Transition from consideration of a college to the decision to apply

Other researchers have found that personal socioeconomic background, measures of the fit between characteristics of institutions and factors students want in colleges they attend, and measures of the quality and location of the high school attended influence aspiration for higher education and/or the matriculation decision. In this study I investigate the effects of similar variables on students' decisions to apply to a particular institution after asking the Educational Testing Service to send their SAT scores to it. The results indicate that the fit between a student's preferences and an institution's characteristics has the most substantial impact on the decision to apply. Within the set of variables measuring this fit, correspondence between location desired, if the location is close to the student's home, and a SAT score either at or above the average score of applicants to the institution stand out as primary predictors.     

Can’t get there from here: The decision to apply to a selective college

In an attempt to increase applications from low-income students, some selective 4-year colleges are developing programs to target and attract low-income students. However, relatively little research has looked at factors important in the college application process, and in particular, how these factors differ for low-income students. This paper uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) to analyze factors influencing students’ college application decisions, with a focus on the decision to apply to a selective 4-year college. We hypothesize that distance from a student's home to selective colleges may play a role in the application decision and differentially impact low-income students. Our results suggest that distance does matter, although the effects do not vary by family income level.     

Influences on Community College Students' Educational Plans

This study analyzed data from 285 students attending 5 community colleges to identify the institutional and college experience variables influencing end-of-first-year educational degree plans. Controlling for an extensive array of important confounding influences, the estimated average precollege degree plans of students at the community college one attended had significant, positive total and direct effects on an individual student's end-of-first-year overall educational degree plans and plans to obtain at least a bachelor's degree. In the prediction of end-of-first-year overall educational degree plans, there were significant conditional effects involving sex, race, and precollege degree plans.     

An organizational behavior model of students' evaluation of instruction

The present study develops and tests an organizational behavior model of students' evaluation of instruction outlining the causal relationships among levels of instruction, feedback, goal-setting, student's accomplishment, and student's instructional evaluation.The major findings of this study are: (a) The organizational behavior model is one of the strongest predictors of student's overall instructional evaluation. (b) Student's accomplishment, while controlling for the effects of other independent variables, does not contribute to predicting overall evaluation of instruction. (c) Feedback and goal-setting are the most powerful predictors of overall evaluation of instruction. (d) The means, standard deviations and reliability coefficients of the various variables and the interrelationships among the various variables are similar at two points of time (mid-semester and end-semester). The implications of these findings are discussed and elaborated.     

Understanding and predicting the yield in the MBA admissions process

This paper examines the factors influencing theyield — the proportion of accepted applicants that confirm their intention to attend — in the admissions process for the MBA program of the school of management at a large metropolitan university. A stochastic model of a student's MBA program choice decision is presented. Using the resulting logistic probability model, the authors examine the impact of student traits (both aptitude-related and non-aptitude-related) and program characteristics, known to admissions officials, on the probability of confirmation. The results of the analysis provide a basis for measuring the dimensions of the market for educational services this MBA program provides, suggest a strategic response to this market, and offer a way to measure the profitability of various strategic response options. In particular, the results demonstrate that financial aid awards can increase dramatically the probability of confirmation and that confirmation probabilities are affected significantly by non-aptitude-related student characteristics.     

对大学生宿舍文化建设的几点思考

大学生宿舍是高校开展精神文明建设和素质教育的重要阵地 ,本文在分析当前高校宿舍文化建设中存在的主要问题的基础上 ,提出了高校必须主动适应教育体制改革的要求 ,通过统筹规划、民主决策、科学管理 ,深化高校德育工作的内涵等途径 ,与时俱进 ,努力创造高校宿舍文化建设的特色和新意     

Student perspectives on curricular change: lessons from an undergraduate lower-division biology core

Inquiry-based laboratories are acknowledged as the preferred method of instruction for development of research skills. Much has been written about changes in student performance associated with inquiry, but less is known about how students view the inquiry-based format or whether they perceive a benefit from this type of instruction. The Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG) survey was used to evaluate and compare student reactions to the new, inquiry-based laboratories of a lower-division undergraduate curriculum, from implementation to the present (an interval of 3 yr). Initial student response to the format and value of the inquiry labs improved over time. The quality of the graduate teaching assistants and the clarity of the laboratory manual were important variables influencing student perception. A student's perception of his/her retention of lab-related skills was strongly associated with perceptions of gains in those skills. Student responses reflect their most current laboratory experience and not a cumulative effect of participation in the core series of courses. Student success in the inquiry format was not associated with gender or status as a transfer student. The majority of students believe that their experiences in the lower-division inquiry labs have prepared them for upper-division course work.     

