Tinto's Theory Research Articles

Admission Strategy for International New Students at the University of Mataram

Recruiting international students is highly beneficial yet challenging for universities in Indonesia. This study raised research focusing on strategies applied by Indonesian Universities to attract international students' willingness to enroll. It also figured out the challenges and solutions encountered by the students in their initial studies. This study adopted Vincent Tinto's theory about the factors affecting students' academic accomplishments and learning failures. Qualitative design, case study approach, and open-ended questionnaires were implemented. This study invited three staff members of the International Affairs and International Center as the participants. Thematic analysis was adopted utilizing Atlas. Ti software to analyze the data from the respondents following Kawulich's (2004) framework, encompassing Narrative, Coding, Interpretation, Confirmation, and Presentation. The result demonstrated some strategies implemented by Mataram University for international students, such as providing proper facilities, including library and study spaces, access to technology, and a health center. The university also utilizes international alumni to endorse the university in their home country. Alongside the hurdles, the university provides students with a welcoming ceremony that includes a language course, academic orientation, and cultural adaptation programs upon their arrival

From the Coeditors

From the Coeditors

Self-Monitoring as a Personality Variable in Tinto’s Theory of Integration

One weakness of Tinto’s (1993) model is its inability to identify early dropouts (Webb, 1988), which may be due to the theory’s inattention to personality traits. Self-monitoring (Snyder, 1974) may be an important trait related to dropout. This study hypothesized low self-monitors, compared to high self-monitors would be more likely to (1) have higher initial commitment levels, (2) achieve higher academic integration, (3) accomplish greater social integration, and (4) persist in college. Path analysis confirmed all hypotheses. Self-Monitoring was demonstrated to be an important personal characteristic in Tinto's Theory. Application of theses findings are discussed.

Pharmacy Students’ Lived Experiences of Academic Difficulty and Tinto’s Theory of Student Departure

Objective. To understand students' lived experiences of academic difficulty in pharmacy school in relation to Tinto's conceptual schema of student departure. Methods. A descriptive, single case study design was chosen to explore academic difficulty in pharmacy school, and the unit of analysis (case) in this study was the experience of academic difficulty. Four students who had experienced academic difficulty in pharmacy school were recruited to participate in the study. Data sources included admissions applications, transcripts, emails to the lead researcher, and semi-structured interviews. Prior to analysis, the researchers created a coding dictionary to operationalize codes for textual analysis. Intercoder agreement was established at 97% agreement. Research validity was supported by triangulation of data, multiple researchers, and member checking. Results. Three of the four students were retained because of the synergistic reinforcement of academic and social integration based upon Tinto's schema. A fourth student was academically dismissed and departed the college, suggesting that too many social responsibilities in pharmacy college reduces time for academic integration, thereby diminishing the reciprocal potential between academic and social integration. Among the four students, seven main themes were identified: student background, goal of becoming a pharmacist, academic integration during pharmacy school, social integration during pharmacy school, retention and departure, roles and responsibilities during pharmacy school, and wellness. Conclusion. The results suggest that Tinto's theory of student departure is applicable to students' experiences of academic difficulty. These student stories suggest that early identification of student support needs may help pharmacy programs improve student retention.

Association between Collegiate Recreational Sports Involvement and Undergraduate Student Retention

This study examined the association between collegiate recreational sports (CRS) involvement and undergraduate retention rates after 1, 2, and 3 years of study at a midsized Canadian university. Astin's theory of involvement and Tinto's inter-actionist theory of student departure provided the conceptual underpinnings for the study. The results of the study indicated a significant association between CRS employment, or participation in intramural sports, with retention when compared to the broader student population that were not participating in intramural sports nor employed by the CRS department. These findings will assist recreation directors and program staff to ensure that the value of recreational activities for all students and the leadership opportunities provided through staffing programs and recreational facilities with students continues to be seen as important to university administrators.

