Increasing enrolment and graduation rates at institutions of higher learning is a goal that successive governments in the US have strived to achieve with varying levels of success. It is true that encouraging progress has been made as thousands of students graduate every year from hundreds of colleges and universities spread across the country. Community colleges are among the institutions which play a critical role in preparing students for the challenges of the workplace and to participate in the development of their communities. Despite the tremendous dedication and effort, these institutions grapple with a wide range of challenges. To address these challenges, it is recommended that the institutions should establish their operations and policies on a theoretical model that combines various aspects of the student involvement and retention theories developed by Alexander Astin and Vincent Tinto respectively.
The Theory
It has been noted above that the proposed theory marries some concepts from the student involvement and the retention theories. As these names suggest, these theories are concerned with the measures that educational institutions can adopt as they seek to encourage student to become involved in both academic and extra-curricular pursuits. When he developed his theory, Astin set out to identify the measures that accelerate involvement. In his theory, he noted that when constructing programs, institutions need to account for student demographics and the environmental factors that influence their learning experiences (Astin, 1984). Furthermore, Astin believed that it is crucial for colleges and universities to ensure that their programs include an evaluation of student outcomes. These outcomes include the knowledge, beliefs and attitudes that student acquire during their time in school. Other issue that Astin’s theory addressed concerns the components of student involvement. He was convinced that to promote involvement, institutions need to engage the physical and psychosocial spheres of learning (Astin, 1984). Furthermore, he believed that involvement needs to be continuous so as to promote effective learning. Astin also held that schools needed to understand that students have varying needs and that it is therefore critical to create programs that reflect this diversity. In summary, Astin’s theory concerns the strategies that he believed would allow institutions to persuade students to dedicate their physical and psychological energies to the learning process. The retention theory that Tinto developed echoes some of the issues that Astin explored in his model. According to Tinto’s theory, to enhance retention, institutions must center their service delivery around the students. He felt that schools focus much of their effort on determining the steps that they can take to promote student persistence and retention instead of understanding how students can contribute to their own success. According to Tinto, institutions need to perceive issues through “the eyes of students” if they are to achieve success in improving student retention rates (Tinto, 2015). In an article in which he elaborated on this theory, Tinto identified some of the techniques and interventions that boost student retention. Self-efficacy, a robust curriculum and belonging are among these interventions (Tinto, 2017). Concerning self-efficacy, he held that students need to have confidence and faith that they can succeed. He added that through self-efficacy, learners are able to overcome the numerous challenges that define college life. According to Tinto, it is vital for schools to ensure that students develop a sense of belonging and that they find the curriculum to present value (Tinto, 2017). Overall, through his theory, Tinto made it clear that student retention can be attained through policies and initiatives that address the needs of the students. As noted earlier, the theories developed by Tinto and Astin will form the basis for a model constructed to enable community colleges to address the hardships that they grapple with. The primary focus of this theory is to highlight the strategies that hold the key to boosting retention and involvement. As will be noted in the following sections, there are a number of serious challenges that hamper the ability of community colleges to inspire students to remain committed to their students and graduate having acquired the skills they need to lead productive lives. The proposed theory will capture the importance of the strategies that Tinto proposed in his framework. Tinto believed that a curriculum that students find valuable, a belief in individual capacity for success and a sense of community and belonging are the ingredients needed to ensure student retention. These elements will form the core of the constructed theory. This theory will challenge community colleges to adapt their curricula to the unique circumstances that learners face and to challenge the learners to recognize the immense potential and strengths that they possess. Also included in the proposed theory are elements drawn from Astin’s theory. Astin held that student involvement can be achieved by leveraging the physical and psychological energy that students possess. Furthermore, he was convinced that in order to promote engage, colleges and universities must ensure that their services and programs are holistic and respond adequately to the needs of students. In summary, the constructed theory is composed of the following premises: Student involvement and retention are the main goals that community colleges should endeavor to accomplish. To facilitate involvement, colleges should invest in meeting the different needs of students and ensuring that their programs reflect the demographic characteristics of students. It is vital for community colleges to create environments which allow learners to experience a sense of belonging and community. Student persistence and retention can be achieved through holistic curricula that are practical and possess meaningful value.
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The Need for Theory
Above, the basic components of the proposed theory have been outlined. The next task is to connect this theory to community colleges in the US. For one to appreciate the relevance and the need for the theory, they simply need to consider the many challenges that hamper the operations of community colleges in the country. Low student retention rates are among these problems. Troester-Tate (2018) is among the scholars who have explored the retention problem that community colleges deal with. In her text, she notes that many students who attend these colleges face hardships that make it difficult for them to complete programs. For example, there are some who are parents that must attend to the needs of their children while others have jobs that demand their attention. Troester-Tate also notes that a large number of community student colleges are from poor families and neighborhoods. The different hardships they face collude to frustrate the efforts of these students to faithfully pursue their studies. Writing for Forbes, Preston Cooper (2017) confirmed that low retention remain a serious challenge for community colleges. He reports that as many as 47% of students who enroll in these institutions fail to graduate. Since it tackles the problem of student retention, the proposed theory is relevant and would truly benefit community colleges grappling with low student retention rates. Low retention rates are not the only problem that tops the list of the major challenges facing community colleges. Student dissatisfaction and lack of adequate involvement are other problems that hamper the effectiveness of these institutions. This is according to Nguyen (2011) who is among the scholars who have explored how low student engagement and involvement affect the operations and performance of community colleges. In her text, she laments that the community colleges seem unable to spark engagement and as a result, they witness disappointingly low levels of graduation and retention. Nguyen notes that these institutions have failed to inspire their students to develop strong connections with their studies. She is not alone in acknowledging that satisfaction and engagement have proven elusive for community colleges. Her concerns are echoed by Crawford and Persaud (2012). These researchers note that many community college students do not experience the sense of community and belonging that is required for engagement and passionate involvement. It is evident that community colleges are facing hardships that can be addressed through the application of the proposed theory. As noted in a previous section, this theory highlights the role of student involvement and identifies the particular strategies that community colleges can implement in their quest for improved student involvement.
