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Underprepared, Ethnically Diverse Community College Students: Factors Contributing to Persistence
Abstract
Vie purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the perceptions of underprepared college students who had par-ticipated in a first-year learning community at an urban, culturally diverse, commuter campus in the southeastern United States. Perceptions of graduates and those who earned at least 30 college-level credit hours were compared to their learning community peers who did not persist and had dropped out of college. A to-tal of 22 students participated: 6 graduates, 12 persisters, and 4 dropouts. The factors included personal attributes, support systems, and other characteristics. Findings suggested the follow-ing ways to enhance the academic experience of underprepared college students: (a) include critical pedagogy, (b) integrate cocurricular activities with the academic disciplines, and (c) increase student-faculty interaction. Postsecondary institutions such as community colleges emphasize student retention because high levels of attrition may harm the interests of many constituents (Bragg, 2001). For example, Bragg identifies interests such as the long-term earning options of students; the economic vi-tality of communities needing skilled workers; and the institutions curriculum development, faculty planning, mission, and political impact. College administrators perceive student retention rates as indicators which measure the quality of faculty instruction, support ser-vices, and student success. In community col-leges this is particularly disconcerting because of the number of college students whose entry placement scores require them to enroll in de-velopmental education classes and their low persistence and graduation rates (Bers & Smith, 1991; Burley, Butner, & Cejda, 2001). Nationally, approximately one-third of all students enter-ing colleges or universities need remediation (Byrd & McDonald, 2005); as many as 41% of all community college freshmen nationwide are enrolled in developmental courses (Hoyt, 1999; McCabe, 2003). The following question framed the study: To what did underprepared community college students who participated in a learning commu-nity and completed their developmental classes attribute their having graduated (graduates) or earning at least 30 credit-bearing college credits (the persisters) as compared to those who par-ticipated in a learning community but did not complete their developmental classes and who dropped out of college (dropouts)? College students enrolling in developmental classes and not participating in learning com-munities have demonstrated a higher attrition rate and a lower completion rate (Boylan 1999; Burley et al, 2001; McCabe, 2003; Roueche & Roueche, 1999) compared to college students who participated in learning communities; the latter academically outperformed nonpar-ticipants (Brittenham et al., 2003; Knight, 2003; Raftery, 2005). Most studies have been conduct-ed at 4-year institutions or among specifically defined cohorts such as those enrolled in hon-ors colleges or specific majors. Zhao and Kuh (2004) analyzed 80,479 students from 365 four-year institutions, finding that participation in a learning community was positively linked with engagement in active and collaborative learn-ing, increased interaction with faculty mem-bers, and augmented overall satisfaction with the college experience. At the time of this study, 284 institutions had listed their programs with the Washington Center Learning Communities National Resource Directory (2007). Of that number, 101 represented community colleges, and only 9 of those institutions, including the study site, had implemented learning commu-nities for students in developmental education classes. Developmental education (also known as postsecondary remediation, basic skills edu-cation, compensatory education, or preparatory education) is composed primarily of sequences of increasingly advanced courses designed to bring underprepared students to the level of skill competency expected of college freshmen (Mc-Cabe, 2003).
... Student Affairs Counseling and Psychological Services (2023) notes that family responsibilities, such as illness, death, or lack of support, can negatively impact a student's ability to continue their education from semester to semester. A qualitative study by Barbatis (2010) explores how underprepared first-year students felt about their experience in a first-year learning community at a culturally diverse, urban commuter institution in the Southeastern United States. In all, 22 students participated (six grads, 12 persistent, and four dropouts; 17 women and five men who ranged from 19 to 46 years of age). ...
... Semi-structured interviews with each participant and a focus group with participants yielded narrative material that was transcribed, processed, and analyzed to obtain insight into the experiences and viewpoints of the participants. Barbatis (2010) stated that the entire family, not just the student, is frequently involved when a son or daughter enters college. ...
... Financial aid is most effective when students and families learn about it early enough to make the right choices and plans about high school coursework, family savings, work and earnings, and college options (Powell et al., 2022). Barbatis (2010) stated there is room for improvement at postsecondary institutions, especially community colleges. However, some have implemented Parent's Going to College sessions as part of the first-year orientation program to inform parents about their children's academic progress, campus resources, funding opportunities, and who to contact if they have questions. ...
Most of the material on post-secondary Black males focuses on this group's lack of academic accomplishment. According to research, Black males have poorer levels of academic achievement, ranking at or near the bottom of most success measures such as enrollment, persistence, engagement, and attainment (de Brey et al., 2019; Same et al., 2018). However, much of the research on post-secondary Black males is deficit-based. This study seeks to understand how this group believes their academic, social, and intrapersonal experiences have aided their persistence through community college. This qualitative study explored what motivates full-time, part-time, first-generation, second-generation, traditional, non-traditional, and working Black male students to persist toward an associate degree or certification. An Anti-deficit framework guided this study, emphasizing factors influencing persistence among Black men attending community college. The framework provided a counternarrative to the profusion of deficit-based literature on post-secondary Black males.
... One way to tackle this declining trend in enrollment is to allocate resources to retain more students and understand the underlying factors. As defined by Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the retention rate is a measurement (expressed as a percentage) at which students persist in their educational program [27]. In other words, retention rates are calculated as the percentage of first-time undergraduate students who return to the same institution the following fall. ...
... This includes an investigation into and addressing dropouts, and students' unwillingness to return to the same institution. Recently published and existing education literature indicates a downward trend of college retention and graduation rates across academic institutions [27], [10]. As per the National Center for education statistics [27], retention does vary across institutions (59% to 96% at public 4-year institutions while 63% to 81% at 4-year private institutions). ...