Students' out of the classroom communication with instructors and campus services: Exploring social integration and academic involvement

Framed by Tinto's interactionalist theory (1975), this study explored students' academic skills and social integration to illuminate students' communication with faculty and campus services. Participants reported on instructor rapport, self-regulated learning, self-management, out-of-class communication, and support seeking from campus resources. Results revealed that instructor rapport predicted out-of-class communication with instructors and student services, while self-regulated learning and self-management functioned differently to predict interactions with faculty and student services. The results offer insight into factors important to enhancing student academic success and persistence.

Engaging Chinese international undergraduate students in the American university

Vincent Tinto's theory of academic and social integration provides a framework for investigating perceived problems associated with Chinese international students' engagement at a public research-intensive university in the U.S. Midwest ('Midwest' University). These 'problems' – classroom silence, segregation and instrumentalism – are often understood in cultural terms, and we describe sociocultural values that might influence such behaviour. We also contend that culture, on its own, cannot wholly explain the complexity of student behaviours on college campuses. In a case study of Midwest University's Business School, we show how institutional policies do much to shape Chinese students' engagement. We conclude that popular perceptions of Chinese student engagement are simplistic. Chinese students are not indifferent engagers; rather, their interaction with campus life needs to be understood as embedded within complex cultural and institutional contexts.

Academic and Social Integration in the Basic Communication Course: Predictors of Students' Out-of-Class Communication and Academic Learning

Drawing from Tinto's (1975) interactionalist theory, we examined academic and social integration in the basic communication course classroom and students' continued learning activities outside of the classroom, which Kuh (1995) identified as the other curriculum. A total of 427 undergraduate students enrolled in 24 sections of public-speaking courses reported on their perceptions of instructor clarity and rapport, classroom connectedness, out-of-class communication (OCC), and out-of-class self-regulated and peer learning. Overall, results revealed instructor rapport and connectedness were positively associated with students' OCC, self-regulated learning, and peer learning. In contrast, instructor clarity was negatively related to students' reports of OCC and peer learning. These results suggest social integration in the classroom may facilitate students' continued learning activities outside of the classroom.

Class Counts: Exploring Differences in Academic and Social Integration between Working-Class and Middle/Upper-Class Students at Large, Public Research Universities

This multi-institutional study examines differences between working-class and middle/upper-class students at large, public research universities. Significant differences in factors related to working-class students' social integration (including satisfaction, campus climate, and sense of belonging) and academic integration (including collaborative work with peers, academic involvement and initiative, and time spent employed or in academic activities), in addition to students' perceived obstacles to academic success, were found through non-parametric bootstrapping. Using Tinto's (1993) theory of student departure as a framework, it is hypothesized that these differences may negatively impact working-class students' persistence and retention.

Satisfaction and Retention Among African American Men at Two-Year Community Colleges

A large majority of African American males begin their postsecondary education careers at two-year community colleges. Prior research has focused largely on Black students at four-year institutions, and even theoretical work has assumed that influences on retention are the same at two-year and four-year institutions. Drawing on Tinto's (1993) retention theory and Astin's (1993) input-environment-outcome (IEO) model, this study estimated the impact of academic and social integration on retention—controlling for an array of intervening variables—based on a sample of African American males who responded to the Community College Student Experiences Questionnaire. Findings suggest a statistical link between social integration and satisfaction in college; factors explained approximately 27% of the variance in the dependent variable. Implications for future policy and practice are highlighted.

American Indian/Alaskan Native Undergraduate Retention at Predominantly White Institutions: An Elaboration of Tinto's Theory of College Student Departure

This article reports findings from a major public university sponsored study undertaken with the intention of (a) improving university understanding of factors affecting American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) undergraduates' persistence at this institution, and (b) identifying in what areas, and in what manner, this institution could improve campus-based services to better support AI/AN undergraduates. Tinto's integration-commitment model of attrition was utilized as a conceptual frame, and data was collected using four different methodologies. This study found that financial difficulties and family obligations, and how these two themes interact in the context of AI/AN cultural self-identity are critical issues affecting AI/AN undergraduate persistence. Findings are used to elaborate and more fully develop Tinto's model in its application to AI/AN undergraduate persistence in predominantly White institutions.

