the way advising should be, depends: Perry’s theory of intellectual and ethical development Samantha Palombizio, M.S. ∙ Student Services Specialist ∙ Northwestern CT Community College

This presentation is dedicated to Dr This presentation is dedicated to Dr. Jane Fried who taught me everything I know about Student Development Theory and much more.

To Do Historical Overview The Theory Activity! Applications for Advising Critiques Questions and Comments

Historical Overview Engaged in research examining how students interpret and make meaning of the teaching and learning process Acknowledged indebtedness to Piaget and other developmental psychologists, such as Kohlberg Longitudinal study, a series of year-end interviews conducted with students over the course of their college stay

The Theory

Dualism/ Received Knowledge The world is viewed dichotomously Basic Duality: All problems are solvable Student’s task is to learn the Right Solutions Full Dualism: Some Authorities disagree; others agree There are Right Solutions, but some teachers’ views of the answers are obscured Student’s task is to learn the Right Solutions and ignore the others

Multiplicity/ Subjective Knowledge Honor diverse views when the right answers are not yet known Early Multiplicity: There are two kinds of problems: Those whose solutions we know Those whose solutions we do not know… yet Student’s task is to learn how to find the Right Solutions Late Multiplicity: Everyone has the right to their own opinion Some problems are unsolvable

Relativism/ Procedural Knowledge Initiated by recognition of the need to support opinions Contextual Relativism All proposed solutions are supported by reasons Some solutions are better than others, depending on context Student’s task is to learn to evaluate solutions Pre-Commitment Student sees the necessity of: Making choices Committing to a solution

Commitment to Relativism Integration of knowledge learned from others with personal experience and reflection Commitment Student makes a commitment Challenges to Commitment: Student experiences implications of commitment Student explores issues of responsibility Post-Commitment  Student realizes commitment is ongoing

Activity!

Read each student description Identify which of Perry’s Developmental positions the student most resembles Describe how you would use the theory to help assist the student

Applications for Advising Understanding the differing expectations students bring to the Advising/ Career Development process Use of challenge and support strategies can foster students’ movement to the next developmental position Better understanding of group process Assist intellectual growth Understanding how students interpret their experiences Support further cognitive growth Staff supervision

Critiques Lack of inclusiveness This study was conducted in the 1950s and 1960s Inclusion of two constructs May be measuring students’ socialization Simply labels students

References Dr. Fried’s Student Development in Higher Education course, Central Connecticut State University, Fall 2010 Evans, N., Forney, D., Guido, F., Patton, L., & Renn, K. (1998). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed.). San Francisco, California: Jossey- Bass. Kohlberg, L. (1975). The cognitive-developmental approach to moral education. Phi Delta Kappan, 56, 670-677. Perry, William, G., Jr. (1970), Forms of Intellectual and Ethical Development in the College Years: A Scheme (New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston). Perry, William G., Jr. (1981), “Cognitive and Ethical Growth; The Making of Meaning”, in Arthur W. Chickering and Associates, The Modern American College (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass): 76-116. Piaget, J. (1950). The psychology of intelligence. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Questions and Comments