May 20th: Understanding student attrition

This month’s paper focuses on student attrition, the authors discovered a diagnostic student radiographer attrition rate of 19%, significantly higher than the average for UK higher education. Although reasons for drop out are multifactorial, several recommendations are made by McAnulla et al to potentially reduce attrition. McAnulla S J, Ball S E, McKnapp K M. Understanding student radiographer attrition: Risk factors and strategies Radiography. In press. Themes: T1: Did/does your experience as a student resonate with the issues explored in the paper? T2: Poor academic performance may be “the greatest single predictor of attrition”. What can be done to support and improve students with coursework? T3: A positive clinical placement experience is vital for student retention. What factors do you think underpin this? T4: Student attrition is a broad and persistent issue across the medical radiation sciences professions. What investigations and areas of focus would you suggest to researchers, professional bodies, and policy makers to make a difference? Take a look at this month’s blog by radiotherapy educators, Jo McNamara and Zoe Grant. Additional reading: Nightingale J, McNamara J, Posnett J. Challenges in recruitment and retention: Securing the therapeutic radiography workforce of the future. Sheffield Hallam University Times: Vancouver 1pm (20th) , Edmonton 2pm (20th), Toronto 4pm (20th), London 9pm (20th), Sydney & Brisbane 6am (21st), Auckland 8am (21st)