Examining college student retention: a closer look at low self-control
| Autor: | D. Alex Heckert, David B. Yerger, Amber L. Stephenson |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management
Medical education media_common.quotation_subject 05 social sciences Assertion 050301 education Self-control Causality Education 0502 economics and business Propensity score matching Survey data collection Matched sample Psychology Association (psychology) 0503 education 050203 business & management Low self-control media_common |
| Zdroj: | International Journal of Educational Management. 34:953-964 |
| ISSN: | 0951-354X |
| DOI: | 10.1108/ijem-07-2018-0208 |
| Popis: | PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to comprehensively explore the association between low self-control and college student retention.Design/methodology/approachCross-sectional survey data were obtained from 369 undergraduate students in the USA and combined with follow-up data on retention. Factor analysis was used to develop and validate the abbreviated eight-item low self-control instrument. Propensity score matching, an analytic technique that permits the assertion of causality without the need for experimental design, was used to examine the relationship between low self-control and second-semester college retention. Use of propensity score matching permitted the pairing of survey respondents under the defined circumstance of low self-control with those respondents not having low self-control under multiple relevant covariates.FindingsThe results showed a relationship between low self-control and college retention. Specifically, in the matched sample, those students with low self-control were 8 percent less likely to be retained at the institution at the onset of the second year than their counterparts with higher self-control.Practical implicationsThe results of the study prompt the important question of how colleges and universities can alter their structures and processes to better support students with low self-control. Key managerial and administrative implications from the findings of this study revolve around the recognition, motivation, and subsequent performance appraisals of those students with low self-control.Originality/valueThis study extends the quite limited research on how low self-control correlates with retention and subsequently offers insights on how to further support students with low self-control as a way to improve retention outcomes. Additionally, the validated eight-item survey provides a quick, low-cost assessment tool for interested researchers and managers. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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