Gender and racial differences in institutional commitment and integration at a private, midwestern university
Illinois State University, PhD Thesis, (1996)Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine student persistence patterns. Using Tinto's model of institutional departure as a theoretical base, the researcher investigated hypotheses dealing with the relationship between Tinto's integration and commitment constructs. The dependent variable was institutional commitment. The independent variables were defined as gender, ethnicity and measures of academic and social integration. The subjects consisted of 573 students attending a medium-sized private university located in the Midwest. Subjects completed the Survey of Institutional Integration in order to access their levels of integration and commitment. Subsequently, comparisons were made based on ethnicity, gender and levels of academic achievement. Results of statistical analysis indicated that: (1) The relationship between institutional commitment and social integration did not appear to be consistently stronger for women compared to men. (2) The relationship between institutional commitment and academic integration did not appear to be consistently stronger for men compared to women. (3) There was no significant difference between men and women in terms of institutional commitment. (4) White students did not have a significantly higher level of institutional commitment compared to minorities. (5) There was no significant difference in average institutional commitment. One theoretical expectation of Tinto's model was generally supported by the results: Measures of integration tend to be positively related to measures of institutional commitment. Gender, ethnicity, and academic achievement, however, did not appear to support theoretical expectations. None of the variables appeared to significantly explain institutional commitment variability.