1. Theoretical Underpinnings and Research
Regional Symposia on Student Success
Cape Town, South Africa
August 23, 2013
Vincent Tinto

2. Theoretical Underpinnings
Setting the context: Prior theories of student attrition
Development of a theory of student retention
Evolution of a theory of student success
Future directions of theory and research 2

3. Theory, Understanding, and Action
Moving beyond description to explanation
Theory as a guide to action 3

4. Setting the Context Psychology theories of student attrition
“Blaming the victim”
Emerging “anti-establishment” discourse on social inequality
Growing national concern about low rates of college completion and the need to find ways to improve student retention 4

5. Developing a Theory of Student Retention
Analogy and the Construction of Social Theory
Competing Frames of Reference
Psychological, Economic, Sociological
Sociological grounding: Durkheim’s Theory of Suicide
The role of academic and social integration
A Theory of Student Involvement and Retention
Integration and membership in educational communities
Involvement/Engagement as vehicle to integration/membership
Membership as foundation upon which retention and learning are constructed 5

6. Evolution of a Theory of Student Success
Role of Culture and Perceptions of Membership
Hurtado, S. & Carter, D.F Effects of college transition and perceptions of the campus racial climate on Latino students’ sense of belonging. Sociology of Education, 70(4):
Kuh, G., and P. Love A cultural perspective on student departure. In Reworking the student departure puzzle ed. J. M. Braxton. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Press. 6

7. Evolution of a Theory of Student Success
Role of Culture and Perceptions of Membership
Hurtado, S. & Carter, D.F Effects of college transition and perceptions of the campus racial climate on Latino students’ sense of belonging. Sociology of Education, 70(4):
Kuh, G., and P. Love A cultural perspective on student departure. In Reworking the student departure puzzle ed. J. M. Braxton. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Press.
External verses Internal
Studies of retention and the role of external forces in student success. 7

8. Evolution of a Theory of Student Success
Role of Culture and Perceptions of Membership
Hurtado, S. & Carter, D.F Effects of college transition and perceptions of the campus racial climate on Latino students’ sense of belonging. Sociology of Education, 70(4):
Kuh, G., and P. Love A cultural perspective on student departure. In Reworking the student departure puzzle ed. J. M. Braxton. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Press.
External verses Internal
Studies of retention and the role of external forces in student success.
Role of the Classroom
Tinto, V Classrooms as Communities: Exploring the Educational Character of Student Persistence. Journal of Higher Education, 68(6):
Pascarella, E., T. Seifert, and E. Whitt “Effective Instruction and College Student Persistence: Some New Evidence.” In The Role of the Classroom in College Student Persistence. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, no. 115, edited by J. Braxton, 55–70. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 8

9. Consequences of Theory & Research
Development of surveys of student engagement
SASSE, NSSE, CCSSE, AUSSE, etc.
Emphasis on the training of lecturers and the use of pedagogies of engagement
Focus on the development of inclusive learning environments that engage students
Interdisciplinary, inclusive learning communities,
Heightened focus on institutional practice and policy for student retention and completion. 9

10. Research on Student Retention
Engagement and Student Retention
Pascarella, E., and D. Chapman A Multi-Institutional, Path Analytic Validation of Tinto’s Model of College Withdrawal. American Educational Research Journal 20 (1): 87–102.
Differences in Engagement and Retention
Guiffrida, D “African American Student Organizations as Agents of Social Integration.” Journal of College Student Development 44 (3): 304–19.
Hurtado, S., and D. Carter “Latino Students’ Sense of Belonging in the College Community: Rethinking the Concept of Integration on Campus.” In. College Students: The Evolving Nature of Research, edited by F. Stage, J. Anaya, J. Bean, D. Hossler, and G. Kuh, 123–36. Needhan Heights, MA: Simon and Schuster Custom Publishing.
Engagement and Student Learning
Pascarella, E., T. Seifert, and E. Whitt “Effective Instruction and College Student Persistence: Some New Evidence.” In The Role of the Classroom in College Student Persistence. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, no. 115, edited by J. Braxton, 55–70. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Braxton, J. (1995). Faculty classroom behaviors and their influence on academic and social integration and student departure decisions. A paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education. 10

11. Evolution of Theory: Future Directions
Online education, technology, and student success
MOOCs, Predictive Analytics, Learning Analytics, and Beyond
Persistence verses completion: The impact of curricular structure
Tinto, V Isaac Newton and College Completion.Inside Higher Education, June 8, 2012.
Persistence, student development, and learning
Crosling, G., Heagney, M. and Thomas, L Improving student retention in higher education: Improving Teaching and Learning. Australian Universities Review. 51(2): 9-18.
Tinto, V. 1997, Classrooms as communities: Exploring the educational character of student persistence. Journal of Higher Education, 68 (6): 11

12. Evolution of Theory: Future Directions
Merging frames of reference: Developing a more inclusive theory of student retention and learning 12

13. Alternate Perspectives on Student Retention
Economic Analysis
Cost-Benefit of attendance and completion
Network Analysis
The impact of networks of affiliations on student persistence
Role Theory
Learning to play the role of “student”
Roles, values, and acculturation 13

14. Please feel free to contact me if
Thank You
Please feel free to contact me if
I can be of assistance. 14