Using Student Development Theories to Explain Student Outcomes

Chapter
First Online:
Part of the Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research book series (HATR, volume 26)

Abstract

This chapter explains the current research on student development theories by exploring three critical aspects associated with theoretical outcomes that are researched in the general higher education literature. The first aspect is to clarify how theory is used, defined, and interpreted in higher education research. This leads to a discussion on how student development is currently understood and the evolution of theories that explain student behavior. And finally a discussion is presented on how student development theories can be used in research on college students to gain a more nuanced view of student outcomes and to explain findings in the context of developmentally appropriate practices. The conclusion presents ideas on how future research can be oriented toward a better understanding of how students develop.

Keywords

Student development Theory Identity Intrapersonal Interpersonal Intersectionality Research Critical encounters 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Indiana UniversityBloomingtonUSA

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