Determinants of Student Success: An Integrative Perspective to Orient Policy and Practice

Over the past few decades, several theoretical conceptions have been proposed to explain the determinants of student success (e.g., Astin, 1985; Bean, 1980; Pascarella, 1985; Tinto, 1993). Most prominently, Astin (1970) emphasized the effect of intense student involvement on academic performance, and Tinto (1993) argued that persistence partly resulted from integration within the institution’s social networks and personal commitments to the goal of graduation. This article seeks to elaborate these concepts by examining the indicators and facilitators of goal commitment, academic engagement, and social identification.