Razões e influências para a evasão universitária: um estudo com estudantes ingressantes nos cursos de ciências contábeis de instituições públicas federais da região Sudeste

Abstract

The university dropout is a problem to institutions of higher education, both public and private. The withdrawal from institution generates financial, social and academic waste. In this context, it has been seen an intensification on studies about dropout in higher education in the last decade, although few in Accounting, which highlights the need to study this context. The aim of this research is to seek evidence to identify the reasons that could influence the dropout of Accounting course students in public institutions of higher education in its first year of study. In addition, it attempted to analyze the socioeconomic characteristics of these students and the possible influences that made them choose the course. It was applied a questionnaire to 348 students entering in 2013 in six federal universities of southeastern Brazil. It was noticed that in general students do not seem likely to leave the course because 20 factors presented as able to influence them to dropout had obtained an average greater than 3.3 (it could vary between 0 to 10). This result may indicate that students enrolled significantly enthusiastic about the course, although there is evidence that the choice of Accounting course was not a well-guided process. For this reason, the frustration that the student can have because their expectations will not execute can demotivate and influence them to leave the course in the future. So, the conviction of the choice, and its resulting enthusiasm, does not mean that the individual will show the attitudes and skills that materialize their professional aspirations and, in the presence of the obstacles that will test their knowledge and their commitment, they may dropout.