| The purpose of the researcher in this study was to investigate the process of persistence of adult students at Nassau Community College. The effects of background, environmental, academic and attitudinal variables; GPA; and intent to persist were studied. A model developed from Bean & Metzner's (1985) conceptual model of nontraditional student attrition was employed as the framework for analysis.;Four hundred and seventy full and part-time, matriculated adult students, who had completed less than 50 credits (68% of those surveyed) responded to a survey which measured 15 independent variables: three background variables (credits completed, enrollment status, and HSGPA); five environmental variables (encouragement, family responsibilities, finances, outside stress, and transfer opportunity); two academic variables (use of academic advisement and course availability); three attitudinal variables (satisfaction, school stress, and utility); GPA; and intent to persist.;The responses were analyzed in relationship to persistence for the Spring 1988 semester, using multiple regression and path analysis. The exogenous variables could be associated with the following amounts of variation in the endogenous variables: persistence (15 variables, R;In order of their total effects coefficients, through intent, the following variables had the five largest effects on persistence: intent, transfer (negative effect), utility, satisfaction and enrollment status.;Bean and Metzner's 1985 model of nontraditional student attrition described the process of persistence for the adult students very well. The attitudes of utility and satisfaction had positive effects on intent to persist, and school stress had a negative effect on intent to persist. Intent to persist had the largest, positive effect on actual persistence.;Grade point average had no relationship to persistence, due to the high mean GPA of the sample. The environmental variables affected the attitudinal variables, rather than having a direct effect on persistence as predicted by the model. School stress and credits completed had negative effects on intent, but positive effects on actual persistence. Enrollment status had a significant effect on persistence, with full-time students being more likely to persist. |
