What Matters to Student Success: A Review of the Literature

What Matters to Student Success: A Review of the Literature

Commissioned Report for the National Symposium on Postsecondary Student Success:

Spearheading a Dialog on Student Success

George D. Kuh Jillian Kinzie Jennifer A. Buckley Indiana University Bloomington Brian K. Bridges American Council on Education John C. Hayek Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education

July 2006

July 2006

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section 1 2 3

4

5

INTRODUCTION, CONTEXT, AND OVERVIEW ......................................

Purpose and Scope ...........................................................................................

DEFINITIONS AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ................................

Framework for Student Success.......................................................................

MAJOR THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON STUDENT SUCCESS IN COLLEGE .......................................................................................................

Sociological Perspectives.................................................................................

Observations About the Tinto Model.................................................. Social Networks .................................................................................

Organizational Perspectives ............................................................................. Psychological Perspectives .............................................................................. Cultural Perspectives........................................................................................ Economic Perspectives .................................................................................... Summary ..........................................................................................................

THE FOUNDATION FOR STUDENT SUCCESS: STUDENT BACKGROUND CHARACTERISTICS, PRECOLLEGE EXPERIENCES, AND ENROLLMENT PATTERNS................................................................

Student Background Characteristics and Precollege Experiences ...................

Gender ............................................................................................. Race and Ethnicity .............................................................................. Academic Intensity in High School .................................................... Family Educational Background......................................................... Persistence........................................................................................... Educational Aspirations and Family Support ..................................... Socioeconomic Status ......................................................................... Financial Aid....................................................................................... Precollege Encouragement Programs ................................................. Enrollment Patterns............................................................................. Multiple Institution Attendance .......................................................... Summary .............................................................................................

WHAT STUDENT BEHAVIORS, ACTIVITIES AND EXPERIENCES IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION PREDICT SUCCESS?..........................

Expectations for College .................................................................................. College Activities.............................................................................................

iii

Page

1

3

5

7

11

11

12 12

13 13 14 15 16

17

18

18 18 19 19 21 22 22 23 25 27 28 29

31

32 34

Minority-Serving Institutions..............................................................

39

A Closer Look at Engagement in Effective Educational Practices ..................

40

Faculty-Student Contact......................................................................

41

Peer Interactions..................................................................................

42

Experiences with Diversity .................................................................

43

Cocurricular Activities........................................................................

44

Student Satisfaction.............................................................................

44

Student Characteristics.....................................................................................

45

First-Generation Students ...................................................................

45

Race and Ethnicity ..............................................................................

45

International Students .........................................................................

46

Transfer Students ................................................................................

46

Fraternity and Sorority Members ........................................................

47

Student Athletes ..................................................................................

47

Summary .............................................................................................

48

6

WHAT INSTITUTIONAL CONDITIONS (POLICIES, PROGRAMS,

PRACTICES, CULTURAL PROPERTIES) ARE ASSOCIATED WITH

STUDENT SUCCESS? ...................................................................................

51

Structural and Organizational Characteristics..................................................

52

Institutional Attributes: Residence Size, Type, Sector, Resources

and Reputation.....................................................................

52

Campus Residences.............................................................

53

Sector .............................................................................

53

Structural Diversity .............................................................

54

Organizational Structure......................................................

55

Institutional Mission............................................................

55

Minority-Serving Institutions ..............................................

56

Programs and Practice......................................................................................

57

New Student Adjustment ....................................................................

58

Orientation...........................................................................

58

First-Year Seminars.............................................................

58

Advising .............................................................................................

59

Early Warning Systems.......................................................................

60

Learning Communities........................................................................

60

Campus Residences.............................................................................

63

Student Success Initiatives..................................................................

63

Remediation ........................................................................

64

Student Support Services ....................................................................

65

iv

Teaching and Learning Approaches.................................................................

66

Educational Philosophy.......................................................................

66

Pedagogical Approaches .....................................................................

67

Active and Collaborative Learning .....................................

68

Feedback .............................................................................

69

Instructional Technology.....................................................

69

Student-Centered Campus Cultures .................................................................

71

Partnerships to Support Learning........................................................

72

Designing for Diversity.......................................................................

72

Institutional Ethic of Improvement .....................................................

73

Summary .............................................................................................

73

7

HAT ARE THE OUTCOMES AND INDICATORS OF STUDENT

SUCCESS DURING AND AFTER COLLEGE?............................................

75

College and Postcollege Indicators ..................................................................

75

Grades .............................................................................................

75

Economic Benefits and Quality of Life ..............................................

77

Learning and Personal Development Outcomes ..............................................

78

Cognitive Complexity .........................................................................

79

Living and Work Environments ..........................................

79

Knowledge Acquisition and Academic Skills.....................................

81

Humanitarianism .................................................................................

82

Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Competence......................................

83

Student-Faculty Contact ......................................................

84

Living Environments...........................................................

84

Practical Competence..........................................................................

84

Student-Faculty Contact ......................................................

86

Single-Sex Institutions ........................................................

86

Summary ..........................................................................................................

86

8

ROPOSITIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT STUDENT

SUCCESS IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION........................................

89

Propositions and Recommendations ................................................................

89

Needed Research..............................................................................................

100

A Final Word ...................................................................................................

105

REFERENCES.................................................................................................

107

v

LIST OF APPENDIXES

Appendix A: Note on Research Method ..............................................................................

149

Appendix B: Indicators of Student Success in Postsecondary Education............................

151

LIST OF TABLES

Table

1

Correlations between institutional mean scores of NSSE clusters of effective

educational practices and institutional graduation rates (N=680 4-year

colleges and universities) .................................................................................

36

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure

1

What matters to student success.......................................................................

8

2

Student background characteristics and precollege experiences......................

17

3

Factors that threaten persistence and graduation from college ........................

27

4

Student behaviors and student engagement .....................................................

32

5

Impact of engagement in educationally purposeful activities on first-year

GPA (be pre-college achievement level) .........................................................

35

6

Level of academic challenge for seniors, by enrollment..................................

37

7

Student-faculty interaction: First-year students at 12 liberal arts colleges ......

38

8

Who's more engaged?......................................................................................

39

9

The relationship between student success and institutional conditions ...........

52

10

Learning community participation rates, by Carnegie classification ...............

62

11

Recommended components of developmental education initiatives ...............

65

12

Student success outcomes ................................................................................

75

13

Outcome domains associated with college attendance ....................................

78

14

Principles for strengthening precollege preparation.........................................

90

vi

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