Impacts of Good Practices on Cognitive Development, Learning Orientations, and Graduate Degree Plans During the First Year of College

Abstract

This study estimated separately the unique effects of three dimensions of good practice and the global effects of a composite measure of good practices on the cognitive development, orientations to learning, and educational aspirations of students during their first year of college. Analyses of longitudinal data from a representative sample of colleges and universities were conducted, and net of a battery of confounding influences, measures of good practices were positively related to a number of first-year outcomes. The magnitude of the effects of these good practices differed by the pre-college characteristics of the students and by the type of institution attended.

Student Engagement in a Team-Based Capstone Course: A Comparison of What Students Do and What Instructors Value

“…These process indicators have been empirically linked to student success. Cruce, et al (2006) described the research supporting the predictive validity of each of Chickering and Gamson's (1987) principles. The weight of evidence synthesized by Cruce et al related to each principle is substantial.…”

Understanding graduate school aspirations: the effect of good teaching practices

“…Research on these good teaching practices demonstrates that many good teaching practices have a positive relationship with many college outcomes (Cruce, Wolniak, Seifert, & Pascarella, 2006;Edison, Doyle, & Pascarella, 1998;Halpin, 1990;Johnson, 1994;Kuh & Hu, 1999;Kuh & Hu, 2001;Kuh & Vesper, 1997;Pascarella, Cruce, Wolniak, & Blaich, 2004;Pascarella, Edison, Serra Hagedorn, Nora, & Terenzini, 1996;Pascarella, Seifert, & Whitt, 2008;Pascarella, Salisbury, & Blaich, 2011;Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005;Umbach & Wawrzynski, 2005). One main college outcomes that is of interest is evaluating the effect of good teaching practices on student learning.…”

“…One such line of research has evaluated the positive influence of interactions with faculty on cognitive skills and intellectual growth (Cruce, Wolniak, Seifert, & Pascarella, 2006;Frost, 1991;Kuh, 1995;Kuh & Hu, 1999;Tsui, 1999). For example, Kuh and Hu (1999) found that student-faculty interaction had significant, positive effects on learning.…”

“…More specifically, the researchers found that talking with a faculty member and working with faculty on a research project were most important in terms of gains in learning. Cruce, Wolniak, Seifert, and Pascarella (2006) looked specifically at Chickening and Gamson's (1987) good practices and cognitive development at the end of the first year. Using data from the National Study of Student Learning (NSSL) the researchers found that effective teaching and interaction with faculty had a significant effect on cognitive skills.…”

“…While Cruce, Wolniak, Seifert, and Pascarella (2006) and Pascarella, Wolniak, Pierson, and Flowers (2004) found that effective teaching positively affected graduate degree plans, neither study was specifically looking at teaching and graduate degree plans at the end of four years of college. The Cruce, Wolniak, Seifert, and Pascarella (2006) article only looked at degree aspirations at the end of the first year. The Pascarella, Wolniak, Pierson, and Flowers (2004) study only looked at effective teaching in the form of perceived instructional skill/clarity and organization/preparation.…”