A STRUCTURAL MODEL OF PERCEIVED ACADEMIC, PERSONAL, AND VOCATIONAL GAINS RELATED TO COLLEGE-STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY

The purpose of this paper was to develop and test a model of college g ains using Pace's conceptual theory of student responsibility and perc eived college environment as a guide. An analysis of student responses at 11 selected institutions was accomplished using EQS, a covariance structure modeling technique. Findings suggest that the principal dete rminant of student gains is the effort that students put into their ac ademic and social experiences. This finding held for gains in general education, personal growth, and vocational preparedness. Results sugge st that what students do while at college is more important in definin g what is accomplished than their backgrounds. Student involvement is enhanced by the perception that the college provides a generally suppo rtive and facilitative environment. Observed effects of major and gend er are complex and suggest the importance of the microenvironment in c ollege outcomes research. While these variables are important in under standing the process by which gains are made, they are unimportant in accounting for gains.