... Recently published and existing education literature indicates a downward trend of college retention and graduation rates across academic institutions [27], [10]. As per the National Center for education statistics [27], retention does vary across institutions (59% to 96% at public 4-year institutions while 63% to 81% at 4-year private institutions). The trend is even more alarming for 2-year degree-granting institutions, including community colleges (61% for public 2-year and 68% for private 2-year). ...
Student success, including enrollment, degree completion, and improved retention, has been adversely affected due to the covid-19 pandemic across the higher academic landscape in the United States. It is quite a challenge to accurately predict what factors impact student retention in an academic institution most. This research aims to develop and empirically test a comprehensive list of factors contributing to student retention behavior using data mining techniques (DMT). This study examines retention behavior prediction from the dataset (pre-pandemic and post-pandemic) of 18,000+ students enrolled at an academic institution. Here, we deploy six different machine learning (ML) models (e.g., Logistic Regression (LR), Support Vector Machine (Linear Classifier), Support Vector Machine (Radial Basis Function), Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) to predict student retention. Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) is also being used to fix the imbalance class problem and improve the performance of data mining algorithms. Empirical results showed that completed credits, grade point average (GPA), college entrance age, and attempted credits were vital factors in student retention behavior. This research also highlighted that RF algorithms outperformed other DMTs' and achieved the highest accuracy (0.86) with SMOTE for retention prediction. The critical results discussed here should apply to similar higher academic institutions worldwide. Academic institutions would benefit from launching preventative measures to avoid dropouts and improve retention based on the retention metrics reported here.
... McArthur (2005) found that instructor support was associated with higher student integration and retention, and that students who received less support indicated a desire to develop closer relationships with instructors. A qualitative study among ethnically diverse community college students emphasized the importance of connections with instructors in contributing to persistence among diverse community college students (Barbatis, 2010). Using narrative analysis, another study found that college instructors influenced successful transfers of community college students to selective universities (Dowd et al., 2013). ...
... Both part-time students and commuter students typically return to environments that have many competing demands, leaving less time available for campus involvement (e.g., Lundberg, 2003). This tightrope of balancing home, work, and academic demands can interfere with optimal engagement with instructors and coursework (Barbatis, 2010;Center for Community College Student Engagement [CCCSE], 2017;Deil-Amen, 2015). ...
... Instructor relationships were significantly associated with all student outcomes we assessed, including both behavioral and cognitive academic engagement and GPA. These results support previous research demonstrating the role of instructor relationships in academic success among students in community college settings, especially related to student retention and persistence (e.g., Barbatis, 2010;Hatch & Garcia, 2017;McArthur, 2005). ...
Objective: Although much research on community colleges focuses on institutional challenges or student deficits, emerging evidence suggests that student–instructor relationships have the potential to impact student success. The current study examined factors that could influence community college students’ development of relationships with instructors and how these relationships are associated with academic engagement and achievement. Drawing on literature exploring student–instructor relationships at 4-year institutions, we hypothesized that students’ relationships with instructors may partially account for the association between student demographic and relational characteristics and academic outcomes (i.e., cognitive and behavioral engagement, grade point average [GPA]). Method: Survey data were collected from 646 ethnically and racially diverse participants, many of whom were first-, second-, or third-generation immigrants, or first-generation college students. Employing a between-subjects, cross-sectional design, we tested the main study hypotheses of mediation through a series of path analysis models using Mplus. Results: Students with higher support-seeking attitudes and students with a mentor reported closer relationships with instructors, whereas part-time students reported weaker relationships with instructors. In turn, student–instructor relationships were significantly associated with both cognitive and behavioral aspects of academic engagement and GPA. Conclusion: This study provides insight into the various factors that may influence community college students’ development of relationships with instructors and highlights the direct and indirect influence of these relationships on student success. Implications for future practice include finding strategies that can be implemented at community colleges to foster student–instructor relationships. Future research should further explore these associations using longitudinal data to gain a deeper understanding of current findings.
... Persistence and student retention are two widely explored areas of postsecondary education (Tinto, 2006). Several theories of persistence include social factors implicating the importance of students bonding with their institution (Barbatis, 2010;Fowler & Boylan, 2010). Tinto (1997) indicated that a student's inability to break away from friends and family, failure to understand the role of a college student, and failure to bond with the institution both socially and academically contributed to drop-out rates. ...
... Tinto (1997) indicated that a student's inability to break away from friends and family, failure to understand the role of a college student, and failure to bond with the institution both socially and academically contributed to drop-out rates. These tenets of persistence drive the development of retention programs in higher education with a variety of at-risk student populations including: African-American students (Brooks, Jones, & Burt, 2013;Grier-Reed, 2013), students with disabilities (Bellman et al., 2015), first-generation students (Wibrowski, Matthews & Kitsantas, 2016), students attending community colleges (Barbatis, 2010;Nitecki, 2011), first-year students transitioning to college (Clark & Cundiff, 2011;Mattanah et al., 2010;Tinto, 1997), and academically poor students requiring developmental education (Fowler & Boylan, 2010;Laskey & Hetzel, 2011;Valentine et al., 2011). Many recent retention interventions have been implemented with a variety of programmatic structures. ...
... Many recent retention interventions have been implemented with a variety of programmatic structures. Variations include: open-forum informal discussion groups (Grier-Reed, 2010), first-year learning communities (Barbatis, 2010;Tinto, 1997), academic coaching sessions (Bellman et al., 2015), semester-long freshman seminars (Clark & Cundiff, 2011), and peer-led social-support groups (Mattanah et al., 2010). ...
