Browsing by Subject "Academic achievement -- Psychological aspects"
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Academic integration, social integration, goal and institutional commitment, and spiritual integration as predictors of persistence at a Christian institution of higher education(Texas Tech University, 2002-05) Morris, JasonTinto's Model of Student Departure has been tested in various types of postsecondary institutions. Researcher's have not, however, examined Tinto's model in Christian institutions of higher education. The need for research on student attrition from Christian colleges and universities is motivated by the deficiency in the literature and the following two questions: Is Tinto's model valid at Christian institutions of higher education? Would any additional variables unique to these institutions add to the predictive validity of Tinto's model for use at these particular schools? The purpose of this study is to test three core constructs of Tinto's (1993) Model of Student Departure in a Christian institution of higher education. In addition, this study will add a spiritual integration variable to Tinto's model that could potentially help to better explain retention and attrition at Christian institutions of higher education. The sample for this study consists of the students who completed the Student Information Form, the Institutional Integration Scales, and the spiritual integration measure. These students were tracked for one year, from their initial enrollment in the fall semester of 2000 through the fall semester of 2001. Students were then placed into one of two groups. One group consists of persisters, students who have reenrolled for the fall semester of 2001. The second group is termed withdrawers, students who did not return for the fall 2001 semester. Survey research and quantitative data analysis was utilized to gather information and answer four research questions. The surveys used in this study include the Student Information Form (2000), the Institutional Integration Scales (Pascarella and Terenzini 1980) and a spiritual integration measure (Schreiner 2000). The integration surveys were distributed in the Spring 2001 semester during the twelfth week of classes to first-year students enrolled in a required Bible course. This study found that two variables contained in the Academic Integration construct (student's cumulative G.P.A. and the Academic and Intellectual Development Scale), two variables contained in the Social Integration construct (Peer-Group Interactions Scale and the student's average number of hours per week spent in extra-curricular activities), as well as the constructs of Goal and Intuitional Commitment and Spiritual Integration were significant predictors.Item Changes in personal characteristics of Mexican-American high school graduates and dropouts during the transition from junior high to high school(Texas Tech University, 2002-08) Pursley, Martha BlansittThe high school dropout problem continues to result in adverse individual and social consequences. Dropping out of high school is an even greater problem among minority groups; in particular the Hispanic population. Hispanic youths drop out of school at more than twice the rate of non-Hispanic youth (U.S. Census Bureau, 1999). Among the Hispanic population, Mexican-American is the largest subgroup and they have the highest dropout rate (U.S. General Accounting Office, 1994). This disturbing phenomenon can lead to the unintentional perpetuation of discrimination for this ethnic group. This dissertation is the first study of dropout students that will look specifically at the Mexican-American students' personal characteristics, developmentally, that lead to the decision to drop out. The study controlled for dropout related family and school variables and explored longitudinal pattern differences in theoretically selected personal characteristics that could lead to the decision to drop out between Mexican-American dropouts and persisters as well as differences among dropouts between the base year (BY) measured when the students were in the eighth grade, the first follow-up (Fl) measured when the students were in the tenth grade. The expectations for the study were to: (1) explore the development of the personal characteristics of Mexican-American dropouts during the transition to high school, (2) discover which personal characteristics differed between dropouts and persisters, and (3) explore differences in the development of the personal characteristics of dropouts and persisters during the transition to high school. This sample for the study included 310 students that were selected from 1952 subjects in the existing database of NELS:88 that reported being Mexican-American. Half of the students in the study (n = 155) were high school dropouts. The other 155 subjects were matched to the dropouts by socioeconomic status, school urbanicity, school enrollment size and gender. To answer the research questions and test the hypotheses, effects of the two independent variables. Time and Status, on each of the dependent variables were examined by a 2x2 mixed design ANOVA. Results showed main effects of time and status and an interaction effect for educational aspiration, main effect of status for academic achievement, relationship with teachers, self-esteem, and locus of control, and a main effect of time for Spanish language proficiency, relationship with peers and locus of control. The results suggest important theoretical and educational implications. The transitional period between junior high and high school has detrimental effects on the development of personal characteristics of Mexican-American students. Educational aspiration as well as relationships related to the school environment deteriorate during this transitional period. The study discusses the need for changes in the training of teachers in order to reduce the number of dropout Mexican-American students. Future research endeavors can be surmised from this study. This study reveals that much more research is needed to discover the effect of ethnic identity and acculturation on the personal characteristics related to the persistence behavior of Mexican- American students.