The Influence of Student Effort, College Environments and Selected Student Characteristics on Undergraduate Student Learning and Personal Development at Metropolitan Institutions. ASHE Annual Meeting Paper.

This study sought to measure what factors contribute to the learning and personal development of traditional and new majority students at six metropolitan institutions: University of Alabama, Birmingham; University of Louisville (Kentucky); Wichita State University (Kansas); University of Lowell (Massachusetts); Cleveland State University (Ohio); and University of Toledo (Ohio). The study used the College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ) to solicit information on student effort (involvement), student perception of their campus environment, and how much students believe they have gained in certain areas. Demographic information was also obtained on year-in-school, age, and enrollment status. The total number of subjects was 3,084. Results of factor analysis suggested the following conclusions: (1) learning gains of traditional-age full-time students and new majority students are affected by institutional environmental factors and student involvement factors; (2) learning gains are influenced by age and enrollment status; (3) age and enrollment status interact with each other and with involvement and environmental factors to affect gains in learning and personal development. Three appendixes contain CSEQ scales. Includes 21 references and 1 table. (JB)