Structural, ecological, and psychosocial variables of schooling and their impact on the development of student's self-concept

This chapter deals with the development of student's self-concept in the school context. Using a Systems approach main categories and structural aspects of self-concept and its relation to other variables in the educational field are described. Self-concept is discussed with regard to an ecological perspective by analyzing its relation to variables like social climate, class-size, and reference norms. Under a developmental perspective it is shown that variables of schooling not only produce quantitative changes of self-concept, but also qualitative changes. As a conclusion an integrative view of self-concept development is presented, according to which four developmental levels are distinguished.     

Institutional Researchers' Perceptions of Effectiveness

This article presents the results of a research study that investigated institutional researchers' perceptions regarding their effectiveness in influencing policy changes at their institution. Data were obtained from a mailed survey sent to 304 researchers in the Northeast; a response rate of 73 percent was achieved. Results revealed that those whose work is used in executive decision making, who include policy recommendations in reports, conduct follow-up studies on the impact of their work, have a doctorate, are part of a strong, professional network, and describe their positions as challenging perceive themselves as more effective. The discriminant function including these variables explained 48 percent of the variance and accurately predicted the perceived policy effectiveness for 84 percent of the participants.     

Early commitment on financial aid and college decision making of poor students: Evidence from a randomized evaluation in rural China

Many educational systems have struggled with the question about how best to give out financial aid. In particular, if students do not know the amount of financial aid that they can receive before they make a decision about where to go to college and what major to study, it may distort their decision. This study utilizes an experiment (implemented by the authors as a Randomized Control Trial) to analyze whether or not an alternative way of providing financial aid—by providing an early commitment on financial aid during the student's senior year of high school instead of after entering college—affects the college decision making of poor students in rural China. We find that if early commitments are made early enough; and they are large enough, students will make less distorting college decisions.     

College student and dropout problem: A qualitative dynamic simulation

A dynamic computer simulation of the four year college student has been conducted using the methods of system dynamics. Major aims of the study have been: (1) the development of an approach to the simulation of a behavioral system having neither well-defined structure nor easily quantifiable variables and parameters; (2) a better understanding of the mechanisms which control the student's performance in college and the developments leading to a decision to drop out; and (3) the development of a tool for testing the effects of alternative educational and administrative policies on the student.Major variables of the model are the academic performance of the student, his gradepoint average, grade pressure, motivation, frustration, educational achievement, extracurricular education, and the financial situation of the student. Some of the parameters are the quality of the institution, (perceived) relevance of the curriculum, intellectual stimulation both within and without the prescribed curriculum, ability of the student, and his personal goals. The simulation was programmed in DYNAMO. Some results of the simulation are presented. The possible value and validity of qualitative simulation are discussed.This research was conducted while the author was Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California at Santa Barbara. The author is indebted to Dr. John W. Snyder, Vice-Chancellor of the University of California at Santa Barbara for his suggestion of the research topic, and to Alexander Bocast for assistance in the first stages of model formulation.     

A Student's View of Engineering

The authors analyze the answers to 10 questions from 523 engineering students in three Michigan junior colleges, in an attempt to elicit the beginning student's view of engineering. The answers give information on the age of first interest in engineering, the age of decision on the field as a career, the influences that led to the choice of engineering, future aspirations, and six other related questions. The opening section briefly states the objectives of education in our society and indicates the contribution of the junior college. The conclusion suggests some specific assistance professional engineers can give to youth.     

