Theories of Retention and Student Success

Matthew D. Pistilli, Ph.D.Director of Assessment & Planning, Division of Student Affairs

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

John N. GardnerPresident

John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education

January 14, 2015 · Costa Mesa, CA

Prominent Retention Theories•Astin•Tinto•Padilla•Bean and Eaton•Gardner

Astin’s Student Involvement Theory

Focuses on three aspects of college:• Inputs• Environment• Output

Developed as an alternative to other complex theories

Inputs Output

Environment

Astin’s Student Involvement Theory (1984)

Definitions

• Involvement:The amount of physical and psychological

energy that the student devotes to the academic experience. (1985, p. 134)

• Exists on a continuum, with students investing varying levels of energy• Is both quantitative and qualitative• Direct relationship between student learning and

student involvement• Effectiveness of policy or practice directly related to

their capacity to increase student learning (Astin, 1985, 1999)

Inputs

• The personal, background, and educational characteristics that students bring with them to postsecondary education that can influence educational outcomes (Astin, 1984).• Astin (1993) identified 146 characteristics, including• Demographics• High school academic achievement• Previous experiences & self-perceptions

Output

• Basic level• Academic Achievement• Retention• Graduation

• More abstractly• Skills• Behaviors• Knowledge

The things we are attempting to develop in students

Environment

• Where we have the most control• Factors related to students’ experience while in

college• Astin (1993) identified 192 variables across 8

overarching classificationsInstitutional characteristics Financial AidPeer group characteristics Major Field ChoiceFaculty characteristics Place of residenceCurriculum Student involvement

Takeaways from Astin

• We have little control over inputs• Outputs are usually measured in binary terms, but

we have a greater opportunity beyond simply retaining/graduating students• We have a great deal of control over the

environment into which we place our students

What aspects of the environment can you focus on as you develop plans to increase student success?

Tinto’s Model of Student Departure

• Near-paradigmatic stature (Braxton, 1999)• Based on• Durkheim’s Theory of Suicide• van Gennep’s “successful rites of passage”

• Looks at students’ pre-entry attributes, goals & commitments, and internal/external experiences

(Tinto, 1993)

Tinto’s Model (continued)

• Considers both formal and informal interactions and experiences• Does not leave learning to chance – intentionally

creates purposeful environments• Places strong emphasis on academic and social

integration

(Tinto, 1993)

PRE-ENTRYATTRIBUTES

GOALS&

COMMITMENTS(T1)

INSTITUTIONALEXPERIENCES

PERSONAL /NORMATIVE

INTEGRATION

GOALS&

COMMITMENTS (2)OUTCOME

FAMILYBACKGROUND

SKILLS&

ABILITIES

PRIORSCHOOLING

INTENTIONS

GOAL &INSTITUTIONALCOMMITMENTS

FORMAL

INFORMAL

FORMAL

INFORMAL

ACADEMICPERFORMANCE

FACULTY/STAFFINTERACTIONS

EXTRACURRICULARACTIVITIES

PEER-GROUPINTERACTIONS

ACADEMIC SYSTEM

ACADEMICINTEGRATION

SOCIALINTEGRATION

INTENTIONS

GOAL &INSTITUTIONALCOMMITMENTS

EXTERNALCOMMITMENTS

DEPARTUREDECISION

SOCIAL SYSTEM

TIME (T)

Tinto’s Model of Student Departure (1993)

Takeaways from Tinto

• Students’ goals and external commitments are real factors in their success and persistence• Students need to excel both academically

and socially• Initiatives such as learning communities,

academically-themed housing, and leadership programs can increase academic and social integration

Where are there opportunities to foster academic and social integration on your campus as part of your retention planning?

Padilla’s Conceptualization of Expertise

• Developed a theory based on minority student success • In short, what separates students who successfully complete

college from those who do not graduate?• Black Box Model• Geography of Barriers• Knowledge acquisition • Negotiating Barriers• Successful negotiation of Barriers

• Developed after studying successful minority students at an institution in the Southwest

(Padilla, 1999)

Campus Experience

(Black Box)

Incoming Students

(Input)

Graduates

(Output)

Dropouts

(Output)

(Padilla, 1999)

Incoming Students

(Input)

Graduates

(Output)

Dropouts

(Output)

Campus Experience:Geography of Barriers

(Padilla, 1999)

Initial Knowledge

Campus Dependent

Campus Independent

Laws, Axioms & Principles

Classroom Learning

Experiential Learning

Rules of Thumb

Heuristic Knowledge Component

Total Knowledge at Graduation (compiled knowledge)

Theoretical Knowledge Component

Conceptualization of Expertise

The gray curve is a potential distribution in the acquisition of theoretical and heuristic knowledge over time.

(Padilla, 1999)

Takeaways from Padilla

• Our campuses are full of barriers for students – usually in the form of policies, regulations, and practices.• Students are experts in their own success – and their

peers’ failure• Heuristic and/or theoretical knowledge must be

tapped by students to overcome barriersWhat barriers exist on your campus that can be removed to facilitate processes students must navigate or to allow for progress towards degree objectives?

Bean and Eaton’s Psychological Model of Student Retention• Based in four psychological theories• Attitude-behavior theory

• Provides overall structure of model• Coping-behavioral theory• Self-efficacy theory• Attribution (locus of control) theory

• These three things combine to form a model for understanding academic and social integration

(Bean & Eaton, 1999)

Bean and Eaton’s Psychological Model of Student Retention (1999)

Takeaways from Bean & Eaton

• Students enter with characteristics over which we have little control (see Astin’s inputs)• Interactions occur between students and the institution in

many forms and on multiple occasions – but these interactions do not automatically integrate students into the environment• Students determine the extent to which they belong

during these interactions

How can your retention plan work to increase the extent to which students believe they belong on your campus?

This broad definition of first-year student success is achievable only through partnerships.

Academic Success/GPA

Relationships

Identity Development

Career Decision Making

Health & Wellness

Faith & Spirituality

Multicultural Awareness

Civic Responsibility

Retention – the baseline

Definition of First-Year Student Success

Broad discussion

• Commonalities• Differences distinct enough to matter• Application

What are your takeaways from these theories?What parts of these theories speak to your home institution?

References

Astin, A. W. (1984). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Development, 24, 297-308.

Astin, A. W. (1985). Involvement: The cornerstone of excellence. Change, 17, 35-39Astin, A. W. (1993). What matters in college? Liberal Education, 79(4), 4-15.Astin, A. W. (1999). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher

education. Journal of College Student Development, 40, 518-529.Bean, J., & Eaton, S. B. (2001). The psychology underlying successful retention

practices. Journal of College Student Retention, 3(1), 73-89.Braxton, J. M. (1999). Theory elaboration and research and development: Toward a

fuller understanding of college student retention. Journal of College Student Retention, 1, 93-97.

Padilla, R. V. (1999). College student retention: Focus on success. Journal of College Student Retention, 1, 131-145.

Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition (2nd Ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.