Abstract
The extent to which a good person-environment (PE) interest fit between student and study program leads to better study results in higher education is an ongoing debate wherein the role of the study program environment has remained inadequately studied. Unanswered questions include: how diverse study programs are in the interests of their student populations, and how this program interest diversity influences study results, in comparison to individual PE fit? The present study addressed these questions in students (N = 4,635) enrolled in open-access university education. In such an open access system, students are allowed to make study choices without prior limitations based on previous achievement or high stakes testing. Starting from the homogeneity assumption applied to this open access setting, we propose several hypotheses regarding program interest diversity, motivation, student-program interest fit, and study results. Furthermore, we applied a method of measuring interest diversity based on an existing measure of correlational person-environment fit. Results indicated that interest diversity in an open access study environment was low across study programs. Results also showed the variance present in program interest diversity was linked to autonomous and controlled motivation in the programs’ student populations. Finally, program interest diversity better explained study results than individual student fit with their program of choice. Indeed, program interest diversity explained up to 44% of the variance in the average program’s study results while individual student-program fit hardly predicted study success at all. Educational policy makers should therefore be aware of the importance of both interest fit and interest diversity during the process of study orientation.
Highlights
Literature has shown that students who choose a study program that fits their vocational interests, arguably have better study results and have a better chance of finishing higher education in a timely fashion [1]
Unanswered questions include: how diverse study programs are in the interests of their student populations, and how this program interest diversity influences study results, in comparison to individual person-environment fit (PE fit)? The present study addressed these questions in students (N = 4,635) enrolled in open-access university education
Does an academic bachelor in psychology only attract students that are profoundly interested in psychology or do students who enroll in psychology display quite some diversity in their interest pattern? And how does interest diversity in a psychology program compare to the diversity in other programs like mathematics or economics? As literature is still oblivious of study program interest diversity, we are unsure how this program diversity directly influences study results
Summary
Literature has shown that students who choose a study program that fits their vocational interests, arguably have better study results and have a better chance of finishing higher education in a timely fashion [1]. Such study results are usually investigated in settings without much emphasis on the educational access policy These policies show large variety: they can be open or restricted, based on past secondary school performance or tests like the SAT (scholastic aptitude test). This person-environment fit (PE fit) research line focuses heavily on the student side of the PE relationship, while leaving the environment of study programs underexplored [2]. As a consequence, it is still unknown how diverse study environments are in terms of student vocational interest, and whether this varies as a function of access policy. How diverse are student interests within and between study programs? Does this interest diversity directly influence average study results in study programs? And how does this effect of program interest diversity on study results compare to the effects of individual PE fit?
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