LITERATURE REVIEW: Theories on Student Attrition
Since the early 70s theorists have pondered the causes of college dropout. Generally referred to as “student attrition,” this problem has spurred numerous causal theories and theoretical models. Vincent Tinto led the research with his revolutionary 1973 study, which he later revised (1987) amid criticism from other luminaries in the field, most notably Bean, Astin, Terenzini, and Pascarella. It is on the work of these scholars (including also Tinto) that all modern research in the student attrition field is based. I found and will review in brief some of the extensive research from Tinto to the present, including the basic criticisms therein. I will further explain the steps some colleges are currently taking to counteract this increasingly important issue.
Little or no research was conducted on student attrition prior to Tinto, and every piece of research I found contained several references to him and his work. Ishitani and DesJardins claim that the majority of research on the subject has been based on Tinto’s model (7), as does Metz in his research review (4). Metz, however, goes on to assert that Tinto’s main source was a certain Rites of Passage, by Arnold van Gennep. Focusing on the anthropological perspective of human “rites of passage,” van Gennep’s study elucidates the basic human nature behind much of the college experience. Tinto primarily utilizes the chapter entitled “Initiation Rites” in his model, a chapter in which van Gennep claims “that physiological puberty and ‘social puberty’ are essentially different” (Gennep 65). Tinto sees the transition from high school to college as a form of this “social puberty.” Tinto further argues that the maturation process is “marked by three distinct phases or stages, each with its own specialized ceremonies and rituals…[e]ach serv[ing] to move individuals from youthful participation to full adult membership in society” (Tinto 92). College, according to van Gennep and Tinto therefore, is simply part of this sociological maturation process.
Tinto’s original theory involved five specific factors that contributed to student retention: (1) a student’s pre-entry attributes (prior schooling and family background); (2) goals and commitment (the student’s individual aspirations in the institution); (3) experience at the institution (academics and faculty and peer interactions); (4) external commitments while at the institution; (5) integration both academically and socially (Metz 4).
Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (2005). How college affects students: Volume 2, a third
... of reproductive cloning is that in the future, it may be a solution to infertility, where a baby containing the genes of both parents could be artificially created, which will help the millions around the world who are unable to have children. Another benefit of cloning is that plants and animals can artificially be produced in large quantities directed at human consumption, which may, in the future help world hunger. Nutritionally superior or more “predictable” plants can also be created which will which will benefit us health-wise, and save farm costs. Lastly, the main advantage of cloning is that, through organ transplantation (therapeutic cloning), lives can be saved or prolonged, for those who have defective organs. For these 3 reasons, it’s a no brainer that scientists should continue extensive research and experiments for the better of our society as a whole.
After the small recession of 1921 as the United States struggled to switch from a wartime to a peacetime economy, a “New Era” of success, opulence, and relative happiness followed, which has become known as the “Roaring Twenties” (Brinkley 642). During this time period, the national economy boomed as new technologies were developed, consumers bought numerous goods, the market skyrocketed, and people in general were confident about the situation of the country as a whole. The urban middle class became stronger and more influential during the twenties and began to become accustomed to all of the wealth and success which they were experiencing during the era. Despite all of this overt wealth and prosperity, however, many underlying problems existed which ensured that the eventual collapse of the economy on Black Tuesday and the Great Depression that followed would occur. Additionally, there existed numerous contradictions and confrontations between various pairs of diametrically opposed groups, ideas, or people. Thus, the statement, “The Roaring Twenties was a paradox destined for depression” truthfully portrays the economic situation of this era, in which covert problems were ignored and overt prosperity existed. Specifically, the free flow of credit, the surplus created by rural farmers, and the inability of European countries to pay back their loans to the United States of America virtually guaranteed that a depression would occur sometime in the future. Additionally, there were two sides to almost every aspect of life, thus supplying the paradoxes discussed in the quote, such as conservatism and liberalism, urban and rural, women and men, black and white, citizens and immigrants, and reason and religion.
Cloning has been a controversial topic since the time it was introduced, prompting questions of ethics. Although it has been unintentionally in use for thousands of years, it was first brought about in the 1960’s. As more and more discoveries have been gained since then, numerous uncertainties continue to be raised among scientists, politicians, and anyone interested in the issue. While the idea of cloning is intriguing and polarizing, there is a fine like that defines what is and isn’t ethical; it is moral to clone cells for research development and plants for agricultural desires, but it is in no way acceptable to clone humans and animals for reproductive reasons.
Rarely has the world seen such a unique decade in time as the Roaring Twenties. It was an age of prosperity and change. The United States experienced a recession that was followed by a period of unlimited prosperity. Although the United States encountered both positive and negative experiences, it proved to be very influential in the future. The 1920's were definitely "Roaring" in more ways than one. There were major changes in American Society during the 1920's that took place. Many new industries emerged during this decade that influenced society and the American way of life. Even the federal government had different feelings about the business industry. The characteristics of this decade made the 1920's one never to be forgotten in America because of its influence.
Throughout time, human and animal cloning has developed into a new important technology in everyday lives without always knowing it. Cloning is the process of copying or duplicating an organism. Human and animal cloning has so many different outcomes and uncertainties. It can be used for many different purposes, depending on what someone wants to use it for. People all around the world have different views on cloning. Some are against it and some are for it. However, not everyone fully understands how cloning works. Human and animal cloning will determine our future. It can improve or maybe even destroy mankind. Cloning is very important to the world because it can lead to new developments later on in the world that have not yet been thought of.
