Success in Higher Education: A review and conceptualization

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Published: Dec 1, 2017

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Alexandra M. Araújo
Departamento de Psicologia e Educação, Universidade Portucalense Infante D. Henrique Rua Dr. António Bernardino de Almeida, 541 4200-072 Porto, PORTUGAL
Portugal
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4345-0856
Vol. 4 No. 2 (2017), Articles, pages 132-141
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17979/reipe.2017.4.2.3207
Submitted: Nov 30, 2017 Accepted: Nov 30, 2017 Published: Dec 1, 2017
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Abstract

Succeeding in higher education today is much more than completing a course or having high academic performances. Educational institutions and policies are currently concerned with the value that higher education adds to the lives of individuals and society in a collective way, seeking to assess differentiated indicators for the successful student profile. However, monitoring this success has not been fully achieved, largely because of the poor systematization of success assessment and problems in its definition. This theoretical article aims to systematize indicators of success in higher education, including objective and outcome descriptors, as well as experiential and process-related indicators. Therefore, success in higher education can be defined through student achievement, satisfaction, personal experienced gains, engagement, and adaptation from a multidimensional point of view. We also briefly analyze factors that contribute to the differentiation of these processes and results and suggest guidelines for student support services and research.

Keywords:

higher education, success, academic achievement, engagement, adaptation

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References

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