QUESTS: An Urban University Outdoor Experience Orientation Program As A Retention Vehicle

According to Tinto's (1993) theory of student departure model or Astin's (1984) theory of involvement, integration and involvement in the university community are key elements to student retention. A pilot orientation program/learning community, Quests was started during the summer of 2008 as a means of increasing revenue at Wayne State University's recreation center. However, with the support of the College of Education, and collaborative efforts of faculty members from the Department of Communication, the College of Education, and the staff of the recreation center, Quests was focused to become an alternative orientation/learning community experience for incoming freshman students at the urban institution.

The combined effect of self-efficacy and academic integration on higher education students studying IT majors in Taiwan

The purpose of this study is to examine the combined effect of self-efficacy and academic integration on higher education students studying IT (Information Technology) majors in Taiwan. We introduced self-efficacy, which is a psychological factor that affects students' academic outcomes, as a new factor in Tinto' theory, a well-known framework in student retention research. Academic integration is the main proposition of Tinto's theory affecting students' decision to dropout. Students from different populations have various reasons from dropping out of their studies. An examination of the relationship between self-efficacy and academic integration is useful to understand the effect of self-efficacy on academic outcomes on the IT student population in Taiwan. Data from a Taiwanese national survey database conducted in 2005 was used to achieve the research objective. A total of 2,895 records were extracted from 75,084 students in public and private institutions studying in two IT-related Majors, namely Information Management (IM) and Computer Science (CS). MANOVA was used to analyze the interaction effects between academic integration and self-efficacy. The independent variables were institution types and students' majors. The results showed that students from public institutions have higher levels of self-efficacy than students from private ones. Another finding is that IM students seem to have better study strategies and habits than CS students. However, CS students were found to have better collaboration and satisfaction with their institutions than IM students. Team projects, counselling services, and flexible teaching and learning strategy are suggested to enhance students' academic integration and self-efficacy.

The Academic and Social Integration of Persisting Community College Transfer Students

This qualitative study sought to discern the applicability of Tinto's theory of the importance of academic and social integration to students' persistence by interviewing community college transfer students who had persisted for several semesters in a large, public, research extensive university. Twelve students who participated in a 2004 study about factors affecting the transfer process and their subsequent integration into the receiving institution were interviewed again in 2006 about their academic and social integration into the university. The researchers found that persisting community college transfer students' academic and social integration needs appeared to be different from those of first-year, traditional-age college students at a residence-oriented 4-year institution. The primary institutional influences affecting their integration were university size, the opportunity to join clubs in their major, and the opportunity to conduct research with a professor. Individual or situational influences were working and living off-campus and having the goal of completing the baccalaureate, but not necessarily at the receiving university.

General and Specific Goal Orientations as Correlates of Adult Student Degree Completion: Lessons from the Community College of the Air Force

This research examined degree completion through the lens of Snyder's hope theory (Snyder, 2000) in an effort to expand the research on student retention from Tinto's sociological theory to a theory that focuses on the psychological orientations that might help explain student success. The study focused on a sample of 443 master sergeants enrolled in associate of applied science degrees offered by the Community College of the Air Force, a non-traditional, non-transfer, regionally accredited community college. The results of the logistic regression analysis revealed hope, as one component of overall goal orientation, to be a statistically significant predictor of degree attainment. Specific goal orientation, defined and measured as the strength of desire for earning this particular degree, was particularly important to degree completion for this sample.

Transitional Experiences of First-Year College Students Who Were Homeschooled

This study examined transitional experiences of first-year college students who were homeschooled in high school. It sought to determine if experiences of such students corresponded with Tinto's (1988, 1993) theory of student departure. The qualitative study found that there was little distinction between the transitional experiences of homeschooled students and traditionally educated students. During their first year of college, students experienced transitional issues such as loneliness, meeting others with different values, and dealing with greater independence. Academic and student support services, such as orientation, resident assistants, and campus programming, were influential institutional interventions in their transition to college.