Factors influencing the demand for higher education: The case of Cyprus

The proportion of young people opting for third level education in Cyprus is exceptionally high, currently about 60% of the relevant age group. This has caused concern among the country's policy makers who are aware of the limited capacity of the Cyprus economy to accommodate the increasing supply of higher education graduates. In the present study, an attempt is made to identify and examine the factors influencing young Cypriots to select higher education over direct employment at the end of their secondary education. A survey was conducted among 811 final form secondary school students in Cyprus in the academic year 1993/1994. Through factor analysis, seven factors with a potential effect on the students' educational and occupational intentions were identified. They were the following: Psychological/Individual, Occupational I, Occupational II, Economic, Consumption, Secondary School Subjects, and Significant Others. These factors, along with a number of student background characteristics (gender, socioeconomic status, ability, and secondary school specialisation) were used as explanatory variables in a logistic regression model with the student's educational intentions serving as the dependent variable. The psychological/individual factor, the second occupational factor, and secondary school specialisation were shown to have a significant effect on the intention to pursue third level education. The paper points to the importance of analysing and examining student characteristics and motivational patterns in the effort to understand, and, if possible, influence trends in the demand for higher education.     

学生体质健康标准的实施与终身体育

《学生体质标准》的实施,对促进学生健康素质发展具有积极的导向作用,它不仅有力地推动体育课程建设,进一步促进学校体育教学改革,还将有效地改变学生的体育锻炼态度,对于影响学生终身体育锻炼意识,促进全民健身计划顺利进行有着十分重要的作用.     

大众文化与高校思想政治教育刍论

大众文化在当代中国的广泛流行对大学生思想和行为产生了深刻影响。大众文化社会效应具有双重性影响,作为高校思政理论课必须担负起应对大众文化的重任;要注重解决学生思想问题与实际问题的统一,在人文关怀中发挥思政教育的工作功效;要丰富校园文化活动的内容和形式。     

Grades and college students' evaluations of their courses and teachers

From a review of existing research, it is concluded that college students' anticipated or actual grades in class are positively related to their evaluation of their courses and teachers. In general, the size of the association is small but not unimportant. A student's overall grade-point average appears to have little or no relationship to teacher or course evaluation, although limited evidence shows that a discrepancy between a student's grade-point average and his or her grade in a class is related to evaluations. Also, teacher- or course-induced interest in the subject is positively associated with evaluation, as are students' perceptions of the amount they have learned in a class and their performance on objective or standardized tests of achievement. Although it is thus possible that either these or other motivational and learning variables may account for the relationship between grades and evaluation, there is no evidence one way or the other that this indeed is the case. In all, currently available evidence cannot be taken as definitely establishing a bias in teacher evaluation due to the grades students receive or expect to receive in their courses, but neither is it presently possible to rule out such bias.This is the first paper of a projected series on teacher and course evaluation.     

文化视域中的语言学习策略研究

从理论上讲,教师对学生运用学习策略情况的主观认识和学生在选择、运用学习策略时都会受其文化背景的影响。通过问卷调查,经过描述性统计分析和推断性方差分析得出以下结论:教师的主观认识和学生的实际运用存在显著差异。这种差异程度同国外同类研究的结果有所不同。同时,这一结论给语言学习策略研究者和外语教师以一定的启示。     

The commuter student and student satisfaction

This study examined the variables associated with student satisfaction on a commuter campus. A sample of 38 classes was used and resulted in 782 undergraduates responding to questionnaires. The variables included were: age, student level, student's grade, perception of educational benefits, and satisfaction with college experience. A causal model was built and tested in order to determine the direct and indirect effects of these variables upon student satisfaction. While the student level had a negative influence upon satisfaction, both age and grade had a moderate effect upon student satisfaction. The perception of educational benefits seemed to be the most critical variable in predicting student satisfaction.     

Determinants of students' satisfaction with course work: An international comparison between two universities

The present study attempts to develop a scale of students' general satisfaction with college instruction, to empirically assess the dimensions behind the scale, and to examine four predictors (sex, major, school year, and academic performance) which may affect the various factors of student's satisfaction with instruction. The study was conducted in two universities, one in Israel and one in the United States. The findings of this study indicate that the concept of students' satisfaction is composed of four factors and that each of these factors is best predicted by a different combination of the independent variables. However, academic performance is a dominant predictor of all four factors. The pattern of the findings is similar for both countries.The policy implications of these findings for university decision making and institutional research are discussed and elaborated.     

大学生素质教育与高校图书馆

全面推进大学生素质教育是党和国家的一项重大决策。高校图书馆应充分利用自身信息文献优势、馆舍环境优势和现代化设备优势，完成由单一的知识教育向知识教育与素质教育并重的转变，使高校图书馆成为大学生素质拓展的重要基地。