The Connection Between Student Identities and Outcomes Related to Academic Persistence

Abstract

Young people begin to explore and develop a deeper understanding of who they are, or their identities, during adolescence and young adulthood. The various aspects of these dynamic and developing identities guide how students navigate the world and pursue their goals, including how they engage with academic opportunities and challenges. This article uses the identity-based motivation framework to integrate a selective review of research demonstrating connections between student identities and outcomes related to academic persistence. First, a foundation of significant theoretical and empirical contributions describes how different types of identities—including future identities and social identities—influence academic persistence. Additional evidence builds upon socioecological and sociocultural perspectives to demonstrate various levels of contextual influence on student identities and outcomes related to academic persistence. The area of research has implications for the promotion of more holistic approaches to student success, health, and well-being in addition to effective goal pursuit across the life span.