Student Development in Western Society Higher Education - Research Paper Example

Student Development in Western Society Higher Education Introduction Student development theory plays a very important role in the development of students in the higher learning institutions. The student development theory has helped the professionals in the higher education to understand how students mature and develop and how library can help the students in achieving their quest for academic journey. Student’s development theory stresses on the need for team work among the higher academic institutions students, mutuality, and equality. Student development theory helps the education experts in providing and designing environment that help the students to mature and learn. This paper will explain various issues to do with the student development in higher education institution in the western society of higher education. It is first very vital to understand the student development origin in the western society higher education. The present status will also be looked and not forgetting the future direction of student development in western society higher education. Furthermore, the paper will provide some of the challenges students in the higher education face and their dimension in diversity. In addition to the above coverage, the paper will so provide some of the student development fundamental theories and social identity development theories. The paper will also provide domain of student’s identity and their implication in the development of postsecondary education. The model of service delivery is also an important issue in the student development which is also covered this paper. In the paper is also the analysis of elements of institutional policy that inhibits and those that contributes to student development. Furthermore, the paper also provides an analysis of legal, professional and ethical consideration related to student development in higher education. Finally, the paper concludes with the analysis of core competency of student development professionals and evaluation of their potential in the evaluation of their ability in driving student success. The Origins of Student Development In the years back, there was idea that the work of student personnel was not only on the student administration but an all round development and education. This was the concerns of the official of higher education forty years ago. The only new thing about the late 70s and 60s student development movement was that the proactive program was to be introduced by the university staff. On the addition to the introduction of the proactive program, the intervention content and nature and the result could be specified by crafting then in conformance with the right theory of human development. The student development as explained in three different documents: student development service in higher education, Student development in tomorrow higher education and a student development model for student affair for tomorrow higher education. Today, there is a resent association composed of professionals that perceives human development as the professions common held core. Today’s system of higher education has directed its focus from the broader student affair general concern field to focus on the student development. The professionals in student’s higher education have majorly focused their future in a version that has greatly failed to prove its goals and that has not yet proven itself. Challenges of Student Development The challenges in the higher education are majorly faced by the first year’s students in the university. These students are majorly faced with discriminatory, cultural, life style, economical, and social issues. Higher learning institution is an institution composed of students from divers background with different cultural believes. The institutions also accommodate students from various countries. Some of the students from a foreign country find it hard to when in the university because of language barrier and the cultural of the country they are learning in. the institution should consider these challenges faced by the students seriously and take various measures to try and solve them as they determines the future of these students. If these challenges are closely looked at, they can have great consequences on the life of the students and their academic performance. However, a student going to places that challenges them is very important. These new challenges will help them study and integrate what they are learning from other students. For example, when a student joins a higher learning institution, he or she has to try to adjust to his or her roommates. However, sometimes the student may find it hard to have some good terms with the roommate about various issues. Though, it is very vital for these issues to be solved if both the students want to prosper in their academic life. Some of the problems faced by the students may depend on their family background or their society. The life in these higher institutions can be overpowering and it is normal for students to be depressed. Gloominess and sadness are feeling of the lowest point that are influential and affects many students and others. This sadness has made the students to opt for partying as a way to manage the feeling. However some do not find parting as a working option for their sadness and opts for others like fellowship. Foundational Theories of Student Development There are five main fundamental theories which include: student development process mode, person environment theory, psychosocial theory, humanistic existential theory and cognitive structural theory. STUDENT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS MODELS Student development process models theory is the conceptual representation of the personal work of the student’s field or the suggested steps of set of action for student development practice. Student development process model provides the process steps on how to utilize the theory rather than how to do it, why and what to do that is provided by the theory. These models help the actual practices