college student development theories
DESCRIPTION
The experiences of college students have been researched for decades. Many scholars have looked at a variety of issues, such as what benefits a college education brings, how and in what ways students develop and mature in college, which kinds of college experiences tend to be positive or negative, and what leads to a person dropping out or leaving college, to name a few. Many theories have emerged over the years that illuminate various aspects of the college experience. Each of them contributes to an overall understanding of a student’s experience in college. Five in particular are very useful in exploring the first-year experience: Chickering’s Seven Vectors of College Student Development, Perry’s Nine Positions of Cognitive Development, Tinto’s Model of Institutional Departure, Kohlberg’s Six Stages of Moral Development, and Schlossberg’s Transition Theory. These five theories, in combination, provide a well-rounded understanding of the general college experience.TRANSCRIPT
COLLEGE STUDENT DEVELOPMENT
THEORIES
Danielle Quiñones Ortega, M.A.
Student Programs CoordinatorOffice of Student Life, UCSB
THEORY DRIVEN BY PRACTICE
CHICKERING’S SEVEN VECTORS
Vector 1Developing
Competence
Vector 2Managing Emotions
Vector 3 Moving Through
Autonomy to Interdependenc
e
Vector 4Developing
Mature Interpersonal Relationships
Vector 7Developing
Integrity
Vector 6Developing
Purpose
Vector 5 Establishing
Identity
VECTOR 1 | DEVELOPING COMPETENCE
oIntellectual Skills
oInterpersonal Skills
oManual and Physical Skills
VECTOR 2 | MANAGING EMOTIONS & VECTOR 3 | MOVING THROUGH AUTONOMY TO INTERDEPENDENCE
VECTOR 4 | DEVELOPING MATURE INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS & VECTOR 5 | ESTABLISHING IDENTITYo Tolerance, acceptance, appreciation of differences
o Capacity for intimacy in relationships
o Acceptance and comfort of personal issueso body and appearanceo gender identity and sexual orientationo sense of self (social, historical, and cultural)
VECTOR 6 | DEVELOPING PURPOSE & VECTOR 7 | DEVELOPING INTEGRITY
PERRY’S NINE POSITIONS OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
TINTO’S MODEL OF INSTITUTIONAL DEPARTURE
SCHLOSSBERG’S TRANSITION THEORY
THEORY IS…
o DESCRIPTIVE not PERSCRIPTIVE
o Serve as a foundation
o Helps us guide our practice
o Makes Student Affairs nerds happy!