New Factors of Engagement

In the Netherlands, research on student success has been highly influenced by Tinto’s integration theory. As part of my broader PhD research, I investigate the possible influence of the use of social media by first year students in higher education on student success. In previous studies I measured the best predictive variables of Tinto’s theory, derived from various studies, and conducted factor analysis on them to establish one latent variable. In this paper I focus on the role of the use of social media, in particular Facebook, to eventually adjust the model of Tinto for a better fit for students in contemporary society and the developed world. The use of Facebook is measured by purpose (information, education, social and leisure) and by the use of different pages amongst students. In line with Tinto’s theory the different integration or engagement components are sought. Principal component-analysis is conducted to explore these components between the purposes of using Facebook and different pages. Internal consistency is sought and the reliability is tested by Cronbach’s alpha and Guttman’s lambda-2. Ultimately this paper will provide insight into what kind of influences, the use social media can have upon student success.