... Persistence and student retention are two widely explored areas of postsecondary education (Tinto, 2006). Several theories of persistence include social factors implicating the importance of students bonding with their institution (Barbatis, 2010;Fowler & Boylan, 2010). Tinto (1997) indicated that a student's inability to break away from friends and family, failure to understand the role of a college student, and failure to bond with the institution both socially and academically contributed to drop-out rates. ...
... Tinto (1997) indicated that a student's inability to break away from friends and family, failure to understand the role of a college student, and failure to bond with the institution both socially and academically contributed to drop-out rates. These tenets of persistence drive the development of retention programs in higher education with a variety of at-risk student populations including: African-American students (Brooks, Jones, & Burt, 2013;Grier-Reed, 2013), students with disabilities (Bellman et al., 2015), first-generation students (Wibrowski, Matthews & Kitsantas, 2016), students attending community colleges (Barbatis, 2010;Nitecki, 2011), first-year students transitioning to college (Clark & Cundiff, 2011;Mattanah et al., 2010;Tinto, 1997), and academically poor students requiring developmental education (Fowler & Boylan, 2010;Laskey & Hetzel, 2011;Valentine et al., 2011). Many recent retention interventions have been implemented with a variety of programmatic structures. ...
... Many recent retention interventions have been implemented with a variety of programmatic structures. Variations include: open-forum informal discussion groups (Grier-Reed, 2010), first-year learning communities (Barbatis, 2010;Tinto, 1997), academic coaching sessions (Bellman et al., 2015), semester-long freshman seminars (Clark & Cundiff, 2011), and peer-led social-support groups (Mattanah et al., 2010). ...
... Consistently, research has found that a key factor of underrepresented students' persistence in school, especially in higher education, is academic integration, or a feeling of inclusion in academic culture (Baker, 2013;Barbatis, 2010;Engle & Tinto, 2008). To maintain motivation in the face of considerable obstacles, underrepresented students must feel that they are a part of academia, and that academia is a part of them. ...
... Unfortunately, efforts toward persistence in education, as well as acculturation into White, upper-and middleclass values, put underrepresented students at risk of feeling doubly alienated. Such students may feel increasingly distant from their families and communities of origin, while still feeling like outsiders in school (Barbatis, 2010;Stanton-Salazar, 2011;Stephens et al., 2015). Stanton-Salazar (2011) asserted that skilled institutional mentors can help youth forge a "bicultural identity," enabling them to navigate educational institutions while maintaining their cultural and familial values. ...
... These marginalized students are also less likely to report having a natural mentor outside of their families, particularly mentors with high institutional and social capital (Chang et al., 2010;Erickson et al., 2009;Putnam, 2015;Raposa, Erickson, Hagler, & Rhodes, 2018). This disparity seems to be maintained or even compounded in college, during which a small proportion of underrepresented students report having a faculty or staff member serve as a mentor (Baker, 2013;Barbatis, 2010;Fruiht, 2015). ...
Longitudinal studies suggest that naturally occurring mentoring relationships are associated with positive, long‐term educational outcomes, but little is known about the mechanisms underlying these potential effects. Predominant theories and research methods portray natural mentoring as a static, one‐to‐one phenomenon and are removed from specific sociocultural and developmental contexts. Thus, the current paper critically reviews existing literature and proposes a dynamic, network‐based process model of mentoring. Building on Rhodes’ (2005, Handbook of youth mentoring, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 30) theoretical model, the proposed model integrates sociological, educational, and psychological research to examine developmental pathways through which natural mentoring relationships might promote underrepresented (e.g., low‐income, ethnic/racial minorities) students’ educational persistence and success. In particular, mentoring relationships might enhance students’ positive help‐seeking beliefs and trust in nonparent adults. These mentors may possess key cultural capital and knowledge that help underrepresented students navigate White, upper‐ or middle‐class cultural norms. Mentors may also cultivate students’ school‐relevant selves and bicultural identities, facilitating integration into mainstream academia while affirming cultures of origin. Through these processes, previous mentoring experiences may promote the formation of new mentoring relationships, enabling youth to build dynamic support networks. Unfortunately, on a larger scale, advantage and disadvantage persist due to inequitable access to mentoring in educational settings.
... Persistence and student retention are two widely explored areas of postsecondary education (Tinto, 2006). Several theories of persistence include social factors implicating the importance of students bonding with their institution (Barbatis, 2010;Fowler & Boylan, 2010). Tinto (1997) indicated that a student's inability to break away from friends and family, failure to understand the role of a college student, and failure to bond with the institution both socially and academically contributed to drop-out rates. ...
... Tinto (1997) indicated that a student's inability to break away from friends and family, failure to understand the role of a college student, and failure to bond with the institution both socially and academically contributed to drop-out rates. These tenets of persistence drive the development of retention programs in higher education with a variety of at-risk student populations including: African-American students (Brooks, Jones, & Burt, 2013;Grier-Reed, 2013), students with disabilities (Bellman et al., 2015), first-generation students (Wibrowski, Matthews & Kitsantas, 2016), students attending community colleges (Barbatis, 2010;Nitecki, 2011), first-year students transitioning to college (Clark & Cundiff, 2011;Mattanah et al., 2010;Tinto, 1997), and academically poor students requiring developmental education (Fowler & Boylan, 2010;Laskey & Hetzel, 2011;Valentine et al., 2011). Many recent retention interventions have been implemented with a variety of programmatic structures. ...
