The classroom environment and college students’ being silent/hidden dropouts: The chain of mediating effects of college identification and academic achievement

The present study investigated the relationship between the classroom environment (CE) and hidden dropout (HD), and the chain mediating role of college identification (CI) and academic achievement (AA) in that relationship. A total of 1 214 Chinese college students were participants. Specifically, 63.43% were female students, 15.90% were junior students, 35.17% were sophomore students, and 37.40% were freshmen students. The students completed the hidden dropout scale, as well as measures of the classroom environment and the college identification. Students’ academic record of the previous semester served as the academic achievement measures. Road path analysis was used to examine the relationships between variables and to test the hypothesized mediating effects. Results indicated that a lower sense of CE was associated with higher HD dropout. The CE not only directly affected college students’ HD but also indirectly affected their HD level through the chain intermediary role of college identification and AA. CI significantly mediated CE and DP, so that DP was lower. Similarly, higher AA mediated the CE and HD relationship so that HD was lower in students who were happier with the college environment and who had higher grades. Path road analysis revealed a chain mediating effect of CI and AA on the relationship between CE and HD because their joint effect was 0.23% higher than the mediating effect of CI, and 6.24% higher than the AA’s mediating effect. These findings suggest a need for college student development offices to pay attention to college students, particularly male students, in terms of the importance of creating a positive classroom environment and supporting college identification and academic achievement to reduce the likelihood of college students becoming silent/hidden dropouts. Additionally, college student development offices should address the different mechanisms that may influence their reason for dropping out silently.