. Entropy, 22(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.3390/e22010012

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Järve, J., Kallaste, E., & Räis, M. L. (2015). Tudengite õpingute katkestamise põhjused IKT kõrghariduses. Eesti Rakendusuuringute Keskus Centar. Retrieved from http://media.voog.com/0000/0034/3577/files/IKT-katkestajate-uuringu-l%C3%B5ppraport.pdf

  • Karani, R., Fromme, H. B., Cayea, D., Muller, D., Schwartz, A., & Harris, I. B. (2014). How medical students learn from residents in the workplace: A qualitative study. Academic Medicine, 89(3), 490–496. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000000141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kinnunen, P., & Malmi, L. (2006). Why students drop out CS1 Course? Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Computing Education Research, 97–108. https://doi.org/10.1145/1151588.1151604

  • Kivinen, O., & Nurmi, J. (2014). Labour market relevance of European university education. From enrolment to professional employment in 12 countries. European Journal of Education, 49(4), 558–574. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12095

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • König, J., Jäger-Biela, D. J., & Glutsch, N. (2020). Adapting to online teaching during COVID-19 school closure: Teacher education and teacher competence effects among early career teachers in Germany. European Journal of Teacher Education, 43(4), 608–622. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2020.1809650

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kori, K. (2017). The role of academic, social and professional integration in predicting student retention in higher education information technology studies. Doctoral dissertation, University of Tartu. University of Tartu Press. Retrieved from https://dspace.ut.ee/handle/10062/58066

  • Kori, K., Altin, H., Pedaste, M., Palts, T., & Tõnisson, E. (2014). What influences students to study information and communication technology? In L. Gómez Chova, A. López Martínez, & I. Candel Torres (Eds.), INTED2014: 8th International Technology, Education and Development Conference Proceedings (pp. 1477–1486). IATED Academy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kori, K., Pedaste, M., Altin, H., Tõnisson, E., & Palts, T. (2016a). Factors that influence students’ motivation to start and to continue studying information technology in Estonia. IEEE Transactions on Education, 59(4), 255–262. https://doi.org/10.1109/TE.2016.2528889

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kori, K., Pedaste, M., Leijen, Ä., & Tõnisson, E. (2016b). The role of programming experience in ICT students’ learning motivation and academic achievement. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 6(5), 331–337. https://doi.org/10.7763/IJIET.2016.V6.709

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kori, K., Pedaste, M., & Must, O. (2017). Integration of Estonian higher education information technology students and its effect on graduation-related self-efficacy. In P. Zaphiris & A. Ioannou (Eds.), Learning and collaboration technologies. Technology in education. LCT 2017. Lecture notes in computer science (Vol. 10296). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58515-4_33

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kori, K., Pedaste, M., & Must, O. (2018). The academic, social, and professional integration profiles of information technology students. ACM Transactions on Computing Education, 18(4), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1145/3183343

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kori, K., Pedaste, M., Niitsoo, M., Kuusik, R., Altin, H., Tõnisson, E., Vau, I., Leijen, Ä., Mäeots, M., Siiman, L., Murtazin, K., & Paluoja, R. (2015a). Why do students choose to study information and communications technology? In H. Uzunboylu (Ed.), The proceedings of 6th world conference on educational sciences (Vol. 191, pp. 2867–2872). Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.249

  • Kori, K., Pedaste, M., Tõnisson, E., Palts, T., Altin, H., Rantsus, R., Sell, R., Murtazin, K., & Rüütmann, T. (2015b). First-year dropout in ICT studies (pp. 444–452). IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference. https://doi.org/10.1109/EDUCON.2015.7096008

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Larsen, M. S., Kornbeck, K. P., Kristensen, R. M., Larsen, M. R., & Sommerseol, H. B. (2013). Dropout phenomena at universities: What is dropout? Why does dropout occur? What can be done by the universities to prevent or reduce it? A systematic review. Danish Clearinghouse for Educational Research, Department of Education, Aarhus University. Retrieved from https://dpu.au.dk/fileadmin/edu/Udgivelser/Clearinghouse/Review/Evidence_on_dropout_from_universities_technical_report_May_2013.pdf

  • Leijen, Ä., Allas, R., Pedaste, M., Knezic, D., Marcos, J. J. M., Meijer, P., Husu, J., Krull, E., & Toom, A. (2015). How to support the development of teachers’ practical knowledge: Comparing different conditions. In H. Uzunboylu (Ed.), The proceedings of 6th world conference on educational sciences (Vol. 191, pp. 1205–1212). Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.455