... Many recent retention interventions have been implemented with a variety of programmatic structures. Variations include: open-forum informal discussion groups (Grier-Reed, 2010), first-year learning communities (Barbatis, 2010;Tinto, 1997), academic coaching sessions (Bellman et al., 2015), semester-long freshman seminars (Clark & Cundiff, 2011), and peer-led social-support groups (Mattanah et al., 2010). ...
Effects of Environment on Depressive Symptoms on Chinese Left-Behind Children Lanyan Ding & Eric S. Buhs, Ph.D. .....4 Students on the Edge: Evaluating an Academic Support Group Ben Heinisch .....26 Examining Inequalities in Science Literacy by Religious Affiliation Among Adults Alexis Swendener ........47 Applying Encoding and Retrieval Techniques to Chinese Rhyme Reading in Advanced Placement Chinese Instruction Nan Wang....64 There are not many student-run academic journals, so The Nebraska Educator is excited to provide a forum for researchers, scholars, policymakers, practitioners, teachers, students, and informed observers in education and related fields in educational settings in the United States and abroad. Now in our fourth year, it is exciting to see the work that continues to be accomplished when those interested in educational research have a venue to share their contributions. To date, articles published in the previous three volumes of our journal have been downloaded more than 14,000 times by readers all across the globe. The Nebraska Educator is an open-access peer-reviewed academic education journal at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This journal is produced by UNL graduate students and publishes articles on a broad range of education topics that are timely have relevance at all levels of education. We seek original research that covers topics which include, but are not limited to: (a) curriculum, teaching, and professional development; (b) education policy, practice, and analysis; (c) literacy, language, and culture; (d) school, society, and reform; and (e) teaching and learning with technologies. If you are interested in submitting your work to The Nebraska Educator, please submit online using: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nebeducator/
... Persistence and student retention are two widely explored areas of postsecondary education (Tinto, 2006). Several theories of persistence include social factors implicating the importance of students bonding with their institution (Barbatis, 2010;Fowler & Boylan, 2010). Tinto (1997) indicated that a student's inability to break away from friends and family, failure to understand the role of a college student, and failure to bond with the institution both socially and academically contributed to drop-out rates. ...
... Tinto (1997) indicated that a student's inability to break away from friends and family, failure to understand the role of a college student, and failure to bond with the institution both socially and academically contributed to drop-out rates. These tenets of persistence drive the development of retention programs in higher education with a variety of at-risk student populations including: African-American students (Brooks, Jones, & Burt, 2013;Grier-Reed, 2013), students with disabilities (Bellman et al., 2015), first-generation students (Wibrowski, Matthews & Kitsantas, 2016), students attending community colleges (Barbatis, 2010;Nitecki, 2011), first-year students transitioning to college (Clark & Cundiff, 2011;Mattanah et al., 2010;Tinto, 1997), and academically poor students requiring developmental education (Fowler & Boylan, 2010;Laskey & Hetzel, 2011;Valentine et al., 2011). Many recent retention interventions have been implemented with a variety of programmatic structures. ...
... Many recent retention interventions have been implemented with a variety of programmatic structures. Variations include: open-forum informal discussion groups (Grier-Reed, 2010), first-year learning communities (Barbatis, 2010;Tinto, 1997), academic coaching sessions (Bellman et al., 2015), semester-long freshman seminars (Clark & Cundiff, 2011), and peer-led social-support groups (Mattanah et al., 2010). ...
This qualitative case study evaluated the effectiveness of the Academic Skills Discussion Group, a new retention intervention targeting undergraduate students on academic probation. This intervention utilized a support group structure to provide social and academic supports to academically-poor students. These supports incorporated didactic educational presentations and interpersonal discussions relating to life change and college expectations. The case comprised one pilot administration of the intervention for three student group members. Data was collected from pre/post-intervention resiliency surveys, grade point average comparisons, journal-entry analysis and semi-structured exit interviews. The researcher conducted inductive data analysis by coding participant statements for meaning, calculating and comparing survey results, and triangulating findings. Analysis provided case descriptions and themes regarding how participating in the intervention influenced students’ resiliency, adjustment, and academic performance. Findings indicate that for most students, participation in the program coincided with improved academic performance and increased connectivity to the academic environment. Evaluative descriptions break down the recruitment strategy, examine benefits of participation and address future enhancements to the delivery of the intervention. Implications for higher education applications and future use of small group interventions are discussed.
... As the college student population began to become more diverse in terms of gender, ethnicity, race, age, socioeconomic status, history of family college attendance, and academic preparation, many institutions and scholars viewed their college success and outcomes from a deficit model (Feldman & Tyson, 2014). However, diverse college students bring numerous resources to the college experience derived from their social and cultural contexts that can be leveraged to support collegiate academic success (Barbatis, 2010;Wells, 2008). These cultural and social resources in terms of linguistic resources, parental involvement, aspirational and achievement focus to name a few are powerful success resources for students from diverse backgrounds Yosso, 2005). ...
... Whereas, traditional college students may increase their academic success in college by increasing their involvement on campus, a form of social capital, first-generation and other diverse student groups find social and cultural resources through continued involvement with their families and communities while in college . These social and cultural resources can help them overcome other obstacles to college success including lack of academic preparation (Barbatis, 2010). ...
... This phenomenon has been documented in numerous research studies. For example, Barbatis (2010) conducted a study that examined the similarities and differences between diverse college students who had been successful with those from similar underprepared, ethnically and racially diverse backgrounds who had not been successful, in order to define college success from the perspective of students who have been traditionally underrepresented among the college student population. Results of the study indicated that successful students from diverse and underprepared backgrounds had developed personal, academic and cultural characteristics, as well as socio-cultural resources, and support networks both at home, and in college that contributed to their academic success (Barbatis, 2010). ...