Application of Theory
A theory presents little value unless it can be integrated into practice. The proposed theoretical model indeed possesses value since it directly responds to the major hardships that community colleges face. To further underscore the practical value of this theory, it is critical to outline how it can be applied to enhance the performance of community colleges while enabling students to experience improved levels of involvement and satisfaction. It has been stated repeatedly already that the theory focuses on how to boost involvement. Challenging students to understand and leverage their potential, resources and strengths is among the initiatives that can bolster involvement and retention. Chung and Chien (2015) authored an article in which they present self-efficacy as among the components that contribute to student engagement and success. They reiterate the role that self-efficacy plays in building student confidence and boosting engagement. According to these scholars, self-efficacy also drives academic performance. Whereas their study did not specifically focus on community colleges, the insights that they share can indeed improve how these colleges serve the needs of students. Another issue that highlights the practicality of the theory is that it challenges community colleges to accommodate the diverse needs of their students. David Baime and Sandy Baum (2016) joined forces to explore how diversity plays out in community colleges. They observe that most of these colleges have student populations that reflect the demographic profile of the communities in which they are situated. Baime and Baum add that a large proportion of the students in community colleges are first-generation college attendees who come from poor families. Given the diverse composition of the student population of community colleges, it follows that these institutions should strive to develop highly diversified programs. These programs must account for the unique hardships that the students deal with. For instance, the colleges could allow for flexible schedules given that most of their students have other obligations such as childcare and employment. Since the proposed theory acknowledges the importance of diversity, its practical usefulness is undeniable. From the discussion above, it is clear that the adoption of the proposed theory will have a tremendous impact on community college education. However, in the interest of balance, it must be acknowledged that the theory cannot fix all the problems that the community colleges suffer. Among the challenges that hinder these colleges from being effective providers of quality education include inadequate financing, insufficient infrastructure and lack of adequate capacity to attend to the needs of marginalized and disadvantaged students (Smith, 2019). Whereas it cannot address all of these challenges, the theory provides a framework that can be used to lessen the burden borne by community colleges. In closing, community colleges are critical components of the higher education system in the US. Focusing mostly on students facing challenges and vulnerabilities, these institutions have struggled to fulfill their mandate. They face dwindling retention, satisfaction and involvement rates. Furthermore, the community colleges seem unable to develop curricula which allow their students to gain practical insights and skills. A theory that borrows from the models presented by Astin and Tinto holds the key to solving the problems frustrating the efforts of the colleges. This theory places emphasis on student involvement and retention through learner-focused approaches, investment in co-curricular initiatives and motivating students to recognize their potential and capabilities. Since this theory is promising, community colleges are urged to integrate it into their policy formulation and program development affairs.
References
Astin, A. W. (1984). Student involvement: a development theory of higher education. Journal of College Student Development, 40, 518-29. Baime, D., & Baum, S. (2016). Community colleges. Urban Institute. Retrieved February 13, 2019 from https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/alfresco/publication-pdfs/2000899-Community-Colleges-Multiple-Missions-Diverse-Student-Bodies-and-a-Range-of-Policy-Solutions.pdf Chang, D., & Chien, W. (2015). Determining the relationship between academic self-efficacy and student engagement by meta-analysis. 2nd International Conference on Education Reform and Modern Management. Retrieved February 13, 2019 fromfile:///C:/Users/admin/Downloads/20861.pdf Cooper, P. (2017). College completion rates are still disappointing. Forbes. Retrieved February 13, 2019 from https://www.forbes.com/sites/prestoncooper2/2017/12/19/college-completion-rates-are-still-disappointing/#1cec83b5263a Crawford, C., & Persaud, C. (2012). Community colleges online. Journal of College Teaching & Learning, 10(1), 75-82. Nguyen, C. P. (2011). Challenges of student engagement in community colleges. The Vermont Connection, 32, 58-66. Retrieved February 13, 2019 from http://www.uvm.edu/~vtconn/v32/Nguyen.pdf Smith, A. A. (2019). What community college students say impedes their progress. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved February 13, 2019 from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/02/12/survey-asks-community-college-students-detail-their-challenges Tinto, V. (2015). Through the eyes of students. Journal of College Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 19(3), 254-269. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1521025115621917 Tinto, V. (2017). Reflections on student persistence. Student Success, 8(2), 1-8. Troester-Tate, K. E. (2018). Retention barriers outside of the classroom: a community schools approach. Innovation, 13(2). Retrieved February 13, 2019 from https://www.league.org/innovation-showcase/retention-barriers-outside-classroom-community-schools-approach
