Abstract
Research during the 1970s and 1980s identifies grades and satisfaction with college as important educational outcomes, both in their own right and because of their relationship to other outcomes such as persistence. Building on previous research, this article examines the relationship between grades and satisfaction using a latent variable model that includes a variety of factors found to influence grades and satisfaction. The covariance structure analyses indicate that the model provides an accurate representation of the data and explains a substantial proportion of the variance in satisfaction and grades. Results suggest that satisfaction exerts a stronger influence on grades than grades exert on satisfaction. These findings suggest that popular recursive models of educational outcomes should be reevaluated, and that non-recursive models may provide a more accurate representation of educational effects.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aitken, N. D. (1982). College student performance, satisfaction, and retention: Specification and estimation of a structural model.Journal of Higher Education 53(1): 22–50.
Alwin, D. F., and Jackson, D. J. (1980). Measurement models for response errors in surveys: Issues and applications. In K. F. Schuessler (ed.),Sociological Methodology 1980 (pp. 69–119). San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Baird, L. L. (1985). Do grades and tests predict adult accomplishment?Research in Higher Education 23(1): 3–85.
Banta, T. W., and Fisher, H. S. (1986). Putting a premium on results.Educational Record 67(2–3): 54–58.
Beal, P. E., and Noel, L. (1979).What Works in Student Retention. Iowa City: American College Testing Program.
Bean, J. P. (1980). Dropouts and turnover: The synthesis and test of a causal model of student attrition.Research in Higher Education 12(2): 155–187.
Bean, J. P. (1982). Conceptual models of student attrition: How theory can help the institutional researcher. In E. Pascarella (ed.),Studying Student Attrition (New Directions for Institutional Research Series, No. 36, pp. 17–33). San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Bean, J. P., and Bradley, R. K. (1986). Untangling the satisfaction-performance relationship for college students.Journal of Higher Education 57(4): 393–412.
Bean, J. P., and Kuh, G. D. (1984). The reciprocity between student-faculty informal contact and academic performance of university undergraduate students.Research in Higher Education 21(4): 461–477.
Bentler, P. M., and Bonett, D. G. (1980). Significance tests and goodness of fit in the analysis of covariance structures.Psychological Bulletin 88(3): 588–606.
Betz, E. L., Starr, A. M., and Menne, J. W. (1972). College student satisfaction in ten public and private colleges and universities.Journal of College Student Personnel 13(5): 456–461.
Cameron, K. S. (1981). Domains of organizational effectiveness in colleges and universities.Academy of Management Journal 24(1): 25–47.
Endo, J. J., and Harpel, R. L. (1982). The effect of student faculty interaction on students' educational outcomes.Research in Higher Education 16(2): 115–138.
Gilbert, S. N., and Gomme, I. M. (1986). Future directions in research on voluntary attrition from colleges and universities.College and University 61(3): 227–237.
Hayduk, L. A. (1987).Structural Equation Modeling with LISREL: Essentials and Advances. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Hearn, J. C. (1985). Determinants of college students' overall evaluations of their academic programs.Research in Higher Education 23(4): 413–437.
James, L. R., Mulaik, S. A., and Brett, J. M. (1982).Causal Analysis: Assumptions, Models, and Data. Beverly Hills: Sage.
Jöreskog, K. G. (1978). Structural analysis of covariance and correlation matrices.Psychometrika 43(4): 443–477.
Jöreskog, K. G., and Sörbom, D. (1986).LISREL VI: Analysis of Linear Structural Relationships by Maximum Likelihood, Instrumental Variables, and Least Squares Methods, 4th ed. Mooresville, IN: Scientific Software.
Kuh, G. D., Bean, J. P., Bradley, R. K., Coomes, M. D., and Hunter, D. E. (1986). Changes in research on college students published in selected journals between 1969 and 1983.Review of Higher Education 9(2): 177–192.
Liu, R., and Jung, L. (1980). The commuter student and student satisfaction.Research in Higher Education 12(3): 215–226.
Long, S. (1988).Covariance Structure Models: An Introduction to LISREL (Sage University Paper Series on Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences, No. 07-034). Beverly Hills: Sage.
MacCallum, R. (1986). Specification searches in covariance structure modeling.Psychological Bulletin 100(1): 107–120.
Marsh, H. W., Balla, J. R., and McDonald, R. P. (1988). Goodness-of-fit indices in confirmatory factor analysis: The effect of sample size.Psychological Bulletin 103(3): 391–410.
Milton, O., and Pollio, H., and Eison, J. (1986).Making Sense of College Grades: Why the Grading System Does Not Work and What Can Be Done About It. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Morstain, B. R. (1977). An analysis of students' satisfaction with their academic program.Journal of Higher Education 48(1): 1–16.
Mulaik, S. A., James, L. P., Van Alstine, J., Bennett, N., Lind, S., and Stidwell, C. D. (1989). Evaluation of goodness-of-fit indices for structural equation models.Psychological Bulletin 105(3): 430–445.
Munro, B. H. (1981). Dropouts from higher education: Path analysis of a national sample.American Educational Research Journal 18(2): 133–141.
Pascarella, E. T. (1980). Student-faculty informal contact and college outcomes.Review of Educational Research 50(4): 545–595.
Pascarella, E. T., and Chapman, D. W. (1983). A multiinstitutional, path analytic validation of Tinto's model of college withdrawl.American Educational Research Journal 20(1): 87–102.
Pascarella, E. T., Smart, J. C., and Ethington, C. A. (1986). Long-term persistence of two-year college students.Research in Higher Education. 24(1): 47–71.
Pike, G. R. (1989a). Students' background characteristics, educational experiences, educational outcomes: A model for evaluating assessment instruments. In S. J. Reithlingshoefer (ed.),Develo** Assessment Partnerships Between Community and Senior Colleges: The Theory and Practice of Outcomes Assessment (pp. 79–91). Fairfax, VA: George Mason University.
Pike, G. R. (1989b, March). The performance-satisfaction relationship revisited: Specification and testing a structural model. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco.
Terenzini, P. T., and Pascarella, E. T. (1977). Voluntary freshman attrition and patterns of social and academic integration in a university: A test of a conceptual model.Research in Higher Education 6(1): 25–43.
Terenzini, P. T., and Pascarella, E. T. (1980). Student/faculty relationships and freshman year educational outcomes: A further investigation.Journal of College Student Personnel 21(6): 521–528.
Terenzini, P. T., and Wright, T. M. (1987). Influences on students' academic growth during four years of college.Research in Higher Education 26(2): 161–179.
Tinto, V. (1975). Dropout from higher education: A theoretical synthesis of recent research.Review of Educational Research 45(1): 89–125.
Tucker, L. R., and Lewis, C. (1973). A reliability coefficient for maximum likelihood factor analysis.Psychometrika 38(1): 1–10.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pike, G.R. The effects of background, coursework, and involvement on students' grades and satisfaction. Res High Educ 32, 15–30 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00992830
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00992830