The seminal theories that describe human development during the college years were developed several decades ago using research conducted with homogenous groups of college students that resemble the demographic characteristics of 21st Century college students in very few ways. The current population is more diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic status, academic preparation, immigration status, and disability than the college student population has ever been in the history of higher education. This review highlights recent research on how the current diverse population of college students interacts within the campus environment. The review considers the current research on how college affects 21st century college students, and how students develop in terms of career, cognitive, and psychological development during the college years. Also important to consider is the kind of social and cultural capital that diverse college students bring to college that helps them achieve academic and career success.
... This information is useful, but falls short helping educators to make changes to their practice. There are a handful of studies that investigate what happens within the classroom to understand the ways that Latinx experience instruction (Barbatis, 2010;Acevedo-Gil, Santos, Alonso, and Solórzano, 2015), but they do not investigate the experiences of students, and don't explain how to support students' mathematical learning. Ornelas and Solórzano (2004) interviewed students, faculty, counselors, and administration at a Hispanic Serving Institution to understand why Latinx students had lower transfer rates than their White peers. ...
... The authors suggested that more needs to be done to understand the experiences of Latinx students within the classroom as the measures they used only address specific parts of the student learning experience, outside of instruction. Barbatis (2010) interviewed 22 underrepresented minority students who had taken developmental coursework at a community college searching for factors that contributed to successful completion. He found that students who successfully passed their developmental courses had strong family support at home and relied on having social connections at the college. ...
In spite of the high failure rate of Latinx students in developmental courses taught at community colleges in the United States, little is known about how mathematical instruction contributes to this problem. Less is known about how adjunct instructors teach these courses or about their students’ accounts of their experiences. This dissertation investigated instruction in a developmental mathematics course taught by an adjunct faculty at a Hispanic-serving community college by (1) describing the student-instructor, student-student, instructor-content, and student-content interactions (Cohen, Raudenbush, & Ball, 2003); (2) documenting student perceptions of those interactions, their instructional experiences; and (3) analyzing the way in which these varied interactions and perceptions could be explained by the wealths students brought to the course (Yosso, 2005) and the systems in which students were situated (Bronfenbrenner, 1977; 1994). Three modes of instruction were enacted in the course, lecture (the most common), individual student work time, and student presentations. The instructor led the student-instructor interactions by checking, correcting, or validating students’ work. Student-student interactions occurred only when students compared answers. The instructor-content interactions revealed mathematics as a disjoint set of problems solved with prescribed sets of steps. The student-content interactions consisted of practicing work already demonstrated by the instructor. Students’ instructional experiences described a caring instructor who wanted them to succeed and hoped for more time to explore and practice problems and less time watching their instructor lecture, more interaction with peers, and more support to create a classroom community. The microsystems in which students were situated—school, work, and home—influenced one another; various exosystems—instructor’s teaching experience, supports available from the mathematics department for adjunct faculty, adjunct instructor’s out of class obligations, and departmental course scheduling—had direct and indirect effects on instruction and on the students’ instructional experiences and mediated the ways that students and the instructor adapted to and interacted with each other during instruction. Students’ reported levels of aspirational, navigational, and social wealth interacted in ways that seem to influence their course outcomes: students with narrow aspirational wealth but broad navigational and social wealth knew how to find supports and balance the demands of the course whereas students with broader aspirational wealth and narrower navigational and social wealth thought that by attending the course and doing what was expected would result in positive outcomes. These demonstrations of cultural wealth aligned with the course outcomes: students in the first group who subverted the classroom cultural norms and pressed for changes passed; students in the second group who tended to align to and accept the classroom cultural norms failed. Thus, merely attending class and doing the work as instructors ask students to do may not be sufficient to pass a developmental class. The indirect influences of the exosystems require students to develop broader levels of social and navigational capital in order to be successful; this can be done by repeating college courses, an undesirable path or by providing explicit support to broaden students’ navigational and social wealth. Engaging students during instruction could support these efforts, making explicit the supports and resources necessary to succeed. Finally, mathematics departments might need to re-evaluate the content of developmental courses and provide more and varied opportunities for adjunct faculty to receive support while teaching these courses.
... A reason for the success of these students was the ability of first-year seminars to support skill development. Barbatis (2010) conducted a study of a first-year learning community for underprepared students and identified several themes related to retention. Students who were persisting commonly mentioned the importance of a sense of responsibility, goal orientation, and determination. ...
... There is also a need to explore the experiences of students in the context of mathematics courses. Barbatis (2010) suggested that "Developmental education can greatly benefit from continued studies that listen directly to students' voices and perceptions of their own college experiences," particularly in the context of mathematics (p. 23). ...
Educational research has explored the influence of first-year seminars, online course delivery, and developmental coursework on first-year student success, yet there is limited research on how these educational components intersect. A collective case study approach was used to explore the experiences of students enrolled in an online first-year seminar that was paired with a developmental mathematics course. Students reported different motivating factors and expectations for enrolling in the course, yet all expressed a desire to improve their academic performance and confidence. These results help to inform how delivery of an online FYS can support the goals of students and institutions.
... The notion of persistence attitude relates to one's intentions and eagerness to progress through a degree program, potentially indicating subsequent persistence decisions and actions. These attitudes often reflect students' overall satisfaction with the quality of faculty instruction and available support programs on campus (Barbatis, 2010). While some level of generality in research findings is reasonable, it is increasingly evident that variables significantly influencing the persistence decisions of one student or group may have weak or no correlation with the persistence of other undergraduates (Davidson et al., 2009). ...
