Achievement Motivation and College Satisfaction in Traditional and Nontraditional Students

Abstract

It has been proposed that there are many factors that promote or hinder the success of students in post-secondary educational institutions (lamport, 1993). Among these factors, achievement motivation and with the college experience have been linked to student attrition and performance (Hatcher, Kryter, Prus & Fitzgerald, 1992; Klein, 1990; Lamport, 1993). Specifically, Spanard (1990) indicated that persisting students have more motivation than nonpersisting students and nonpersisting students are less involved in college life and activities. Attrition has been an important topic of discussion and research as it has been shown that between 40% to 50% of higher education students do not complete their degrees (Hatcher, Kryter, Prus, & Fitzgerald, 1992). Although substantial research has been completed on achievement motivation (Apler, 1974; Friis & Knox, 1972; Helmreich & Spence, 1978) and with the college experience (Lamport, 1993), the results have been inconsistent as researchers have used various operational definitions as a basis of investigation. Also, in examining the issue of academic performance and attrition, achievement motivation and with college need to be considered as they relate t the nontraditional student (Lamport, 1993; Nunn, 1994). Sheehan, McMenamin and McDevitt (1992) reported that, according to the College Board, the nontraditional college student population (25 years old and greater) has greatly increased and is almost equal to the traditional student population. Due to the general life experiences and life differences of these students, there may be differences in their achievement motivation, with the college experience and reasons for pursuing an education. Since older students are prevalent in higher education, it would be beneficial to take a closer look at their learning experiences in order to help facilitate the creation of an environment that best meets their educational needs and goals (Nunn, 1944; Sheehan, McMenamin, & McDevitt, 1992; Spanard, 1990; Yarbrough & Schaffer, 1990). Achievement Motivation and Satisfaction with the College Experience In the research focused on the development of objective measures of achievement motivation, there is a general consensus that motivation is made up of multiple dimensions, but there is not a general agreement regarding the specific makeup of those dimensions. In general, there is a support for the idea that achievement motivation is the product of interdependent variables such as the locus of control (Duke & Nowicki, 1974), the need for affiliation, impulsiveness, planfulness (Friis & Knox, 1972), personal achievement, social achievement, academic achievement (Piedmont, 1989), mastery, work orientation, competitiveness and personal unconcern (Helmreich & Spence, 1978). It is assumed that these factors may vary according to individuals' experiences and characteristics (Helmreich & Spence, 1978; Piedmont, 1989; Reid & Boothroyd, 1973). Therefore, it has been recommended that consideration of individual characteristics such as gender and social roles be included when analyzing various dimensions of achievement motivation (Alper, T. G., 1974; Helmreich & Spence, 1978; Piedmont, 1989; Reid & Boothroyd, 1973). It has been suggested that students' perceptions of the college experience have both negative and positive effects on student attrition and persistence (Hatcher, Kryter, Prus & Fitzgerald, 1992; Klein, 1990; Lamport, 1993). Specifically, it has been theoretically argued that student is necessary for continued motivation (Klein, 1990). Furthermore, Bean and Bradley (1986, p. 403) demonstrated that had a greater influence on performance than performance had on satisfaction indicating that with college can be a predictor of academic success. Also, Edwards and Waters (1982) tested freshmen college students and upon a two-year follow-up found that first quarter grade point average and general with college combined to predict attrition. …

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