Self Beliefs and College Persistence: The Mediating Effects of Campus Based Experiences

• In Event: Minority-Serving Institutions and the Campus Experience

Abstract

A growing body of research has examined non-cognitive traits in relation to college persistence. Although a number of studies have examined the relationship between self-efficacy and college persistence, results have been mixed. A review of the literature and findings suggests exclusion of campus based experiences, which are emphasized in college persistence theories, may contribute to conflicting findings. The purpose of the present study was to attempt to reconcile divergent findings by examining the relationship between self-efficacy, campus based experiences, and persistence. Results showed academic and social experiences mediate the relationship between efficacy beliefs and college persistence suggesting inclusion of campus based experiences may be integral to fully comprehending relationships between non-cognitive traits and college persistence.

Author

• Diane Cardenas Elliott, Educational Testing Service