Self-determined motivation, self-regulated learning, and academic persistence are recognized as pivotal non-cognitive factors shaping students’ academic advancement (Watts-Martinez, 2015). The increasing public interest in higher education outcomes propels researchers to explore the factors contributing to persistence and successful college completion. Motivation may function as a mediating factor between self-regulated learning and academic persistence. Despite their significance, the interrelation between these factors, particularly in the context of learning English as a foreign language, has not yet been thoroughly examined. This review delves into the theoretical foundations of this interrelation, shedding light on its importance and potential impacts, especially in non-English-speaking contexts such as Iran. The literature suggests that understanding how orientations of self-determined motivation, whether intrinsic or extrinsic, influence EFL students’ academic persistence is crucial. This gains particular significance in the context of English language education, especially at the tertiary level, warranting further analysis.
... Knowledge acquisition, coping strategy selection, and situation appraisal mediate the process of developing adaptive performance. Creating an environment where students feel like valued members of the institution and can develop personal traits such as goal orientation, self-management, and resourcefulness is not only important for student retention (Barbatis 2010) but also in fostering the development of resilience (Matheson et al. 2016;Smith et al. 2021) and thereby adaptability. The future of many healthcare professions lies in the adaptability of graduates and creative and innovative educators to foster essential skills in a new generation. ...
Background: With the ever-changing healthcare environment and impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on tertiary education, healthcare students need to constantly adapt their approach to learning, clinical practice and well-being. Adaptive performance is therefore vital.
Objectives: To investigate the adaptive performance of final year physiotherapy students at the University of the Free State.
Method: A quantitative descriptive study was performed. All consenting final year undergraduate physiotherapy students registered at the University of the Free State in 2021 were approached for inclusion. The short 55-item I-ADAPT measurement was distributed electronically to all possible participants.
Results: The response rate was 28.5% (n = 8). Descriptive statistics, namely frequencies and percentages for categorical data and medians and percentages for numerical data were calculated. The dimensions related to handling work stress (50%), uncertainty (62.2%) and creativity (64.0%) scored the lowest. Emotional response to stress (62.5%) and frustration in response to unpredictable situations (62.5%) was reported.
Conclusion: Uncertainty and unpredictability are inevitable for healthcare students. Stress management and emotional intelligence development are advised for inclusion in undergraduate physiotherapy programmes.
Clinical implications: A need for curricular evaluation to ensure students are equipped with stress management and emotional intelligence skills is proposed.
... The distinctive set of experiences of cyber harassment victims cannot be understood by quantitative measures alone; as such methods and allied statistics more often than not fall short of effectively capturing the intricacies of such experiences (Barbatis, 2010). Therefore, a qualitative research design was incorporated as it is best suited when the problem at hand needs to be deeply explored and unheard and silenced voices are to be highlighted and brought in front (Creswell, 2013). ...
This study critically analyses the realities and experiences of gender-based harassment in cyberspace, and aims to unveil the shadows that shroud this phenomenon. It discloses the online spaces that disseminate detrimental attitudes towards women, despite their physical absence. Cyber violence has become a global issue and it causes significant economic and societal consequences. Recognizing and dealing with the adverse effects caused by demeaning cyber gender harassment is essential. The study raises questions to explore the kind of cyberbullying offences that are brought on by misogynistic inclinations in online environments and the experiences of the women who have gone through cyberbullying. This study uses semi-structured interviews and the IPA technique of the analysis of data to thoroughly examine the unique experiences of cyber harassment victims by applying a qualitative research approach. The study looks into various misogynistic cyber harassment offences and analyses women's accounts. Due to obstacles to justice, cyber violence and harassment replicate physical problems like spousal abuse and sexual harassment. A constant assault of intimidation and harassment results from the traditionally male-dominated character of cyberspace, which affects women's social, economic, and psychological well-being. Participants related horrifying tales of families' indifference and law enforcement officials' trivialization. Mental health problems increase isolation and prevent involvement in academic and professional activities. Women's well-being is exacerbated by societal blaming and secondary victimization. This brief analysis clarifies the intricacies of gender-based harassment in cyberspace and emphasizes the urgent need for efficient solutions to address this widespread issue.
... Addressing the needs of students who are underprepared for college has been an emphasis of the Lumina Foundation for decades and has resulted in an area of specialization in higher education, developmental education. Barbatis (2010), Greene, Marti and McClenney (2008), and Nora and Crisp (2012) all discuss college preparation patterns specific to Hispanic students. In many cases, these discussions extend to limitations in social and cultural capital exhibited by first-generation students. ...
... However, students who use support services and counselling adjust better socially to higher education, and socially adjusted students are more committed to obtaining a degree (Grant-Vallone et al., 2003). Student supports also play a vital role in engaging students and helping them to progress (Barbatis, 2010;Coates & Ransom, 2011). ...
https://www.tudublin.ie/media/website/news/2022/main-news/Staying-the-Course-Factors-Affecting-the-Progression-of-Access-Foundation-Students-at-Technological-University-Dublin.pdf
... Kelly (2014) suggests that this high stop-out rate may be due to the increasing number of students, especially students from underrepresented backgrounds, who enter college underprepared for college-level work. This lack of adequate preparation for college is associated with both higher levels of college disaffection and lower levels of student reenrollment beyond the first year of college (Barbatis, 2010). ...
