Recentering the individual in context using the Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory: Applications for higher education

Abstract

Student development theory has been an important guide in practice; however, few theories focus on both the individual and the influence of the environment. Spencer's (1997) Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST) examines the individual, the environment, and the role of environmental feedback on self‐perceptions, with a specific focus on how this feedback influences student experiences and outcomes. PVEST allows for assessing the processes by which an individual can develop strategies to resist negative feedback from oppressive environments, as well as how individuals use different coping mechanisms. In this chapter, we apply PVEST to individual student‐level exemplars, as well as examples within counseling and classroom microcontexts to demonstrate the importance of environmental influence as well as phenomenological individual differences in interpretations and self‐perception. Ultimately, we demonstrate how PVEST is a theoretical mechanism to focus on both the person and their phenomenological experiences (PEs), and offer larger implications for use in higher education contexts. While critical for student affairs (SA) and higher education (HE) practitioners to consider the influence of the environment on college student development, experiences, and outcomes, there can still be individual, subjective phenomenological differences across individuals who might share similar identities and be in similar contexts. We encourage practitioners to utilize PVEST—which examines the individual and the environment—with a specific focus on the role of environmental feedback on self‐perceptions, and how these self‐perceptions can impact student experiences and outcomes. PVEST is useful for understanding an individual's risk and protective factors, their available sources of challenge and support, and the coping mechanisms they use. Ultimately, PVEST can help a SA/HE practitioner assess processes by which the student can develop strategies to resist negative feedback from oppressive environments.