從美國校務研究的角色探究台灣財務援助政策對大學生學習成效之影響

LEARNING FROM U.S. RESEARCH ON THE IMPACT OF FINANCIAL AID ON COLLEGE STUDENT OUTCOMES TO ADVANCE INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH IN TAIWAN

研究目的：美國高等教育長期以來面臨學雜費不斷調漲及複雜的獎助學金政策，許多學者投注心力於此類財務援助如何影響大學生選校偏好及其學習成效相關研究上。此類型研究顯示出學術研究對於此類議題的研究興趣偏好，及其受到高教機構端的重視。本篇藉由檢視文獻中的明顯趨勢，顯示出高等教育研究與校務研究的結合，在政策、實務及學生行為上能提供新的視野，以提升大學校務專業管理，達成社會及大學目標。研究設計／方法／取徑：本篇採用文獻分析方式，以校務研究的觀點，綜論評析美國和臺灣財務援助政策與學生學習成效之關係。研究發現或結論：本篇文章係聚焦於分析校務研究中財務援助的研究，整體性地闡明校務研究如何協助臺灣高等教育機構達成其核心目標。研究結果顯示，財務援助在大學生學習表現上扮演重要的中介影響變項，並強調校務研究轉為實際行動後，對於實證導向的決策之重要性。研究原創性／價值性：本文章雖然是個開端，其闡述臺灣在助學金政策、學生學習成效上有推動校務研究之需求。高等教育政策中，資源分配不均向來是主要的關注議題；植基於實徵研究的校務研究，在高等教育學習成效方面，可做為教育決策及校務執行之基石。

Purpose Given higher education's long history of escalating fees and complex bursaries, scholars in the U.S. have produced a considerable body of sophisticated, theory-guided research regarding the impact of financial aid on student college choice and academic success. This research reflects a mix of broad academic interests as well as specific institutional considerations. In this paper, we review several trends evident in this literature as a way of demonstrating how higher education research and institutional research can work together to produce new insights into the policies, practices, and student behaviors that promote societal and institutional objectives. Design/methodology/approach The paper synthesizes the more representative and rigorous research on financial aid programs in relation to student success from an institutional research perspective. Studies included in this paper were conducted in the U.S. and Taiwan. Findings The present study critically reviews financial aid studies in institutional research and casts light, more generally, on how institutional research can assist Taiwanese higher education institutions in achieving their core mission objectives. Findings suggest that financial aid serves as a mediator for student success, emphasizing the importance of transforming IR into action for evidence-based decision making. Originality/value While this study provides a beginning, it underscores the need for further institutional research into the relationship between student aid and student success in Taiwan. The issue of educational disparities remains a major concern in higher education policy circles. Basing institutional policies on empirical research provides a necessary basis for policy-making and institutional practices in relation to student success in higher education.