Postsecondary institutions continue to search for effective approaches that enhance the educational success of their students, especially underrepresented students. For the longitudinal archival study discussed in this article, the authors investigated the role that students’ participation in service-learning during their first year of college played in their educational success. Two cohorts of undergraduate students who entered a large public research university in fall 2011 and fall 2012 were analyzed. By following the two cohorts for five or six years (up to fall 2017), the authors examined the differences in various educational outcomes between students who participated in a service-learning course during their first year and those who did not take service-learning courses throughout their college years. To account for students’ pre-college academic performance and personal characteristics, the authors used propensity score matching (PSM) to form comparison groups for each of the two treatment cohorts, and they performed parallel analyses for both the full sample and a sub-sample that included only underrepresented students. Analyses of the full sample revealed that for both the 2011 and 2012 cohorts, students who took a service-learning course in the first year achieved higher year-to-year cumulative GPAs and had significantly higher four-year graduation rates than did students who did not participate in service-learning during their college years. The findings for the underrepresented student subsample were similar but less consistent. Among explanations for the difference is less power given the smaller sample. However, more data are yet needed to understand better the relation of first-year service-learning participation among underrepresented students with educational success compared to students from the overall student population. Implications for future research are discussed.
... Also, a chi-square test of independence model and logit model was employed to measure success course effectiveness on student performance (Kimbark et al. 2017). Additionally, Barbatis (2010) adopted a constant comparative method to examine the effectiveness of student engagement on student persistence and retention at a large urban academic institution. Thus, it will be worthwhile to examine student retention behavior by including additional key indicator variables, compare results, and whether the findings are supportive across similar institutions. ...
The main objective of this study is to develop and empirically test a comprehensive list of factors affecting student retention behavior at an institutional level. We collect available student data from a 4-year flagship institution at Colorado to build a data mining model that can assess student retention behavior. Both econometric and machine learning methods are employed to determine the factors affecting student retention. Empirical results indicate that grade point average (GPA), institution's primary campus, first-generation students, age, and academic advisor are significant factors in explaining student retention behavior.
... When students drop out, it results in negative consequences for students, families, institutions, and surrounding communities (Barbatis, 2010). Many state governments have implemented funding formulas tied to institutional performance as reflected by graduation and retention rates (Miao, 2012). ...
As college completion rates are a top priority for institutions and other stakeholders, understanding college student persistence is important. Some perceive students making an early decision about a major as necessary for success in college, arguing that enrolling as undeclared contributes to student attrition. Previous research about undeclared students and persistence, however, is limited, conflicting, and dated. For this longitudinal study, logistic regression analyses were conducted using institutional records for 4,489 first-time in college, full-time enrolled students from the Fall 2010 cohort at a large research university in the Western United States. The results show no difference in persistence between students who matriculate as declared versus undeclared majors, which has implications for advising practice.
... In regards to Black, Latinx, and low-income students, active learning strategies can increase faculty-student interactions and support these students' sense of belonging, or connectedness with instructors and peers (Brooker, 2016;Engle & Tinto, 2008;Kenzie et al., 2009;Rendón, 2002;Strayhorn, 2018). In turn, faculty-student interactions can support students' subject-matter learning, academic skills, and knowledge about higher education (Barbatis, 2010;Bush & Bush, 2010 (Bishop & Verleger, 2013;Sparks, 2013;Strayer, 2012). ...
This multi-case study centers on how Criminology/Criminal Justice (CCJ) professors enact and refine a teaching approach that helps students understand how practices from their field of study can reinforce systemic discrimination and its harmful consequences. These are practices that have disproportionately threatened the physical, emotional, and/or economic conditions of communities with limited socio-political power. This research is important because college instructors play an influential role in preparing and enhancing the country’s workforce. Thus, if college instructors do not prepare students as critically-minded professionals, then students may reproduce practices that can lead to detrimental social, political, and economic outcomes for the country as a whole. Given the importance of critical teaching in higher education, I specifically examined professors’ beliefs, perceptions, and actions related to how they enacted and refined their critical teaching approach. I collected data from interviews, class observations, course materials, and student focus groups and interviews. With a conceptual framework grounded in faculty agency and critical teaching, I found professors in this study a) use the experiences of justice-involved people and practitioners to re-socialize students to have a “realistic” understanding of CCJ; b) have knowledge, dispositions, and resources that contribute to their experimental capacity with teaching; and c) increase student success when they enact instructional equity. This study suggests that college instructors can be catalysts to mitigating social inequities when they include subject-matter content on the people impacted by systemic discrimination, and instructional strategies that enable learning and persistence among students impacted the most by systemic discrimination.
... Addressing the needs of students who are underprepared for college has been an emphasis of the Lumina Foundation for decades and has resulted in an area of specialization in higher education, developmental education. Under-preparation of students is also frequently addressed in the literature with Barbatis (2010), Greene, Marti, and McClenney (2008), and Nora and Crisp (2012) all discussing college preparation patterns specific to Hispanic students. ...
