Choices, Identities, Paths: Understanding College Students’ Academic Decisions

32 Pages Posted: 2 May 2018

See all articles by Mitchell Stevens

Mitchell Stevens

Stanford University - School of Education

Monique Harrison

Stanford University

Marissa E. Thompson

Stanford University

Arik Lifschitz

Stanford University

Sorathan Chaturapruek

Stanford University

Date Written: April 10, 2018

Abstract

Curricular exploration is a fateful and internationally peculiar component of undergraduate academic life in the United States, yet the mechanisms through which college students consider and select courses have received only modest social-scientific attention. Insights from organizational theory, decision research, and social psychology can inform further inquiry. Drawing on preliminary empirical research involving a web-based course exploration and planning tool in use at a private U.S. research university, we develop a conceptual framework for studying college students’ academic choices as an important instance of decision making under conditions of uncertainty.

Keywords: college students, choices, identities, paths, academic decisions

Suggested Citation

Stevens, Mitchell and Harrison, Monique and Thompson, Marissa and Lifschitz, Arik and Chaturapruek, Sorathan, Choices, Identities, Paths: Understanding College Students’ Academic Decisions (April 10, 2018). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3162429 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3162429

Mitchell Stevens (Contact Author)

Stanford University - School of Education ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305-3096
United States

Monique Harrison

Stanford University ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305
United States

Marissa Thompson

Stanford University ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305
United States

Arik Lifschitz

Stanford University ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305
United States

Sorathan Chaturapruek

Stanford University ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305
United States

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