Refining measurements of social and academic integration: lessons from a German University of Applied Sciences

A variety of studies have shown that social and academic integration are important indicators of future student success and satisfaction. They are therefore an important field of action for higher education development programmes. However, specifications of the theoretical models and empirical representations vary widely between researchers and countries. We reviewed the most important German and international questionnaires and studies on the topic. On the basis of this review as well as theoretical reflections, we developed a questionnaire which was successfully tested for validity.