How do academic advising theories inform practices and philosophies?

Academic advising theories, which offer frameworks for comprehending student growth and direct interactions between advisors and students, are vital in forming advising methods and philosophies. Prescriptive theories, like the Trait and Factor Theory, place a strong emphasis on matching students' traits with possible courses of study and careers. This helps advisors provide recommendations and interventions that are specifically catered to each student's needs. Conversely, developmental theories—such as Chickering's Theory of Psychosocial Development—concentrate on the whole person development of students and advise advisors on how to encourage and build autonomous thought, self-awareness, and autonomy in their students through interactions

Academic advising theories significantly shape the practices and philosophies of advisors by providing frameworks that guide their interactions with students. These theories, such as Developmental Advising and Appreciative Advising, emphasize the importance of understanding students' individual needs and contexts, allowing advisors to tailor their approaches accordingly.

I like theories for background information but in practice, each student is so dramatically different in the way they communicate, learn new information, think, write, arrive to my office with vastly different experiences, and express themselves. So, the theory somewhat goes out the window the moment I establish rapport with them and actually start helping them. I am student-centered on the spot, which means that a textbook theory isn’t always going to match what my students need.

Academic advising theories provide an important guiding framework for advising practices. However, it's crucial that advisors maintain flexibility and adapt advising approaches to suit each unique student's needs and goals. While theories offer structure, a personalized human connection is equally vital for student success. Effective advising requires a nuanced balance of theoretical grounding and interpersonal attentiveness. With empathy, curiosity and care, advisors can empower students to plot their own academic journeys.

Both prescriptive and developmental theories play multifaceted roles in academic thoughts on wide dimension. Prescriptive theory is more normative and practical in guidance in seeking breakthrough by following set of information and principles laid down. Developmental theory is instructive and deepen the search for curiosity in students to understand dynamics and growth. Such as in Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development ranging from birth to 11 years old and above. Both theories would help to shape great scholars and innovative idea shepherds in academic communities.

Some students need to be reminded to remain open minded about their college experiences and challenges. Earning a degree is not for everyone. At every corner it is essential for students to reflect on their journey and commitment of a college education as an investment within themselves. In my experience, students tackling the confidence they will explore with the learning outcomes of a course only holds value if the student finds the knowledge applicable in the lives they lead. The follow up conversation after a term is just as essential for the academic planning for the future terms. I am able to gain knowledge of their views, learning styles and challenges along the way to lead them to success through advising.

Learning-centered theories prioritize students' active engagement, emphasizing skills development and critical thinking. Integrative theories integrate academic, career, and personal advising, promoting holistic student development and success.

Academic advising theories like Constructivist and Narrative inform practices by emphasizing personalized learning and storytelling. Constructivist theory advocates for advising tailored to individual student experiences, promoting self-directed learning. For example, an advisor might help a student reflect on past academic challenges to shape future goals. Narrative theory encourages students to frame their educational journey as a story, with advisors aiding in identifying themes and direction. In my experience, advisors using these theories have helped students create coherent narratives of their academic paths, leading to increased motivation and clearer career aspirations.

Since no two students learn the same, we have to be able to pivot on the spot, recognize our student's needs in the moment, and offer both constructivist and narrative advising. Our advising philosophy should result from us exposing ourselves to as many different advising theories, learning preferences, thinking processes, past experiences, and potential future experiences as possible.

Constructivist theories view learning as an active process where students construct knowledge through experiences. Narrative theories emphasize students' life stories, using personal narratives to guide advising, fostering self-awareness and goal alignment in academic pursuits.

To summarize the above points, academic advising theories inform practices by providing a framework for understanding student development and guiding advising interactions. For example, Developmental Advising views students as evolving over time, prompting advisors to focus on holistic growth. Prescriptive Advising might lead to a more directive approach, where advisors provide specific recommendations. In my experience, advisors who integrate Appreciative Advising often encourage students to recognize their strengths and potential, which is motivating. These theories shape the philosophies of advising by influencing how advisors perceive and interact with students, ultimately aiming to support and empower them in their academic journeys

Theory should shape practice. Without it, advisors (esp those who work together in decentralized advising models) cannot work together to best assist students. Individual advisors' processes may be at odds with others, or contain (maybe unconscious) biases that can be mitigated with a standardized foundation. If we’re thinking in terms of the New Advisor to Master Advisor continuum, formal theory lets new advisors hit the ground running. Without some type of “this is what we do and why we do it,” incoming advisors are lost, which can lead to personal anxiety and possible professional missteps. And institutions love assessment. Standardization helps with advising consistency, needed to compare results and maintain quality procedures.