Exploring Key Success Factors in First-Year Engineering Education at Egyptian Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

This article attempts to identify the critical determinants of success for first-year engineering students at higher education institutions (HEIs) in Egypt. It scrutinizes the influence of various independent variables on student success, conceptualized as the dependent variable. By investigating these relationships, the research aims to delineate the key success factors (KSFs) pertinent to first-year engineering students in this academic context. The methodology adopts a mixed methods approach, integrating both quantitative and qualitative research techniques. The quantitative component entails administering a questionnaire to a sample of first-year engineering students from three private universities in Egypt, followed by a multivariate regression analysis of the collected data. The qualitative aspect involves conducting interviews to gain insights into students’ perceptions of success-contributing factors and the challenges encountered during their initial year. The findings yield valuable insights into the determinants of success for first-year engineering students at Egyptian universities, thereby informing the development of strategies to enhance student achievement. This research contributes significantly to the existing body of literature on student success in engineering education and provides a foundation for future scholarly inquiries in this domain.

Keywords

• Academic achievement
• academic success
• attrition rates
• Egypt
• engineering education
• engineering students