university education

The analysis of the problem of dropout from university studies is a subject of great importance and topicality owing to the reper­cussions it has, not only in the economic and social sphere, but also at a personal, family, in­stitutional level, etc. The objective of this ar­ticle is to define a profile for a student who in­tends to abandon their university studies and who, therefore, is at risk of academic dropout. Various characteristics with a possible impact on this situation were analysed, both those of an individual, academic and socioeconomic nature and those which are personal. Specifi­cally, we studied the variables of age, gender, how studies are financed, average university grade and order of preference of the degree course, as well as those related to academic satisfaction, adaptability skills and the stu­dent’s academic engagement. The analysis was conducted on students at the Universi­dad de La Laguna (ULL) according to degree field and academic year. The results obtained show that the students with the highest risk of dropping out of the degree programme are those in their first year, mainly in the field of sciences, who have chosen the degree course they are studying that was their third choice or lower, their average university grade has been a fail, they have a low level of academic engagement and are not very satisfied with the educational process.

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Please, cite this article as follows: Peña-Vázquez, R., González Morales, O., Álvarez-Pérez, P. R. y López-Aguilar, D. (2023). Construyendo el perfil del alumnado con intención de abandono de los estudios universitarios | Building the profile of students with the intention of dropping out of university studies. Revista Española de Pedagogía, 81 (285), 291-315. https://doi.org/10.22550/REP81-2-2023-03

University tutoring is, with some exceptions, in a state that should concern us. The model in recent years is sporadic, optional meetings generally used to clarify doubts about academic content, solve problems with completing tasks, review assessment results, and find solutions for students’ personal problems that affect their progress in modules. This model of tutoring may make it possible to resolve problems, but it is a limited and insubstantial version of what it could be. There is case for saying that its leitmotiv is university character education, principally what has come to be called the critical spirit or thinking. In addition, it seems that this is what the contemporary social and professional reality misses and demands: university graduates who think for themselves, always seek the truth of things, and focus on the common good. Covid-19, with all of the impact it has had for universities, especially ones that work face-to-face, offers a new opportunity for tutoring, an opportunity to reestablish it. The new situation has brought both a pedagogical-technological message and an ethical one. Both can reestablish tutoring as an ongoing, deep, and unending conversation that enriches other university situations and opens doors that lead to the best version of oneself. This work has a three-part objective: to present arguments that hold that the main purpose of tutoring is cultivation of the critical spirit or thinking; to identify obstacles raised some years ago and possibilities that the new situation brings; and, finally, to suggest a series of future-oriented conclusions so that our universities can give tutoring the place it deserves in line with their circumstances.

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Please, cite this article as follows: Esteban Bara, F., & Caro Samada, C. (2023). El cultivo del pensamiento crítico a t avés de la tutoría universitaria: una nueva oportunidad tras la Covid-19 | The cultivation of critical thinking through university tutoring: A new opportunity after Covid-19. Revista Española de Pedagogía, 81 (284), 73-90. https://doi.org/10.22550/REP81-1-2023-04