%0 Thesis %1 buckland_student_1997 %A Buckland, Michael Paul %D 1997 %K ADMINISTRATION, AND EDUCATION, FAMILY Higher, INDIVIDUAL OF, PHILOSOPHY SOCIOLOGY, STUDIES %T Student retention at a small, private Appalachian college %X This study came out of an interest to explore reasons for student retention at a small, private, Appalachian college. The specific purpose of this study was to search for clues to factors that may have influenced students' decisions at critical decision points during the first year of college. This study eventually focused on the the following research question: What factors contributed to students' decision to return or not return to this college and how do these groups differ? Off campus factors that included nuclear and extended family as an influences on Appalachian college student retention were frequently mentioned but unexplored in the literature reviewed for this study. An in-depth look at factors influencing retention at small, private, Appalachian colleges will be of value as a contribution to the small number of studies directed at Appalachian students attending these colleges. This study should also be of interest to other Appalachian College Association members who may desire to know more about off-campus factors influencing retention at small, private colleges. This study is delimited to students at this college who were first-time freshmen in the Fall semester of 1995 and were enrolled until May 1996. A theory grounded in the findings of this study focused on a matrix emphasizing factors from four areas that impact retention. These areas are on campus external, on campus internal, off campus external, and off campus internal. Each theory, factor or approach toward achieving retention defined in the literature should fit within one of the above quadrants. A hybrid model (some combination of theory, factor or approach) may exist which spans the multiple quadrants. One hybrid-type theory that may warrant investigation is the Invitational Learning theory (Purkey & Stanley, 1991). In this study, family was found to be a primary influence on students. The strength and depth of the family influence on the student was a surprise. It was also intriguing that, at the same time, campus activities and organizations had little affect on the students and that students held strong, negative reactions to living in the dorm as opposed to living at home.

@phdthesis{buckland_student_1997, abstract = {This study came out of an interest to explore reasons for student retention at a small, private, Appalachian college. The specific purpose of this study was to search for clues to factors that may have influenced students' decisions at critical decision points during the first year of college. This study eventually focused on the the following research question: What factors contributed to students' decision to return or not return to this college and how do these groups differ? Off campus factors that included nuclear and extended family as an influences on Appalachian college student retention were frequently mentioned but unexplored in the literature reviewed for this study. An in-depth look at factors influencing retention at small, private, Appalachian colleges will be of value as a contribution to the small number of studies directed at Appalachian students attending these colleges. This study should also be of interest to other Appalachian College Association members who may desire to know more about off-campus factors influencing retention at small, private colleges. This study is delimited to students at this college who were first-time freshmen in the Fall semester of 1995 and were enrolled until May 1996. A theory grounded in the findings of this study focused on a matrix emphasizing factors from four areas that impact retention. These areas are on campus external, on campus internal, off campus external, and off campus internal. Each theory, factor or approach toward achieving retention defined in the literature should fit within one of the above quadrants. A hybrid model (some combination of theory, factor or approach) may exist which spans the multiple quadrants. One hybrid-type theory that may warrant investigation is the Invitational Learning theory (Purkey \& Stanley, 1991). In this study, family was found to be a primary influence on students. The strength and depth of the family influence on the student was a surprise. It was also intriguing that, at the same time, campus activities and organizations had little affect on the students and that students held strong, negative reactions to living in the dorm as opposed to living at home.}, added-at = {2018-06-19T15:20:34.000+0200}, author = {Buckland, Michael Paul}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/21a7e7fd6d0de36978e7aeab9a4d5a99c/prophe}, interhash = {41b7f5291e5abb3a8b08f46cd4aeade6}, intrahash = {1a7e7fd6d0de36978e7aeab9a4d5a99c}, keywords = {ADMINISTRATION, AND EDUCATION, FAMILY Higher, INDIVIDUAL OF, PHILOSOPHY SOCIOLOGY, STUDIES}, school = {The University of Akron}, shorttitle = {Student retention at a small, private {Appalachian} college}, timestamp = {2018-06-19T15:20:34.000+0200}, title = {Student retention at a small, private {Appalachian} college}, type = {{PhD} {Thesis}}, year = 1997 }