Indicators of Persistence for Hispanic Undergraduate Achievement: Toward an Ecological Model

Abstract

By examining Hispanic students both currently and formerly enrolled at a private, Hispanic-serving Institution located in the Southwestern region of the United States, this study attempts to understand the factors that lead to Hispanic undergraduate persistence to graduation. Adapting Bronfenbrenner’s theoretical approach, this study explores three dimensions that are critical to understanding Hispanic undergraduate persistence to graduation: (a) the role of the student context (b) the role of the university context in the student’s decision to persist; and (c) the interaction between the two contexts.

A través de examinar estudiantes Hispanos inscritos actual y previamente en instituciones de servicio a hispanos localizadas en la región suroeste de los Estados Unidos de América, este studio trata de entender los factores que dirigen la persistencia para graduarse. Adaptando el modelo teórico de Bronfenbrenner, este estudio explora tres dimensiones que son críticas para entender la persistencia y graduación en estudiantes de pregrado: 1) el papel del contexto del estudiante 2) el papel del contexto universitario en la decisión del estudiante para persistir; y 3) la interacción entre los dos contextos.

Keywords

persistence retention Hispanic students undergraduate students qualitative Hispanics serving institutions (HSI)

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