Student Development Theory in Higher Education

1. Student Development Theory in Higher Education Dr. G. Duncan Harris February 8. 2008 Manchester Community College

2. Today’s Session • The Student Development “Discipline” • Why student development? • Defining Student Development • Student Development Foundations • Application of Theory Exercise - Environmental Factors Influencing Student Development at MCC

3. The Student Development Discipline Central Connecticut State University’s Student Development in Higher Education Program (M.S.) Core Courses • CNSL 500 The Dynamics of Group Behavior • CNSL 501 Theories and Techniques in Counseling • CNSL 503 Supervised Counseling Practicum Directed Electives • CNSL 521 Career Counseling and Development • CNSL 525 Multi-Cultural Counseling • CNSL 530 Student Development in Higher Education • CNSL 531 Student Services in Higher Education • CNSL 532 Program Design in Student Services • CNSL 533 Legal, Financial, and Policy Issues in Student Affairs • CNSL 592 Supervised Internship in Higher Education (1 year) • ED 598* Research in Education

4. Why Student Development? “Student development theory provides the basis for the practice of student development. Knowledge of student development theory enables student affairs professionals to proactively identify and address student needs, design programs, develop policies, and create healthy college environments that encourage positive growth in students. Because student development theories focus on intellectual growth as well as affective and behavioral changes during the college years, they also encourage the collaborative efforts of student services professionals and faculty in enhancing student learning and maximizing positive student outcomes in higher education.” Nancy Evans, author of, Student Development in College: Theory, Research, and Practice

5. Defining Student Development • “The organization of increasingly complex positive growth process in which the individual becomes increasingly able to integrate and act on many different experiences and influences, different than simple change which may be positive or negative” Sanford (1967) • “The ways that a student grows, progresses, or increases his or her developmental capabilities as a result of enrollment in an institution of higher education.” Rogers (1965) • “Student development should respond to four questions: • What interpersonal and intrapersonal changes occur while the student is in college? • What factors lead to this development? • What aspects of the college environment encourage or retard growth? • What developmental outcomes should we strive to achieve in college?” Knefelkamp, Widick, & Parker (1978)

6. Student Development Foundations • Psychosocial Theory Examines individuals personal and interpersonal lives. Sequence of developmental tasks or stages confronted by adults when their biology and psychology converge and “qualitatively change their thinking, feeling, behaving, valuing, and relating to others and oneself” Human development continues throughout the life span and a basic underlying psychosocial structure guides this development. • Student development theorists from this school - Chickering, Reisner, Josselson, Cross, Marcia Erik Erikson

7. Student Development Foundations(con’t) • Cognitive Structural Theory Changes in the way people think but not what they think, sets of assumptions people use to adapt to and organize their environments • Student development theorists from this school - Perry, Kohlberg, King & Kitchener, Baxter-Magolda Jean Piaget

8. Student Development Foundations(con’t) • Typology Theory Human behavior does not vary by chance, but rather is caused in innate differences in the mental functioning. These differences appear in many aspects of life: how people take in and process information, how they learn best, the types of activities that interest them, and how they spend their time. • Student development theorists from this school - Myers-Briggs, Holland, Kolb Carl Jung

9. Application Exercise: Environmental Factors Influencing Development • Challenge and Support • Involvement • Marginality and Mattering • Validation

10. Challenge and Support • Dissonance refers to inconsistency between beliefs. • Range of optimal dissonance for any individual varies depending on the quality of the challenge and support that the environment provides as well as the characteristics of the individual. • If the environment presents too much challenge - individuals tend to regress to earlier, less adaptive modes of behavior; polarize and solidify current modes of behavior; escape the challenge if possible; or ignore the challenge if escape is impossible. • If there is too little challenge - individuals may feel safe and satisfied but they do not develop. • The amount of challenge a person can tolerate is a function of the amount of support available.

11. Involvement • Astin (1984) - stressed student involvement in development, the amount of physical and psychological energy that the student devotes to the academic experience. Refers to behavior, what they actually do, not feelings or thoughts. • Five postulates: 1. “Involvement refers to the investment of physical and psychological energy in various objects” 2. “Regardless of the object, involvement occurs along a continuum. 3. “Involvement has both quantitative and qualitative features.” 4. “The amount of student learning and personal development associated with any educational program is directly proportional to the quality and quantity of student involvement in that program.” 5. “The effectiveness of any educational policy or practice is directly related to the capacity of that policy or practice to increase student involvement.” • These factors all relate to situations that foster development, not the development itself. Austin suggests college professionals need to focuson creating opportunities for involvement to occur.

12. Marginality and Mattering • Schlossberg, Chickering, & Lynch (1989) - individuals often feel marginalized when they take on new roles especially when they are not sure what the role entails. • Marginality is often defined as a sense of not fitting in and can lead to self consciousness, irritability, and depression. • Five Aspects of Mattering 1. Attention – feeling noticed 2. Importance - the belief one is cared about 3. Ego extension - feeling that someone will be proud of what one does or will sympathize with one’s failure 4. Dependence - the feeling of being needed 5. Appreciation - the feeling that one’s efforts are appreciated by others. It is crucial that our students feel as though they matter. When they feel as though they matter, they are more likely to be involved in activities and academic programs that promote development and learning.

13. Validation • Rendon(1996) Validation is an enabling, confirming and supportive process initiated by in and out of class agents that foster academic and interpersonal development. • Students who are validated develop confidence in their ability to learn, experience enhanced feelings of self-worth, and believe that they have something to offer the academic community. • Validation is most powerful when offered during the early stages of the student’s experience. • Where traditional students may feel comfortable expressing themselves, non-traditional students may not feel as comfortable and have doubts about their academic ability. Active intervention in the form of validation is often needed to encourage these students to become involved in campus life and spur self-esteem.

14. References Austin, Alexander (1984) What matters in college four critical years revisited, Jossey-Bass. Knefelkamp, Lee, Widick, Carole & Parker, Clyde (1978) Applying new developmental findings, Jossey-Bass. Rendon, Laura (1996) Educating a new majority Jossey-Bass. Rogers, Carl (1965)  Client-Centered therapy, its current practice, implications, and theory. Houghton Mifflin. Sanford, Nevitt (1967) Where colleges fail; a study of the student as a person. Jossey-Bass. Schlossberg, Nancy, Lynch, Ann, & Chickering, Arthur (1989) Improving higher education environments for adults : responsive programs and services from entry to departure. Jossey-Bass.