  • Leijen, Ä., Pedaste, M., & Lepp, L. (2020). Teacher agency following the ecological model: How it is achieved and how it could be strengthened by different types of reflection. British Journal of Educational Studies, 68(3), 295–310. https://doi.org/10.1080/00071005.2019.1672855

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luik, P., Suviste, R., Lepp, M., Palts, T., Tõnisson, E., Säde, M., & Papli, K. (2019). What motivates enrolment in programming MOOCs? British Journal of Educational Technology, 50(1), 153–165. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12600

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCartney, R., Boustedt, J., Eckerdal, A., Sanders, K., Thomas, L., & Zander, C. (2016). Why computing students learn on their own: Motivation for self-directed learning of computing. ACM Transactions on Computing Education (TOCE), 16(1), 2. https://doi.org/10.1145/2747008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niitsoo, M., Paales, M., Pedaste, M., Siiman, L., & Tõnisson, E. (2014). Predictors of informatics students progress and graduation in university studies. In L. Gómez Chova, A. López Martínez, & I. Candel Torres (Eds.), INTED2014: 8th International Technology, Education and Development Conference Proceedings (pp. 2521–2529). IATED Academy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Panadero, E. (2017). A review of self-regulated learning: Six models and four directions for research. Frontiers in Psychology, 8(422), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00422

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pedaste, M., de Jong, T., Sarapuu, T., Piksööt, J., & van Joolingen, W. R. (2013). Investigating ecosystems as a blended learning experience. Science, 340(6140), 1537–1538. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1229908

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pedaste, M., Leijen, Ä., Poom-Valickis, K., & Eisenschmidt, E. (2019). Teacher professional standards to support teacher quality and learning in Estonia. European Journal of Education, 54(3), 389–399. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12346

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pereira, C. (2016). Informatics education in Europe: Institutions, degrees, students, positions, salaries – Key data 2010–2015. Informatics Europe.

    Google Scholar 

  • Priestley, M., Biesta, G. J. J., & Robinson, S. (2015). Teacher agency: An ecological approach. Bloomsbury Academic.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Raelin, J. A. (2008). Work-based learning: Bridging knowledge and action in the workplace. Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rees, E. L., Sinha, Y., Davies, B., & Quinn, P. (2016). WATCH Scrubs: a video observational study of workplace-based learning at Sacred Heart Hospital. Medical Education, 50(12), 1195–1199. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.13078

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Talton, J. O., Peterson, D. L., Kamin, S., Isreal, D., & Al-Muhtadi, J. (2006). Scavenger hunt: Computer science retention through orientation. Proceedings of the 37th SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, 38(1), 443–447. https://doi.org/10.1145/1121341.1121478

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, L. (2012). Building student engagement and belonging in higher education at a time of change. Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/resources/What_works_final_report.pdf

  • Tinto, V. (1975). Dropout from higher education: A theoretical synthesis of recent research. Review of Educational Research, 45(1), 89–125. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543045001089

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Toquero, C. M. (2020). Challenges and opportunities for higher education amid the COVID-19 pandemic: The Philippine context. Pedagogical Research, 5(4), em0063. https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/794

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van der Spoel, I., Noroozi, O., Schuurink, E., & van Ginkel, S. (2020). Teachers’ online teaching expectations and experiences during the Covid19-pandemic in the Netherlands. European Journal of Teacher Education, 43(4), 623–638. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2020.1821185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watson, C., & Li, F. W. B. (2014). Failure rates in introductory programming revisited. Proceedings of the 2014 Conference on Innovation & Technology in Computer Science Education, 39–44. https://doi.org/10.1145/2591708.2591749

  • Yang, D. F., Catterall, J., & Davis, J. (2013). Supporting new students from vocational education and training: Finding a reusable solution to address recurring learning difficulties in e-learning. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 29(5). https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.196

  • Yang, Y., Hooshyar, D., Pedaste, M., Wang, M., Huang, Y.-M., & Lim, H. (2020). Prediction of students’ procrastination behaviour through their submission behavioural pattern in online learning. Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing.https://doi.org/10.1007/s12652-020-02041-8

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Educational Sciences, Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia

    Külli Kori

  2. Institute of Education, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia

    Margus Pedaste

Authors
  1. Külli Kori
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Margus Pedaste
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Külli Kori .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Swinburne University of Technology, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Mahsood Shah

  2. James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia

    Sally Kift

  3. Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, Lancashire, UK

    Liz Thomas

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Kori, K., Pedaste, M. (2021). The Role of Professional Integration in Higher Education IT Studies. In: Shah, M., Kift, S., Thomas, L. (eds) Student Retention and Success in Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80045-1_13

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80045-1_13

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-80044-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-80045-1

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation