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Dissertation
Exploring Student Persistence Factors Among Undergraduate College Students
University of West Florida Libraries
Doctor of Education (EDD), University of West Florida
2018
Abstract
Factors contributing to student persistence are important topics to investigate to minimize wasted finances, time, and effort by both students and institutions (Chen & St. John, 2011; Cornacchione & Daugherty, 2013; Jobe & Lenio, 2014). This quantitative study examined how some factors (i.e., academic and social integration, goal and institutional commitment) contribute to a student's intent to persist academically. For the study, a guiding theoretical framework was developed based on Tinto's (1975) theory of student departure and Ajzen's (1991) theory of planned behavior. Utilizing two quantitative, self-reporting survey instruments administered simultaneously, a convenience sample (N = 405) of undergraduate students representing two data collection sites, a regional comprehensive state university and a primarily two-year state college, within the southeast region of the United States, provided data during the Fall 2016 semester. A correlational analysis conducted revealed a significant positive relationship between academic integration and student intent to persist, r(405) = .13, p < .05, between academic integration and social integration, r(405) = .42, p < .01, academic integration and goal commitment, r(405) = .20, p < .01, and academic integration and institutional commitment, r(405) = .20, p < .01. The findings of this study provide implications for future research in the field of student persistence (e.g., examining student persistence from a sociological/psychological perspective, or adding variables reflecting new trends in education), for policymaking (e.g., implementing student engagement enhancing strategies), and professional practice (e.g., organizing faculty and staff workshops on student engagement or modifying curricula).
Details
- Title
- Exploring Student Persistence Factors Among Undergraduate College Students
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Publisher
- University of West Florida Libraries
- Format
- pdf
- Number of pages
- 202
- Copyright
- ©2013 Misty Danielle Freeman
- Identifiers
- 99380090753406600
- Academic Unit
- School of Education
- Language
- English
- Awarding Institution
- University of West Florida; Doctor of Education (EDD)
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Education (EDD), University of West Florida