of the models by the practitioners. PERSON-ENVIRONMENT THEORIES Personal-Environment theory talks of behavior as environment and persons function. For example, if a person goes through the chapters of the higher institution, there are some good chapter houses that are beautiful and are being treated with respect by the members. These is a chapter house where nobody things of drooping pizza boxes that are empty in the hallway, nobody makes holes on the walls. There is a high possibility of the chapters that are influential. These influential is mainly because of to the chapter advisers or house directors who are politely influencing. The influence is majorly on the change of behaviors of the members. These changes are always there to remind the members of the value of property respect. Other chapter houses may be littered with old clothes, garbage, food smeared on the walls as a result of food fight. The members of these littered chapter houses are also being influenced an environment that is negative. The main point of argument of the members from the littered house chapter is that the house is not there and they care less about its maintenance. Most of the Personal-Environment theory is used in planning for carrier. PSYCHOSOCIAL THEORIES Psychosocial theory is majorly talked of development tasks or issues that happen through out the life span. These events and tasks seem to occur in progression and are connected with the chronological age. Individuals move from one stage to another by accomplishing tasks that are related or by resolving crisis. Psychosocial theory is about what or content of the student development. For example, the theory of William Perry helps understand the sequential order in which student’s think. The theories first stages deals with the intellectual development of the student as they change from the world’s dualistic view. This is majorly what is wrong or right or what is white or black, to the world relativistic view that all knowledge is related. The remaining position is concerned with the ethnical development of the students (Evans, Forney, Guido, Patton, & Renn, 2009). HUMANISTIC EXISTENTIAL THEORIES Human existential theory shares human condition common philosophy. Human are responsible, potentially self actualizing, free, self aware, and in a position of functioning fully. Development is motivated internally. This theory believes that the growth force is inside a person and self-discloser, self-acceptance and self- awareness facilitates it. These theories are utilized mainly in counseling. COGNITIVE-STRUCTURAL THEORIES Cognitive- structural theory talks about how a person thinks, reason, and make sense of their experience. Development is seen as stage of hierarchies with the next successive stage entailing part of the previous stage. This is mainly how or the process of student development. Social Identity Development Theories Social identity theory is has the best definition. It is mainly a theory that predicts a given intergroup behavior on grounds of the alleged group status difference. Further more, the alleged stability and legitimacy of these status differences and the alleged ability to progress from one group to the other. NAÏVE STAGE Naïve stage defines our situation when we are brought into this world. Naïve stage is from the perspective that we are taught our social status and social group membership of the target and dominant group. ACCEPTANCE STAGE Acceptance stage majorly defines a person involvement and compliance with the dominant values and ideology. For example, a person in this stage will either go along actively or passively with believes and values of the dominant group. A person in the acceptance stage that is active will do so consciously or intentionally. However a person in acceptance stage that is passive will do things unconsciously or unintentionally. In both the cases, the final result will be giving some privileges that are unearned or maintaining the status quo to the group that is dominant. People at who are at this stage may scapegoat or blame the members of the target group for their oppressions and see the group that is dominant superior. When people are at this stage, they will tend to deny that there is existence of oppression and may believe on the target group stereotype. RESISTANCE STAGE Resistance stage defines a person’s defiance of believes, values and ideology of the domain group. For example, people in this stage may actively or passively be rejected working against the resist believes and system. A person who is in a resistance stage that is active will find it easy to question policies of the institution that are oppressive. However, the person in a stage that is passive will find it easy to question and challenge oppressive behavior and challenges in a situation that is safe and there is little risk to ones professional and social position. In numerous times, students who are in the group that is oppressed will have a mixed emotional felling and will need the support of people from their own social group. People who are from the group of oppressor usually experience a felling of guilt and shame for being the oppressor part and will actively reject and avoid the rights obtained from a system that is oppressive. REDEFINITION STAGE Redefinition stage is experienced when a person looks for their own identity out of their link to the dominant ideology. A person tries to find out by searching for the new ways to define membership of ones social group. For example, a person would try to look for establishment of a sense of self in opposition to the dominant ideology instead of that ideology. INTERNALIZATION Internalization is a stage where a person has obtained a strong sense of self and is determined to look for a way to build coalition with other groups to look for a way to deconstruct limiting, dominant ideology. For example, white students in the higher learning institution and the colored student will form coalition to end racism and the system that embraces it. The colored students in the higher learning institution will also initiate a fight against other forms of oppressions. The