Abstract
This study examined a model of college student choice for male and female ninth graders using LISREL. A sample of 703 male students and 718 female students and their parents responded to two sets of questionnaires regarding high school experiences and expectations about college. Endogenous variables examined included parents' expectation regarding higher education for their children, parents' savings for college, students' discussion of college with their parents, and students' aspiration for postsecondary education. The model explained 30.8% of the variance in students' aspiration for males and 36.8% for females. Final empirical models for the two groups suggested that there may be subtle differences in family influence on male and female students' college-going plans.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bishop, John (1977). The effect of public policies on the demand for higher education.Journal of Human Resources 5(4): 285–307.
Brown, Kenneth G. (1982). Postsecondary plans of high-school seniors in 1972 and 1980: Implications for student quality. Presented at the AIR Forum, Denver, May. (ED 220 060)
Bowen, Howard R. (1977).Investment in Learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Carpenter, Peter G., and Fleishman, John A. (1987). Linking intentions and behavior: Australian students' college plans and college attendance.American Educational Research Journal 24(1): 79–105.
Chapman, David (1981). A model of student college choice.Journal of Higher Education 52: 490–505.
Chapman, Randall G. (1984). Toward a theory of college choice: A model of college search and choice behavior. Alberta, Canada: University of Alberta.
Chapman, Randall G., and Jackson, R. (1987). College choices of academically able students: The influence of no-need financial aid and other factors, Research Monograph No. 10. New York: The College Board.
Conklin, Mary E., and Dailey, Ann R. (1981). Does consistency of parental encouragement matter for secondary students?Sociology of Education 54: 254–262.
Ekstrom, Ruth B. (1985). A descriptive study of public high school guidance, report to the commissions for the study of precollegiate guidance and counseling. Princeton, N.J.: Educational Testing Service.
Fuller, Winship, Manski, Charles F., and Wise, David (1982). New evidence on the economic determinants of postsecondary schooling choices.Journal of Human Resources 17(4): 472–498.
Gilmour, Joseph, et al. (1981). How high school students select a college. Pennsylvania State University. (ED 208 705)
Hause, John C. (1969). Ability and schooling as determinants of lifetime earnings; or if you're so rich why aren't you smart?American Economic Review 23: 289–298.
Hodgkinson, Harold L. (1983). Guess who's coming to college: your students in 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Independent Colleges and Universities.
Hossler, Don, and Gallagher, Karen S. (1987). Studying student college choice. A three phase model and the implications for policy makers.College and University 2(3): 207–221.
Hossler, Don, and Stage, Frances K. (1988). Family and high school experience factors' influence on the postsecondary plans of ninth grade students. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of American Education Research Association, New Orleans, April.
Hossler, Don, Braxton, John, and Coopersmith, Georgia (1989). Understanding student college choice.Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research, Vol. V (forthcoming). New York: Agathon Press.
Jackson, Gregory A. (1986). MISSA, the fall of Saigon, and college choice, 1972 to 1980. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, San Diego, CA, February.
Jackson, Gregory A. (1982). Public efficiency and private choice in higher education.Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis 4(2): 237–247.
Kohn, Michael G., Manski, Charles F., and Mundel, D. (1976). An empirical investigation of factors influencing college going behaviors.Annals of Economic and Social Measurement 5(4): 391–419.
Kotler, Philip, and Fox, K. (1985).Strategic Marketing for Educational Institutions. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Litten, Larry H. (1982). Different strokes in the applicant pool: Some refinements in a model of student choice.Journal of Higher Education 4: 383–402.
Litten, Larry H. et al. (1983)Applying Market Research in College Admissions. New York: The College Board.
Maguire, John, and Lay, R. (1981). Modeling the college choice process: Images and decisions.College and University 56(3): 123–29.
Manski, Charles F., and Wise, David A. (1983).College Choice in America. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.
Marini, Margaret M., and Greenberger, Ellen (1978). Sex differences in educational aspirations and expectations.American Education Research Journal 15(1): 67–79.
Murphy, Patrick E. (1981). Consumer buying roles in college choice.College and University, Winter, 141–150.
Nolfi, George J. (1978).Experiences of Recent High School Graduates. Lexington, Mass: Lexington Books.
Parents, programs and Pennsylvania students (1984). Harrisburg, PA: Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Universities.
Russell, C. M. (1980). 1980 survey of grade 12 students' postsecondary plans and aspirations. Manitoba Department of Education, Winnepeg, Canada. (ED 201–225)
Sewell, William H., Haller, Archibald O., and Portes, Alejandro (1969). The educational and early occupational attainment process.American Sociological Review 34: 82–92.
Sewell, William H., and Hauser, Robert M. (1975).Education, Occupation and Earnings: Achievement in Early Career. New York: Academic Press.
Sewell, William H., and Shah, Vimal P. (1978). Social class, parental encouragement, and educational aspirations.American Journal of Sociology 3: 559–572.
Stage, Frances K. (1988). Student typologies and the study of college outcomes.The Review of Higher Education, 11: 247–257.
Stage, Frances K. (forthcominga). LISREL: An introduction and applications in higher education. To appear inHigher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research, Vol. VI. New York: Agathon Press.
Stage, Frances K. (forthcomingb). Motivation, academic and social integration, and the early dropout.American Education Research Journal, to appear.
Tierney, Michael (1980). Student college choice sets: Toward an empirical characterization. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, Washington, D.C., March.
Trent, James, and Medsker, Leona (1967). Beyond high school: A psychological study of 10,000 high school graduates. University of California, Berkeley. (ED 224 434)
Tuttle, Ron (1981). A path analytic model of the college going decision. Appalachian State University. Boone, North Carolina. (ED 224 434)
Wolfle, Lee (1984). Applications of causal models in higher education.Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research, Vol. 1. New York: Agathon Press.
Young, Michael E., and Reyes, Pedro (1987). Conceptualizing enrollment behavior.Journal of Student Financial Aid 17(3): 41–49.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stage, F.K., Hossler, D. Differences in family influences on college attendance plans for male and female ninth graders. Res High Educ 30, 301–315 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00992606
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00992606