ANTECEDENTES DA PERMANÊNCIA DE ESTUDANTES DE UMA INSTITUIÇÃO DE ENSINO SUPERIOR: UM MODELO CONFIRMATÓRIO.

The aim of this study is to identify the factors infl uencing students' continued attendance on undergraduate courses of a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the State of Santa Catarina. It proposes to test a theoretical model of possible determinants of student attendance in HEI. This quantitative study was carried out in the fi rst semester of 2009. The group studied consisted of 415 students. The sample was selected by convenience, and included all the students who were present on the day of application. The results showed that the students were mainly female, unmarried, with an average age of 21. The method of data analysis was Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Of the factors tested, Students' Commitment to their Personal Goals, Satisfaction with the HEI and Favorable Financial Situation, in that order, were the main factors that led to students' continued attendance in university. These three variables, accompanied by their connections, explained 61.2% of continued attendance in university. It was found that Perceived Learning, Access to Infrastructure and Attitude of the Coordination and the Teachers are directly related to attendance. Suggestions are presented at the end of this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]