Student role orientations and college dropouts.

Abstract

Three withdrawal groups (Dismissals, Defaulters, and Dropouts) and two persister groups (Successful Persisters and Probation Persisters) were compared on a factor-analyzed scale of students' Role Orientations toward College (Vocational, Academic, Intellectual, Social Development, Consummatory Collegiate, Instrumental Collegiate, Ritualistic, and Greek). The Role Orientations Scale (Student Preference Schedule) was administered just prior to entering the university and the criterion groups were formed after one full academic year. A multiple discriminate analysis yielded a significant function which indicated that Defaulters and Successful Persisters as distinguished from Probation Persisters and Dismissals have stronger preferences for social development and vocational behaviors, moderate interest in academic, intellectual, and ritualistic activities, and a moderate dislike for collegiate behavior.

Studies of College Attrition: 1950––1975

“…Studies evaluating this proposition have strongly supported it (Astin, 1964(Astin, , 1965Barger & Hall, 1964;Farwell, Warren, & McConnell, 1962;Savicki et al, 1970;Williams, 1966). This hypothesis is a form of the "college fit" theory, which states that the more congruence there is between the student's values, goals, and attitudes and those of the college, the more likely it is that the student will persist at that college.…”

Educational and Career Confidence and Motivation Among Female and Male Undergraduates

“…Although Weidman (1979) found women's grades to correlate with prestige of career choice, other studies have failed to find a relationship between women's grades and educational goals (Wallace, 1971) or occupational goals (Spaeth, 1977). Hence, for some women, grades and attendance may be an indication of a passive-dependent, conforming style, as suggested by Savicki, Schumer, and Stanfield (1970). It follows that if one wishes to study the development of women's confidence and motivation toward high educational and occupational achievement, it is important to use more direct measures of these variables rather than GPA and persistence.…”

“…The variables chosen for inclusion in this study were those that have been found in previous studies to relate to college performance measures: encouragement from parents and others (Pantages & Creedon, 1978), parents' education (Astin, 1977b;Kowalski, 1977; Pantages & Creedon, 1978), mother's employment status and quality of mother's employment (O'Leary, 1974; Tangri, 1972), aptitude (Astin, 1977b;Cope, 1978; National Center for Educational Statistics, 1977; Pantages & Creedon, 1978); age (Astin, 1977b), attitudes toward sex-role issues (Parsons, Frieze, & Ruble, 1978), marriage plans (Astin, 1977b;Parsons et al, 1978), and type and strength of goals for attending college (Marks, 1967;Savicki et al, 1970).…”

The therapeutic relationship

“…At the University' of Massachusetts, a study indicates that successful persisters beyond the freshman year displayed strong interests in social development, vocational coals, and a moderate appreciation for academic and intellectual activities (Savicki, et. al., 1970) A somewhat conflicting study, though, at another school, showed that persisters tended to be undersocialized and slightly uncomfortable in groups (Hanson and Taylor, 1970).…”