Title: Markov analysis of academic performance of students in higher education: a case study of an engineering institution

Authors: K.K. Eldose; B.D. Mayureshwar; K. Ratna Kumar; R. Sridharan

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Kerala, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Kerala, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Kerala, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Kerala, India

Abstract: In the global competitive environment faced by educational institutions, operational excellence enables world-class performance. An important task of education planning involves determining the academic progress of students. The present research focuses on the development and analysis of a Markov model to evaluate the academic performance of students in a four-year engineering program in an institution located in India. Initially, the transition probability matrix is developed for the academic progress of students using the frequency matrix obtained from historical data. The probability of movement of students between successive years of the academic program is computed using the transition probabilities. Using Markovian process, the expected number of years spent in a specified transient state before absorption and the probabilities of absorption are determined. The analysis of results reveals that remedial classes and mentoring activities have played a significant role in increasing the graduation probability as well as decreasing the withdrawal probability.

Keywords: academic performance; engineering education; Markov chain.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSOM.2022.121696

International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 2022 Vol.41 No.1/2, pp.59 - 81

Received: 21 Jan 2020
Accepted: 17 Aug 2020
Published online: 24 Mar 2022 *

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