Tinto And Other Models Of Student Engagement

By Author: Henry Ford
Total Articles: 189
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This review grows out of qualitative study of the models of student engagement. Several students leave college before graduation. Several schools as well as individuals have taken it up in an attempt to grasp the problem and the possible solution. A number of people have come up with thoughts that could help reduce this problem. Tinto Vincent came up with thoughts that have become a darling of many. Tinto says that a proper integration into the school system is crucial in ensuring that students remain until graduation. This review will bring several models into a synthesis.

Vincent Tinto
Tinto came up with a model that sought to draw the relationship between proper involvement of students in the routine of the school, and the likelihood of those students staying until graduation (Tinto, 2007). Everyone joins college from across the divide, and with all manner of backgrounds. Academically they also differ from each other. He noted that those students who were constantly involved in activities that they liked in school developed greater interest in school and were likely to stay until they graduated, than those who ...
... were not properly involved (Tinto, 1997). Tinto likened cases of school drop outs with that of suicide. He said that just as those who end their lives do so because of a lack of involvement with others, so are school drop outs (Tinto, 1988). The college has a life of its own, and those who are admitted there must adjust themselves to the patterns of the new life. Someone ought to help them in this regard or else they may end up leaving (Tinto, 1975, p 96). Tinto noted two important things as being central in a student’s life. One must put it in their heart that they must stick in there until they attain the intended end. They must as well have the desire to remain in the same institution until the end. The involvement of the student in the academic and other school activities is the key to ensuring that that student succeeds (Astin, 1999). The level of involvement can be easily seen in the way that student performs in the set tests, but also in the way that student participates and relates in all the school affairs. Every person needs to feel needed, and if they feel not needed they are likely to quit. Their quitting should be viewed as a reaction to the feeling of not being needed, which is experienced through a lack involvement in school activity (Tinto, 1993). In the same way, the student should be helped to develop his/her relational abilities in order to fit in the particular setting (Tinto, 1975). This therefore means that the institutions should not just act as disseminators of knowledge, but also as pillars of strength in the sense that they encourage the student to stick in there when the boat rocks. Tinto noted that most of the student’s life revolves around the classroom, and therefore a lot of importance should be placed on it (Tinto, 1982). Schools should create policies that ensure inclusiveness, not exclusivity. All the involved in this process should, or better still must work together. There should be a lot of willingness to provide the best quality of education possible. Tinto has also in his later editions included minority groups in his theory (Chaney et al., 1998). In one of his speeches, Tinto said that if high goals are set for the students, there is a higher possibility of those students doing well. There should be well laid out standards which must be clear to all students. Another thing that Tinto mentions as critical for the effective inclusion of the student into the school system is support. If there is a system that offers enough support to the new students they are likely to find their transition period easy (Rowe, 2002). Tinto says that the first year in college is a time when one is trying to fit in, both academically and socially. He says that it is very important that students be informed every so often about their progress. The institutions should let students know if they are doing well and where they need to improve in order to adjust accordingly and thus avoid possible exit (Littlewood, 2002). Institutions should ensure that the kind of learning offered is one that involves sharing. Worth noting is the fact that when Tinto talked about constant assessment, he wasn’t referring to the ordinary classroom test. He meant processes that engaged all the persons responsible in forming a well rounded individual. Tinto also encouraged institutions to improve the various faculties in order to foster cooperation among the key members of the institution, which includes the students.

Having said that then, we look at some of the other models of engagement. Bean together with Metzner came up with a model that would describe the situation of non-campus residents. This model offers an interesting thought. According to this model, it is possible for a student who does not reside in campus to either drop out or stay (Braxton et al., (2000). If the environment is favorable, the student is likely to stay. If it is not, regardless of whether the student is good academically and all the necessary academic conditions are met, the student is likely to quit. If the conditions psychologically favorable, the student will probably stay, whether or not they are good academically. According to them, various factors determine whether these students stay or not. Those predisposed to quitting are those with a full time job. In 1970, Spady developed a model that was very close to that of Tinto. As a matter of fact, both of them used Emile Durkheim’s theory on suicide to develop their own. He saw five unconnected variables as being crucial to ensuring that the student stays. For him, the academic performance, development of the intellect, the agreement of one’s values with that of the institution, friendship, and being accepted and incorporated into the social setting, are the most important elements that ensure that the student, especially the first years remain in college.

If we consider these theories, we realize that the student is the central figure in all these models. These models aim at ensuring that the rate of drop outs is reduced to acceptable levels. One way that could ensure this is providing each student with a mentor. The mentor should encourage the student to set his priorities right while at the same time acting as a link between the student and the faculty (Kuh, and Hu, 2001). This should help both the student and the institution to dialogue and eventually ensure that students find it useful to persevere in campus to the end. In other words the mentor is supposed to help the student find direction in life (Yorke, 2001). It is critical that when choosing a mentor, factors such as impartiality are considered. He/she ought to have the trustworthiness necessary in order to give maximum help to the student. As we already said, the student leaves because he/she feels unwanted. He/she is unable to establish his/her place in campus (Kuh, 2002). The mentor comes in to ensure that the place of the student is clearly emphasized, including assuring the student that he belongs, and mentoring comes in handy. We all realize that the transition period is not an easy one. One comes in to the campus with expectations, and these may or may not be met. Mentoring should help the student to either set their expectations into a realistic level or to help them realize these expectations (Thomas, 2000). What is sure is the fact that most institutions lack this important faculty, that of mentoring. Students are just expected to see the school counselor who has been set in place by the institution. Many students may not be comfortable with this kind of setting. The mentor should be focused and aware of the goal of the institution, which is reducing the number of students leaving after admission (Thomas, 2002). As already mentioned, some students remain undecided after joining college, and these are candidates of early exit (Schee, and Brian, 2007). It is necessary that the mentor help these choose their careers. This will possibly reduce the chances of them quitting. It is important that the mentor be available to the student as often as possible (Astin, 1985).

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