Interview with Willard Lewallen regarding the efficiency of students attending community college.
MLA Citation: Lewallen, Willard C., et al. Issues in Advising the Undecided College Student. 1994.
This Chapter discusses the different categories that Undecided students are placed into. Because there is no direct cause for indecision, it is hard to diagnose it's origins. So far, there have been many different proposed causes for indecision including family interaction, parental influence, family dysfunctionality, and anxiety. Some students are reluctant to commit to a major because the idea of work repels them. For now, grouping students into categories based on their type of indecision is the most effective way of helping them decipher their future. Because there are so many types of undecided students, there is not one affective method to help all students. He also mentions the difference in learning retention between undecided and decided students, "Definiteness of occupational purpose tends to improve the quality of a student's academic work" (9).
Author Willard Lewallen is currently the President of Hartnell College in California. He previously worked as a graduate professor teaching psychological assessment, and research/evaluation methods. He believes that the majority of student issues, initiatives and developments need to start with the following question: "What impact will it have on student development and success?"
This book is edited by Virginia N. Gordon who is an expert in the field of academic advising. She has been a professor of education at Ohio State University for 21 years. She proposed an advising position for undergraduates, and was hired shortly after to see her project through.
Key Terms:
- Developmentally Impaired: Students who have not acquired the relevant skills for vocational decision making
- Developmentally Delayed: Students unaware or not willing to learn decision-making skills
- Undecided: Unwilling, unable or not prepared to make educational choices
Quotes:
"Definiteness of occupational purpose tends to improve the quality of a student's academic work" (Lewallen 9).
"A number of other terms have been utilized to describe this population such as exploratory, open-major, undeclared, general studies major, undetermined, and special major. However, the term undecided is generally understood because of its prominence in research and the easy identification with its meaning" (Lewallen 6).
"Most professionals would readily agree that there are several types of undecided students. Typically, the following categories are used to classify undecided students: entering freshmen, major-changers, undecided upperclassmen, undecided honor students, undecided student athletes, adult undecided students, and underprepared undecided students" (Lewallen 7).
"Of all the correlates of indecision in the research literature, the variable found most often associated with indecision has been anxiety" (Lewallen 8).
"Another variable often found to be associated with career indecision is self-identity. Super (1957) suggested that choosing an occupation involves assessing the congruence of occupation and self-concept. When a person’s concept of self is confused, unsolidified, or distorted, making comparisons becomes difficult" (Lewallen 8).
Value: This chapter is particularly valuable to my research because it addresses who undecided student are. Since there is not a general reasoning for a student to be undecided, the different categories of undecided students will help me in narrowing my topic and focusing on one specific type possibly. I also found the mental health links to anxiety and self-concept especially interesting because it can help me understand the undecidedness of students.
Excellent lit review. This looks like a very useful source.
ReplyDeleteI think the "causes" issue might be a combination of multiple things, but most of all the increased pressure (and stress) of identifying a path to a paying career with an ever-changing market and debt issues that put even more pressure on that. And this causes anxiety. Lack of parental guidance (due to their lack of cultural capital) is also a factor.