Why Students Drop Computing Science: Using Models of Motivation to Understand Student Attrition and Retention

Computing science (CS) classrooms, whether at school or university level, provide a useful context for examining disparities in participation: particular groups – especially females – remain under-represented. Among the factors that influence retention in CS are those associated with motivation. In this study, we investigate why students drop CS by drawing on two motivation models: the expectancy–value model developed by Eccles, Wigfield, and colleagues, and Marsh’s internal/external frame of reference model. Through a survey of 32 undergraduate students who dropped CS, we identify and discuss the factors that affected their decision to do so. We highlight the interplay between components of both models, revealing how utility value, cost, and students’ internal/external comparisons influenced their decision to drop the subject. We find that comparisons with peers, social concerns, perceived subject difficulty, and issues of attainment associated with self-concept all play a more significant role in female students’ decision to drop CS.