ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a theory of student development, labeled the student involvement theory, which believes is both simple and comprehensive. This theory not only elucidates the considerable findings that have emerged from decades of research on; it offers educators a tool for designing more effective learning environments. Student involvement refers to the quantity and quality of the physical and psychological energy that students invest in the college experience. Such involvement takes many forms, such as absorption in academic work, participation in extracurricular activities, and interaction with faculty and other institutional personnel. The principal advantage of the student involvement theory over traditional pedagogical approaches is that it directs attention away from subject matter and technique and toward the motivation and behavior of the student. According to the student involvement theory, the greater the student's involvement in college, the greater will be the amount of student learning and personal development.