College Student Retention: Formula for Student Success (review)

Reviewed by: College Student Retention: Formula for Student Success Brian A. Vander Schee College Student Retention: Formula for Student Success Alan Seidman (Ed.) Westport, CT: American Council on Education / Praeger, 2005, 364 pages, $49.95 (hardcover) It is an understatement to suggest that student retention in higher education is an important and relevant topic of inquiry. Pascarella and Terenzini's second volume How College Affects Students (2005) cites over 2,600 studies on the subject. Tinto's theory alone has been cited over 775 times (Braxton, Hirschy, & McClendon, 2004). There is a disconnect, however, between theoretical models of student retention and practical guidelines to inform institutional action. The stated purpose of this volume is to address the gap that exists between what researchers know about the nature of student retention and what practitioners need to know. Joseph Berger and Susan Lyon provide a comprehensive historical account of retention studies in Chapter 1 from a time of no concern about theoretically-informed research to the establishment of a journal on retention, College Student Retention: Research, Theory, and Practice. Chapter 2 by Thomas Mortenson examines various measures of persistence and cautions readers that variable definitions can impact data analyses and findings. This is a [End Page 360] very relevant point as higher education administrators may make adjustments to more accurately reflect institutional retention, yet at the same time they may be tempted to focus on definitions that present the institution in a favorable light. In chapter 3, John Braxton and Amy Hirschy consider theoretical models of student retention and provide a revision to Tinto's model as it relates to students at residential and commuter campuses. Linda Serra Hagedorn proposes a new student retention formula in chapter 4 called "pure institutional persistence" (p. 101) to account for part-time students, continuing students, transfer students, advanced enrollment students, and students who began college at times other than fall term. John Braxton and Stephanie Lee refer in chapter 5 to reliable knowledge as a necessary component to develop and implement institutional retention policies and programs. The authors conduct a meta-analysis of studies which address one or more of the thirteen propositions in Tinto's model. This approach is designed to measure the consistency of propositional test results when applied to students at both residential and commuter campuses. Amaury Nora, Elizabeth Barlow, and Gloria Crisp establish in Chapter 6 that further research is needed for persistence beyond the first year of college. Their argument is well crafted and their institutional approach is sound. Additionally, as they state, further studies at the national level are needed. Alberto Cabrera, Kurt Burkum, and Steven La Nasa's Chapter 7 on pathways to a four-year degree examines socioeconomic status, postsecondary attendance, and degree completion. In Chapter 8, John Bean balances theory, application, and outcomes in developing nine themes of college student retention. This chapter is also the book's turning point from adaptations and critical analyses of Tinto's model to setting the stage for retention models to maximize institutional effectiveness. For example, proceeding from the relevance of social connectedness to retention, Bean suggests that "housing arrangements, placement in sets of classes with the same students, and special academic, athletic, and interest groups can aid in developing social attachment to the school" (p. 229). In Chapter 9, Alexander Astin and Leticia Oseguera assess recent empirical studies of degree completion in light of their predictive nature and institutional control regarding undergraduate degree completion. In his chapter on finances and retention, John Schuh presents a conceptual framework in Chapter 10 that could be applied to any institution. His delineation of immediate direct and indirect institutional costs is sound, but his conclusions regarding long-term institutional costs of attrition are, as he stated, open to debate. For example, Schuh proposes that time faculty spend outside of the classroom with students who eventually do not persist takes away from time that could be spent on students who do persist or on other faculty activities. Alan Seidman outlines his retention formula for student success in the book's final section, Chapter 11. Although this formula is based on the work of Tinto, it also identifies a course of action to follow. Seidman...

Strive for success: A successful retention program for Associate of Science in Nursing students

The growing shortage of registered nurses across the United States is expected to continue in the future. Nursing students in West Virginia face both financial and educational barriers to academic success. This article describes a successful retention program based on Tinto's Theory of Retention that includes both social and academic integration. The program has been successful in that the attrition rate of first-year nursing students due to academic failure was lowered by 50%. Improving retention and graduation rates of nursing students in West Virginia supports efforts to alleviate the nursing shortage.

