Retention Rates Rise with Diversity

What makes college freshmen more likely to return for a sophomore year when getting their bachelor’s degree? Two leading authorities have written a book that summarizes the research and presents findings on what makes students want to stay in college. The book is entitled, How College Affects Students, and the authors claim that sound teaching methods are two of the biggest factors that determine whether a student will stay in college.

The authors also found that students who were given quality instruction and were in classes with other students of diverse backgrounds actually increased their critical thinking and problem-solving skills between freshman and sophomore years. Quality instruction was determined not by the grades that students earned on exams, but rather according to the organization of materials, use of class time, clarity of assignment instructions, and thorough review of class materials by the instructor.

The authors found that the chances of a freshman student returning for a sophomore year at college increased by about one-third when these behaviors were observed in their instructors. This indicator would seem to prove that at least some of the responsibility in ensuring retention lies with professors.

Unfortunately, the authors also found that the claims made in another book released this year, Academically Adrift, may be more accurate than many had hoped. Academically Adrift found that over 35 percent of college students showed no real, measurable increase in knowledge or learning skills between freshman and senior years in college. The book also reported that less than half of students observed wrote papers of 20 pages or more or studied 15 or more hours a week. The authors of How College Affects Students attempted to replicate these observations using their own subjects and came up with very similar figures.

So, despite some promising evidence that could lead to improvements in teaching methods, and, in turn, higher retention rates, the overall picture remains somewhat unclear. Is keeping students in college really such a priority if they aren’t really learning? And how do the learning skills of college students compare to those who don’t attend school? These are questions that will have to be answered by further research.