ERIC Number: EJ1069846
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1066-8926
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Available Date: N/A
Social Integration in a Community College Environment
Mertes, Scott J.
Community College Journal of Research and Practice, v39 n11 p1052-1064 2015
Among current retention models, Tinto's Interactionalist Model has reached near paradigmatic status. When his model has been applied to two-year college settings, the social integration results have been inconsistent. This has led Maxwell (2000) and Deil-Amen (2011) to suggest that a different construct of social integration exists in community colleges; one that focuses less on purely social activities and more on peer groups centered on academically-related activities, and interactions with faculty and students inside the classroom. But are these two constructs really different? The current study sought to ascertain whether this alternative construct of social integration is, in fact, related to Tinto's construct. It also was designed to investigate the impact of additional variables including gender, race, age, and program of study (i.e., occupational vs. transfer) have on both constructs. After conducting the analysis, it was found that the two social integration constructs were highly related. Additionally, it was found that social integration, using Tinto's construct, significantly varied by gender. Future research strategies including longitudinal analysis, regression analysis, and qualitative techniques are all recommended.
Descriptors: Community Colleges, Two Year College Students, Social Integration, Social Theories, Gender Differences, Racial Differences, Ethnic Groups, Age Differences, Majors (Students), Student Surveys, Student Attitudes, Statistical Analysis, Peer Relationship, Correlation, Teacher Student Relationship, College Faculty
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Two Year Colleges; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
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Language: English
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