Toward a Cultural Advancement of Tinto's Theory

Despite the broad appeal of Tinto's (1993) theory, it is not well supported by empirical research, especially when applied to minority students. While prior critiques of the theory indicate the need to modify Tinto's concept of "breaking away" when applying the theory to diverse students, research suggests a need for additional refinements. In addition to recognizing the need for students to maintain cultural and familial connections to succeed at college, the author contends that the theory can be advanced by integrating research from social and cross-cultural psychology that has investigated relationships among cultural norms, motivational orientation, and academic achievement and persistence.

Understanding and Reducing College Student Departure (review)

Reviewed by: Understanding and Reducing College Student Departure Jillian Kinzie Understanding and Reducing College Student Departure John M. Braxton, Amy S. Hirschy, and Shederick A. McClendon San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, ASHE Higher Education Report, Volume 30, Number 3, 2003, 140 pages, $26 (softcover) Nationally, about 63% of high school graduates enroll in postsecondary education the fall after completing high school (National Center for Education Statistics, 2002). The enrollment of traditional college-age students continues at record high levels. However, far too many students who enter the higher education system fail to earn degrees. More than a quarter of students who enter four-year institutions and half of those who enter two-year schools depart at the end of their first years (Adelman, 2004). Moreover, there is a wide gap in graduation rates between low and high income students and among different racial-ethnic groups (The Education Trust, 2004). These statistics have elevated concerns about college completion rates. Although student retention has received considerable attention in higher education literature and research, the completion rate problem remains a central challenge carrying serious implications for the development of human potential, educational equity, and institutional accountability. In Understanding and Reducing College [End Page 213] Student Departure, Braxton, Hirschy and McClendon seek to further understand the completion rate problem by reviewing findings of empirical research on college student departure. They focus attention on the most widely cited student departure theory: Tinto's interactionalist theory. Through a review of empirical evidence, the authors critique Tinto's theory, formulate new models to account for student departure, and make recommendations for further scholarship on the topic. The authors also move beyond theory and into an examination of practice by reviewing exemplary institutional student retention programs. This dual focus on theory and practice is intended to further the use of research-based approaches to understanding and reducing college student departure. Chapter one introduces Tinto's theory, and then dedicates considerable attention to reviewing empirical appraisals of the validity of the theory. The robustness of the theory is first examined by institutional type, including residential commuter and liberal arts institutions, and two-year colleges. After discussing the mixed patterns of support for the theory across institutional types, the authors conclude that a serious revision to Tinto's theory is needed. In chapters two and three, the authors discuss new theoretical frameworks for residential and commuter institutions. Although the revised theory for residential colleges and universities maintains the original thrust of Tinto's concepts, the authors enhance the theory by identifying major factors that influence departure and specify six forces that foster or impede social integration in residential institutions. Because Tinto's theory lacks explanatory power in commuter institutions, the authors propose a new conceptual model of student departure for commuter colleges and universities. Sixteen propositions are advanced to form the foundation of this new theory. These chapters specify the unique contextual conditions at these institutional types, such as student entry characteristics, the external environment, the campus environment, and academic communities, and how these elements directly influence subsequent commitment to the institution or the departure decisions of students. In addition, both chapters discuss implications for racial and ethnic minority students at these institutional types. The formulation of new theories of student departure has immediate implications for practice. In chapters four and five, the authors discuss these implications and put forth recommendations for implementation. Brief descriptions of exemplary student retention programs are provided to demonstrate the promise of using research-based approaches to reduce institutional rates of departure. The final chapter returns to a discussion of research and offers specific recommendations for further scholarship on the topic. This publication offers a novel and practical approach to understanding the complex and ill-structured problem of college student departure. By providing concise reviews of the research findings that give rise to their theoretical propositions and new models, the authors present a well-organized case. Greater specification of student departure theory for residential colleges is helpful, but the generation of a new model for commuter institutions is particularly valuable given the paucity of empirical evidence for Tinto's theory at this institutional type. These new models demonstrate greater sensitivity to the unique characteristics of students...