Domains of Student Identity Development In the comparison of the student identity and how it is affected by the guidance in the career choice for students. And comparison of the extended of carrier development after and before guidance and finally the comparison of identity development of a norm group participants of the same educational level and same group. Following the found guidance, the participant expressed a major increase in the strength of commitment in personal domains, global identity and vocational. The size of effect was moderate. The participants showed a high level of increase than what the norm group showed. The first commitment group strength with the choice of carrier problem was lower as compared to the norm group in the personal and vocational domain but not in the global identity (Kunnen, 2013). Active and Passive Models of Service Delivery ACTIVE LEARNING Active learning is a term that is widely inclusive and is used to explain various instruction models that embraces learners accountable for their own education. Some of the known leaders of active learning Bonwell and Eison (1991) have heavily contributed to its development and have embraced active learning as an important approach. Professionals of active learning describes it as a means in which students engage in doing things and conceptualizing of what they are specifically doing in the classes (Bonwell & Eison, 1991, p. 2). Active learning entails a lot of practices such as interspersing exercises that are short written in class. Further more pausing of the lecture for the student to take down the notes and encouraging discussion in small groups is also active learning. Active learning also incorporates surveying instrument, quiz, and self assessment exercise for the students. Leading experiments in the laboratory, using debates and taking field trips, role play and games are also very important active learning practices (Ebert-May, Brewer, & Allred, 1997; Bonwell & Eison, 1991; Sarason & Banbury, 2004). Bonwell and Eison (1991) propose that active learning has the following advantages: students are more occupied than in passive listening. The other advantage is that motivation of students is increased; students are involved in various activities such as writing, and discussion. Bonwell and Eison did not also forget that students can obtain immediate feedback; student may be involved in thinking of higher-order, which includes evaluation, synthesis and analysis. Principles of active learning must be practically applied to classroom setting in case the management of educators wants to have and see some positive effects on the students. Auster and Wylie (2006) advices that there is need for four dimensions which is necessary if systematic approach is to be created to promote classroom active learning: class preparation, context setting, continuers improvement and class delivery. Context setting means the creation of a relaxed and open that provides a perfect atmosphere for learning in a classroom. Class delivery entails the implementation of the lesion plan in a classroom; Class preparation entails a good planning and creativity before the start of a class session. Continuers’ improvement includes using and seeking feedback relating to teaching approaches. PASSIVE LEARNING Passive learning is one of the common traditional teaching methods that are commonly utilized by many professors in the business school. In a class that is traditional, the professor takes most of the class time to deliver notes to the students and not giving the students any time to enable them engage in a group discussion or experiential exercise. (Stewart-Wingfield & Black, 2005). Furthermore, in a traditional class, the professor provides the class with the semester’s syllabus, class schedule. The grading of each student is determined by the few assessment text that the professor provided to the students. These exams are mainly based on multiple –choices, matching questions, or true- falls questions. The passive learning has been used for many years by the professionals. This is because it provides an expedition and a convenient mode to pass on knowledge and introduction of basic principles to a large class of undergraduates students (Whetten & Clark, 1996). By using the passive learning method, the professors can lecture a large amount of material within a very short time of teaching (Miner, Das, & Gale, 1984). Even though the widely used method of teaching is passive learning, the resent research has shown that many students grasps nothing at the end of the classes and for this reason, active learning has proven to be more productive (Van Eynde & Spencer, 1988). The next disadvantage of this method in relation to the active learning, during the lecture hours, most of the professors have learnt that most of the students are always not attentive during the lectures (Dorestani, 2005). Lack of attentiveness by the students during the lecture hours have made some of the students falling asleep when in the lecture hall. Some of the students also engage in the talking during the lecture hours while others play games. To counter the behaviors observed on the students during the lecture hours, the professors have opted for active teaching as the way that will totally make the students to be involved in the various activities concerning learning. Analyze Key Elements of Institutional Policy Student academic successes are correlated with various factors. These factors include prior schooling factor, goal commitment and the academic staff quality. In addition, effective interaction of the faculties, accommodation services, demographic factor, and English proficiency. Academic curriculum and extra curriculum activities, sufficient modern facility, scholarship and finance service are ale some of the key element. The previously listed factors that correlate with the success of students academically are conceptual frame work that only focuses on the institution policies. These policies are concerned with the service of academic support that can increase the student’s academic performance and retention. However it