This study explored the association of four independent variables (i.e., sex, class standing, GPA, and living status) with the academic integration, social integration, and institutional commitment (the dependent variables) of international students attending seven public regional universities in West Virginia. A researcher-developed, Likert-type…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the involvement and integration factors that contribute to the persistence of international students. Persistence and retention are central to improving higher education, and individual student persistence as well as the rates at which students persist have direct ramifications on the university…

It is often assumed by implication that the reasons why teacher education students drop out of their degree courses are different to those in other study programmes. However, based on research on other differences, there is reason to assume that the subject being studied is important, and especially its affiliation to STEM (Science, Technology,…

Social media is important for college students to expand social capital. This study examines how different uses of social media contribute to students' social capital and social integration. The findings show that communicative use, academic collaboration, and self-disclosure on social media significantly predict bridging capital, but they are not…

The present study investigated how spirituality, peer connections, and social integration relate to academic resiliency, academic self-efficacy, academic integration, and institutional commitment of college students who identify as female. A sample of 372 undergraduates (ages 18-26) at a Catholic University completed Mapworks survey containing…

Since social connectedness is critical to student retention, colleges and universities have vested interest in identifying and providing assistance as early as possible. When students are struggling to fit in, a great deal of campus energy is invested in welcoming each new cohort of students and planning events to facilitate a sense of belonging.…

The purpose of this study was to explore factors that predict the persistence of international, non-immigrant students in higher education. A sample of international students from a four-year private university in Georgia served as the focused population for this study. Persistence research asserts that six factors predict persistence: academic…

Objective: Colleges have increased postsecondary educational access for youth, including individuals with disabilities, but completion rates remain low. This study tests the hypothesis that health conditions that reduce social integration predict lower educational attainment among college students. Method: The sample from the nationally…

With the increase in International students coming to the U.S. to study, it is important to look at their experiences and find out more effective ways of improving their perceptions and learning experiences in the U.S. The purpose of this study was to investigate and discover the factors that affect GPA (i.e., academic performance) and persistence…

Theoretical models designed to predict whether students will persist or not have been valuable tools for retention efforts relative to the creation of services in academic and student affairs. Some of the early models attempted to explain and measure factors in the "college dropout process." For example, in his seminal work, Tinto…

Grateful people experience more psychological well-being, social connectedness, and feelings of personal accomplishment, along with less burnout. They also use more adaptive approach-oriented coping strategies. Thus, we hypothesized that trait gratitude and grateful coping strategies would be associated with various indicators/predictors of…

The persistence of college students, particularly through credential attainment, is of importance to many stakeholders in higher education, including policymakers, taxpayers, parents and students. This dissertation study used longitudinal data nationally representative of higher education institutions and students, the National Center for…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of academic variables (e.g., grade point average, major change, informal meetings with faculty) on six year persistence and attainment among black male students in community colleges. Data was collected from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study and was analyzed using…

This quantitative study evaluated and investigated the theoretical underpinnings of the Kember's (1995) student progress model that examines the direct or indirect effects of student persistence in online education by identifying the relationships between variables. The primary method of data collection in this study was a survey by exploring the…

Recently, it has been suggested that constructs from different disciplines should be incorporated into Tinto's (1993) sociological model of the determinants of departure from college (Ackerman & Schibrowsky, 2007). We tested the hypothesis that variables derived from Rusbult's (1983) social-psychological investment theory contribute, above and…