A Comparative Study of Psychosocial Development in Nontraditional and Traditional College Students

Abstract

Students who do not fit the definition of the traditional student are becoming an increasingly large segment of the college population. In order to effectively promote retention in today's college students, the student development professional must understand these changing demographic and academic characteristics. This study compared student development in nontraditional and traditional college students. Student development was measured using the Student Developmental Task and Lifestyle Assessment (SDTLA). Nontraditional students were defined by the degree to which they ascribed to a set of nontraditional characteristics. This study of 163 students found that nontraditional students scored significantly lower than traditional students on all three Tasks measured by the SDTLA-Establishing and Clarifying Purpose, Developing Autonomy, and Developing Mature Interpersonal Relationships. In addition, the more nontraditional characteristics the student ascribed to, the lower the reported level of development. Implications for student development practice are discussed. 283 Ó 2006, Baywood Publishing Co., Inc.

Impact of Student Engagement on Academic Performance and Quality of Relationships of Traditional and Nontraditional Students

“…The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) defines a nontraditional student as having any of the following characteristics: 24 years of age or older; does not enter postsecondary education immediately after high school graduation; attends a college or university as part-time (or full-time) for at least part of the academic year; works 35 hours or more per week while enrolled; is considered financially independent by financial aid eligibility standards; has dependents other than spouse; is a single parent; or is recipient of General Educational Development (GED), other high school completion certificate, or did not complete high school (Choy, 2002;Macari, Maples, & D'Andrea, 2005). Since age is the common variable throughout each definition, nontraditional students were defined as 24 years of age or older for the purposes of this study.…”

Measuring School–Family Conflict and Enrichment in University Student Parents: A Measurement Validation Study

“…Student parents with high student and parental self-efficacy have been found to experience less psychological distress and have higher self-esteem and life satisfaction (Quimby & O'Brien, 2006). Yet, there is some evidence to suggest that student parents may have lower overall scores on measures of student psychosocial development than traditional students (MacAri, Maples, & D'Andrea, 2005). Institutional factors such as peer support, access to university services, and positive interactions with faculty have also been found to influence academic success, intent to remain in school, and overall school satisfaction (Kuh et al, 2006;Van Stone et al, 1994;Wyatt, 2011).…”

An Integrative Literature Review on the Barriers Impacting Adult Learners’ Return to College

“…The longer an adult learner waits to go to college, the more challenging the adaptation (Crozier & Garbert-Jones, 1996). For example, MacAri, Maples, and D’Andrea (2005) conducted a study that found adult learners who have been separated from the academic environment for numerous years take a longer period of time than traditional students to develop a sense of autonomy and self-efficacy.…”