is clearly possible that the concept of academic performance will be different from on country to another because of the difference in economic, educational and cultural back ground. A research by different professionals showed that the higher education system policy foster diversity in campus community had some positive effect on the student’s satisfaction with the higher institution experience, leadership ability and cognitive development. These policies encourage the higher institution faculties to include the themes relating to teaching and diversity and avail the students with the opportunity to confront multicultural and racial issues in extra curriculum setting and the classroom. Legal and Ethical Considerations Some of the legal and ethical consideration related to student development includes; late submission, UCF golden rule, class attendance, accommodation statement, policy incompliance, and overview of course requirement and assignment. CLASS PARTICIPATION/ATTENDANCE: This will be mainly, based on the class contribution to the group discussion and attendance. This will majorly contribute in ensuring that students understand what is being taught in the lecture halls. Furthermore it ensures that the students attend most of the classes which will help the students in learning new ideas provided by the lecture by not missing the classes. LATE SUBMISSIONS: If an assignment is submitted late, the student will be deducted some grades unless he or she had permission from the instructor. This will contribute in developing the students in terms of time keeping. The students will develop to be very discipline when it comes to providing services at the stipulated time (Johnson, Megan , 2015). UCF GOLDEN RULE: The golden rule shall apply to all the students pursuing higher education graduates and undergraduate. The university student organization and the university regional compasses and shall be used as part of the conditions and terms of the enrolment and admission of all students. Failure by the students to abide by the regulation of the university may be subjected to the recommended civil authority. The violation of the university laws and regulation will be recorded in the university disciplinary files of the given student breaking the laws. The students will learn on how to abide by the rules of the land and understand the consequence of breaking the rules. This will help the students to develop understand of the importance of abiding to the organization rules. ACCOMMODATION STATEMENT: Accommodation statement is majorly concerned with students with disability. Accommodation statement is very important as it will help in understanding the some of the factors that may hinder students from fully affecting his or her abilities. For example, students with disabilities find it hard to climb the steers and it will be recommended for them to be accommodated in ground flow as they find it easy to access. The accommodation statement will help the students in the higher education to understand the need of helping people with disability in the society. The students will understand the need of providing equal opportunity for students with disability. POLICY ON INCOMPLETES (“IC”): The institution of higher education provides no incompletes. This will help the students to try their level best to finish the courses at the required time. OVERVIEW OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS & REQUIREMENTS: the students in higher education are always expected to show high level off scholarship in all the assignment and activities in level with the norms of graduate course work. Student interpretation and analysis of class topics should reveal relation with the various sources of information, knowledge of alternative perspective of the subject and the ability to inspect higher education issues systematic and critical. Students are also in charge of all the reading materials that are assigned and submitting all the assignment at the right time. Work that does not qualify to be categorized as a graduate work will not qualify for grading and will be taken back to the owner. The students will develop new searching skills in case for them to provide an assignment that is of high quality and that qualifies to be categorized as that for graduates. Core Competencies of Student Development The competence areas involves; advising and helping, research and assessment evaluation, ethics, and legal foundation. In addition, student development and learning, teaching, critical self-knowledge, leadership and administration, inclusion and pluralism, students learning and development are core competence issues in student development. ADVISING AND HELPING This are majorly skills related to providing direction, feedback, support, guidance, and critiques to groups and individuals. The achievement of advising and helping to be attained, a person must be in a position to establish reports with colleagues, groups and students. Facilitate problem solving and challenge colleagues and students effectively. Understand and know the use of referral sources, encourage students and colleagues effectively. Facilitate individual goal setting and decision making. Simultaneously and strategically track multiple objectives in communication with students. Establish rapport with groups, students and colleagues. ASSESSMENT, EVALUATION, AND RESEARCH The implementation and design of assessment, research methods and evaluation focus on student’s satisfaction and learning, and organizational development issues. Professional training and development, the development of students and other issues that are emerging that are both of qualitative and quantitative issues. The competence also entails the ability to conduct a design and critique analysis at a level appropriate to a person job expectation, background, and experience. For evaluation, assessment and research, one must be in a position to gain a good understanding of the intervention and effectiveness of programs by using professional issues to advance students learning and address student concern. To facilitate the collection of data for department