IMPACT OF PLACE TO THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AMONG TO THE STUDENTS OF SENIOR HIGH

SCHOOL IN LNPSTHS

Introduction:

The role of university residence halls in the academic development and retention of college
students is ever-evolving. The residence hall has evolved from a mere place for students to eat
and sleep, to a potentially vital component in their social and academic integration, particularly
for first-year students. Gadson (1991) found that the most important determinant of college
impact is living on-campus, which provides substantial benefits compared to students who
commute from off-campus housing (Chickering, 1974, Pascarella and Terentini, 1991). Several
retention studies indicate that students who live in residence halls have higher retention rates
compared to commuter students (Castin, 1993; Mallette and Cabrera, 1991).

Educational research has been examining the factors that influence and correlate with
college student academic achievement and psychosocial development. Thus, the recent
massification of higher education raises new challenges concerning success in university, as
students' previous experiences, sociocultural roots, and academic needs are more diverse. The
first year in higher education has been identified in the literature as a critical year for students'
future success, retention, and persistence at the academy. First-year students not only develop
attitudes toward their academic courses that are likely to shape their future engagement in the
field, but they also develop perceptions about themselves as students.

Background of the study

The study aims to determine the differences in academic achievement and retention based on
the place of residence among three subject groups. Existing research provides inconclusive
support regarding the positive impact of the place of residence on academic, cognitive, and
personal outcomes for Senior highschool students. There is a substantial amount of research on
these issues, but clear and consistent trends are lacking in the literature. One possible
explanation for the inconsistency in the findings may be the failure to control for differences in
post-academic performance when comparing different student groups (Braxton, Vesper, &
Hossler, 1995; Clotfelter, Orr, & Wachovia, 1984; Fiddler et al., 1996; Goranson, 1997; Womack
& Hanon, 1985). Blaming (1989) conducted a meta-analysis of previous studies on students living
off-campus. His analysis revealed that most of the studies showing better resident achievement
compared to off-campus students did not include statistical or methodological controls to
account for differences in the groups’ past academic performance.