1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The main goal of this study was to examine the role of personal and family factors assessed before college, and academic and social experiences assessed in the first term of college, in predicting college completion.» (p. 146)

Questions/Hypothèses :
«Although some theoretical models posit that the quality of the initial college experience can compensate for past experiences (e.g., Tinto, 1993), others propose instead the continuity hypothesis, whereby the quality of college integration primarily reflects previous academic achievements (e.g., Entwisle et al., 2005). The data for the present study would allow testing these hypotheses and the development of clear guidelines for preventing postsecondary dropout.» (p. 146)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«Participants were part of the Québec Longitudinal Study of Kindergarten Children (QLSKC), which investigated a representative sample of boys and girls attending kindergarten in a French-language public school system in the Province of Québec in the school years 1986 to 1987 and 1987 to 1988.» (p. 146)

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«The results showed that what students experienced before their arrival on campus had a greater impact on college completion than did the quality of their academic and social integration in college. Precollege social behaviors and family and academic experiences explained 24.6% of the variance in college completion, whereas college experiences alone explained only 9% of the variance.» (p. 151) «The substantial contributions of certain variables measured in kindergarten, such as gender and sociofamilial adversity, further support intergenerational theories […]. Children subsequently reproduce the habits of the dominant culture in which they live. Growing up in an environment of sociofamilial adversity is therefore believed to limit a child’s chances of obtaining a postsecondary diploma as a result of this natural reproduction process.» (p. 152) «Children who grow up in a family that applies very little discipline are generally more inclined to encounter negative social experiences such as social rejection, loneliness, and isolation (Barber, 2002).We can therefore posit that students who grow up in this type of environment and nevertheless attend college will derive more benefits from positive social experiences in college.» (p. 153) «[T]his study has shown that aggression early in life, initial experiences of academic failure, lack of parental discipline, and sociofamilial adversity can limit a child’s chances of obtaining a postsecondary diploma.» (p. 154)