evaluation effort that will be used for wide assessment. A person will conduct evaluation of agenda for staff development effort and programs offered by peer, self and paraprofessional staffs. Evaluation assessment and research truth worthiness need also to be assessed. Furthermore some of the factors that also need to be assessed are the quality and quantity study and these findings transformability the work setting that is current. Competence also entails use of result assessment and effective interpretation, research report and evaluation and studies. Furthermore competency also entails understanding the analysis technique and quantitative and designs including a person being aware of factors that may contribute to measurement problems like those relating to reliability and validity. For competency to be attained, a person needs to understand the importance to follow division and institutional policy with relation to ethical evaluation, assessment and other research activity. CRITICAL SELF-KNOWLEDGE For effective critical self knowledge, the person needs to understand the character, feeling, motivation or capability and how they affect a person’s professional effectiveness. For a person to be competence, the student must demonstrate his or her strength and limitations related to field. These are by updating all his or her findings and maintain his or her performance stable in terms in terms of stress, defeat, frustration, opposition and discouragement. It is also important for a person to be in a position to criticize ideas without being critical of the person who has an idea. ETHICS For competence purpose, it is important for a student to understand the ethical standard and apply them. It is important to understand the ethical statement of the two students affair body that are major (ACPA and NASPA). It is also important to understand the ethical statement of any other directly relevant. The ethnical statement of an institution should be identified to serve as a foundation of the statement. LEGAL FOUNDATIONS For competence to be realized in a given organization or institution, it is important for a person to understand the knowledge issues and apply then in the environment he or she is working on. The difference between the public and private higher education with respect to the legal system of the American is very vital. Further more, what they will mean for faculty staffs and students must be understood by every person at both types of the institution. The other thing that is important is the understanding of the constitution of America and how it influences the rights the staffs; students and faculty have on collage campuses that are of public. Understanding of how the legal theories connected with negligence and torts and their effect on the professional practices. The final issue that is important on administration management and leadership is summarizing and identifying case laws that speak to desegregation, civil right and affirmative action in the higher education. PLURALISM AND INCLUSION It is important for student n affairs and the higher education to increase the level of multicultural competence. All views are valued on pluralistic campus. To develop institutions that are both multicultural and pluralistic components, there is need for the understanding of groups that are diverse coupled with social responsibility and civic engagement as well as understanding the cultural importance. STUDENT LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT There is need to acquire knowledge and understanding of principles and concepts of the student’s development theory and the capability to inform and improve the student affair practices. It is important for a person to have knowledge or be aware of the differences in nationality, ethnicity and race. In addition class, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion believe and disability that can influence development during the years in collage. Furthermore a person must understand his or her own development and student development informal theories of student development and how they can improve work with the students when informed by the formal theory. TEACHING This entails knowledge and understanding of principles and concepts of teaching, training and learning theory and how these theories can be applied to develop these theories to improve student’s education and develop practices (American College Personnel Association, 2007). Conclusion Student development theory is very important to the higher education collages. It helps the professors and the stake holders in the field of education to come up and make changes to certain issue in the institution to enhance a positive development on the students. This will allow the students to appreciate the importance of accepting diversity in the university and improving their learning skills. Student development theories will enable the institution to understand various issues students face in the university and how to solve the issues. The institution will also understand the need to embrace diversity in the university and how it contributes positively. It is very important for the institution managers to carefully follow the development theory as it is the only way that they will chose on various factors that will influence the students in a positive way. REFERENCE: American College Personnel Association. (2007). Professional competencies: A report of the steering committee on professional competencies. Retrieved July, 24, 2010. American College Personnel Association (1975). A student development model for student affairs in tomorrow's higher education. Journal of College Student Personnel, 1A, 334- 341 Auster, E. R., & Wylie, K. K. (2006). Creating active learning in the classroom: A systematic approach. Journal of Management Education,30, 333–354. Bonwell, C., & Eison, J. (1991). Active learning: Creating excitement in the classroom, ASHE ERIC Higher Education Report No. 1. Washington, DC: The George Washington University, School of Education and Higher Education. Brown, R. D. (1972). 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