Factors Influencing the Decision to Pursue Higher Education and Their Effects on the Retention of Undergraduate Students at Prince of Songkla University, Surat Thani Campus
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Abstract
This study aimed to examine the factors influencing the decision to pursue higher education and their effects on the retention of undergraduate students at Prince of Songkla University, Surat Thani Campus. Data were collected from a sample of 235 undergraduate students using a two-stage sampling method with stratified sampling by faculty. A questionnaire was employed as the data collection instrument, and the data were analyzed through correlation analysis, factor analysis, and logistic regression analysis using Jamovi software, version 2.3.21. The findings revealed that four factors influencing the decision to pursue higher education — namely, curriculum, financial resources, personal reasons, and cumulative grade point average (CGPA) — significantly affected student retention at the .05 level of statistical significance. A key contribution of this study is the identification that, of the eight factors initially found to influence students' educational choice, only these four factors demonstrated a statistically significant effect on student retention. Based on these findings, the researcher recommends that the university prioritize the continuous updating and development of curricula to ensure they remain current and aligned with student needs, and establish a One Stop Service (OSS) center to provide comprehensive counseling and holistic support for students.
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