Arlene’s Flowers owner Baronelle Stutzman is charged with violating the state’s public accommodation laws by declining to provide floral arrangements for a gay couple’s wedding. However, the article states that the U.S. Supreme Court has long recognized that “the First Amendment protects artistic as well as verbal expression…should likewise extend to floristry.” If floristry does count as a form of expression, then Stutzman also has the rights to not provide floral arrangement. However in this case, I am on the side with the state. Her profession in no way seems to be directly linked to the participation of the gay wedding. She is only placing flowers at the wedding in order to decorate, not enforcing the gay marriage or embracing in what the customers are about to do. In fact, she is not even in the wedding, so how is this really compromising her Christian beliefs? For all we know, she could actually just use the religion excuse to not serve the gay couple. Recognizing a difference from religious belief and anti-gay prejudice is really difficult, but if the Court do some background research on the person and family and friends, then maybe we can see if the person is refusing services for a legitimate reason or not. This also brings up another problem. If Stutzman refuses to serve a gay wedding due to her religious belief, would she use the same excuse for a gay customer in store? If she did, she is discriminating the customer for the customer’s sexual orientation. Not only that, she probably at one point already served a good number of gay customers without knowing. Serving the customers do not affect her religious belief or compromised her for anything, so decorating the flowers at a gay wedding should be no different. If it makes her feel better about it, she does not have to know that it is a gay wedding that she is serving. I personally believe that we should serve the
The 1920’s was a decade that changes American life. Frederick Lewis Allen describes the twenties as a “revolution in manners and morals.” The twenties has been named all types of nicknames, such as: “The Roaring Twenties”, “The Era of Wonderful Nonsense”, “The Decade of the Dollar”, “The Period of the Psyche”, “ Dry Decade” and the age of “Alcohol and Al Capone” (Gales Research, 1998). During the twenties, the way Americans lived had changed. The 1920’s was a time in history that has been remembered for its great prosperity but also for its great loss. The Great Depression is what ended the Roaring Twenties.
Strong institutions are associated with high levels of real per capita income since they shape overall conditions for investment and growth (IMF 2003). For example, where corruption and appropriation of private property are common, the potential returns on investments are reduced and possibly eliminated altogether. Political control of resources may also limit the extent to which firms can secure the inputs they need for production. Formal institutions also influence the balance of diversionary (rent-seeking) and productive activities in society (Hall and Jones 1999). Countries with a history of institutions that support productive activities such as capital accumulation, skill acquisition, invention and technology transfer produce much higher levels of output per
The Roaring Twenties was America’s golden age. F. Scott Fitzgerald once said,“The parties were bigger, the pace was faster, the shows were broader, the buildings were higher, the morals were looser, and the liquor was cheaper” (“People” PBS). The cultural undertone of the twenties was very different from the times before and during World War I. “ For the first time, more Americans lived in cities than on farms…people from coast to coast bought the same goods…listened to the same music, did the same dances, and even used the same slang” (“Roaring” History). The Twenties was a time of social and cultural change. During this time, things like the automobile and jazz became more popular and mainstream. These things were possible because America
Assessment has been the greatest challenge in my development as a professional. My coursework as supported my growth in this area, especially in understanding the broad range of assessments used to support students’ growth and development. My courses have also supported my understanding of how ongoing observational assessment and standards-based measures can be used to inform instruction and support the cycle of observation, reflection and planning. Coursework
Assessment, in the context of education, was defined by Lambert, D (2000, pag 4) as the processs of gathering, recording and using information about pupils' responses to educational tasks. Despite some can consider that assessment is separated from the learning process, assessment is, in fact, an essential part of the learning proccess. Maguire, M. and Dillon, J. (2007, pag 213) pointed out that assessment is intrincately bound-up in the teaching-learning cycle.
There are different methods and uses of assessment that are used in the Education system, the reason for this, is that not all assessments serve the same purpose for its methodologies, the feedback that learners receive needs to correspond with the purpose of the assessment. (Sieborger, 1998)Thus educators tend to make use of multiple assessments to establish a fair and just measurement of the learner’s capability. This essay will extensively describe and analyse the tensions between the two methods of assessment: Summative assessment and Formative assessment and further reflect on their ability to integrate.
In order for society to meet the basic social needs of its members, social institutions, which are not buildings, or an organization or even people, but a system whose of social norms, mores and folkways that help make people feel important. Social institutions, according to our textbook, is defined as a fundamental component of this organization in which individuals, occupying defined statues, are “regulated by social norms, public opinion, law and religion” (Amato 2004, p.961). Social institutions are meant to meet people’s basic needs and enable the society to survive. Because social institutions prescribe socially accepted beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviors, they exert considerable social control over individuals.
Institutions are very, very important for many reasons. Through institutions, self-interest can be aligned with the social interest. Institutions shape a nation and its economics, subsequently shaping its people's standard of living and way of life. Institutions affect every single one of us. The institutions that matter most are Honest Government, Political Stability, and a Dependable Legal System.