Survey data were gathered from college and university faculty, staff, and administrators at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) regarding Hispanic culture and Hispanic students as part of an NSF-funded investigation that focused on the characteristics and programming of HSIs as well as the background and experiences of their students. Two surveys of students were also conducted. A minimum of 44 HSIs in Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado were represented in the 393 usable responses gathered from faculty, staff, and administrators. Fourteen HSIs in New Mexico and Texas were represented in student survey data gathered in 2018 and three in north Texas in a survey completed in 2019. Responses from 213 Hispanic students were isolated from the 2018 student survey and 307 from the 2019 data. This material was used to verify and expand on the findings from the survey of faculty, staff, and administrators. A consistent and strong difference of opinion was found between Hispanic faculty, staff, and administrators at the HSIs and their non-Hispanic peers regarding information available to higher education professionals about Hispanic culture, the elements of Hispanic culture, and the characteristics and background of Hispanic students. Survey responses of Hispanic students confirmed, at many points, that the perspective of the Hispanic faculty, staff, and administrators was accurate. It appears, based on this information, that the non-Hispanic employees at the HSIs were less well informed about Hispanic culture and a major portion of their student population than would be desirable. The findings, while from the south-central United States, can inform multiple academic and support services at Hispanic-Serving Institutions and other colleges and universities as they include information about how Hispanic culture is understood by Hispanics, detail gaps in competence regarding Hispanic culture among faculty, staff, and administrators at HSIs, and describe characteristics and the cultural orientation of Hispanic students attending the HSIs in the sample.
... Students' achievement and academic integration could be a factor that lead to persistence (Lichtenstein, 2002). Academic and social activities are the factors that can contribute to students' persistence (Barbatis, 2010). Students' financial aid becomes increasingly important on persistence (Stewart, Lim, & Kim, 2015). ...
Financial satisfaction is a state in which students satisfied and contented to the financial support given by their parents. Students’ persistence is the capability of students to continue in their studies even though they know that it would be difficult. The study intends to assess the level of students’ satisfaction in financial support and their students’ persistence in studies. The study used the descriptive correlational research design. The researcher used rating scale as a medium to obtain and gathered data needed. The tool is a researcher-made tool which consists of two parts which part A that tries to determine the Students’ Satisfaction in financial support and part B which will determine the Students Persistence in Studies. The respondents of the study were chosen from Grade 11 and Grade 12 students of Jagobiao National High School with a total population of 235 students. The results of the study revealed that in table 1, students have a high level of satisfaction in financial support. Students who have enough financial support from their parents can feel satisfied. In table 2, students’ persistence in studies depends on the financial support given by their parents. Students persist more if they have enough financial aid support and they also produces presentable works and excellent output and pass it on time or ahead of time. The study also reveals that there is a correlation between students’ satisfaction in financial support and students’ persistence in studies as the null hypothesis was rejected.
... They acknowledge their parents with inculcating in them the worth of a college education in a premier university. This supports findings from Barbatis (2010) and Ortega-Dela Cruz (2015) who have discussed the influence of the study participants' cultural self-identification, particularly the emphasis their families placed on the importance of an education. ...
The study used descriptive research design to identify factors that explain persistence of BS Agriculture (BSA) students in the University of the Philippines Los Baños during their first year of college as they moved on to the next year level towards degree completion. In addition to selfadministered questionnaire, Key Informant interviews were also conducted. Findings reveal that institution-related factor particularly the institution’s commitment to academic excellence constitutes most to the experiences of agriculture students. Analysis of Variance reveals a significant difference in the persistence of BS Agriculture students across year levels. The results of the study point out that, as per responses of the students as well as the faculty and administrators interviewed, the University has not gone far enough to ensure that BSA students are supported in an efficient manner. The University of the Philippines, being the National University has much opportunity to make positive changes in persistence of these special populations of agriculture students. Thus, it needs to take steps toward making more of a commitment to student success.
... The literature reviewed for the purposes of this chapter relate persistence with higher socio-economic status levels and parental education levels (another component of social class) however some suggest the effects of socio-economic status on persistence differs based on a student's race or ethnicity (Paulson & St. John, 2002). Barbadis (2010) situated and therefore constructed a problematic identity by conflating two variables in one identity, addressing matters of persistence for "underprepared, culturally diverse students" (p.17). ...
Persistence is a serious concern for colleges, typically accepting a higher share of marginalized students than their university counterparts. Unfortunately, many students are expelled from their professional programs for poor performance in a process called mandatory withdrawal. The experiences and knowledge that community college students hold are vital to social justice-oriented professions such as social services work. Large numbers of mandatory withdrawals in social services programs means that the social work profession suffers for their lack of ability to complete their programs and enter the field. This mixed methods study explores the process of failure and mandatory withdrawal of Social Services Work community college students, implications for social work education, and the social justice orientation of social work. Students reported significant personal and emotional burdens at the time of college-going that interfered with their ability to make the crucial social and academic integration necessary for success in post-secondary education. Students reported having very little faculty or support services interaction, and often left their programs without much intervention from the institution at all. Involuntarily withdrawn from their programs, most had very poor recall of their academic life, which speaks to poor academic integration. The failure process is examined and implicated in that most of the withdrawn students did not access help once the failure process began, symbolic of a kind of "auto-pilot" the students experienced once they began to fail classes. A lack of personal agency was found in several dimensions of the student experience as students seemed to follow the failure trajectory out of the program but are surprised by the withdrawal. Implications for transformative vocational education in community college social services programs and the social work profession are discussed. iii Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to the many Social Services Worker program students all over Ontario, especially those who leave their programs early and move on to other things. I honour your knowledge, work, experience, and expertise. It has inspired this work, and I hope some meaningful change that allows others to take up the profession that I have loved and tried to live up to my whole career. iv Acknowledgements
... People with limited social-ecological experience are attracted to community colleges because of the geographic locations of these institutions (Barbatis, 2010). Community colleges could use the data presented in this study to help develop improved social structures through the ranks of the college and across their remote campuses (Bryson & Hand, 2007). ...
This qualitative study explored the factors influencing community college career and technical degree program enrollment. Participants for this multi-site study included currently enrolled community college career and technical students with at least 30 credit hours completed and alumni. The researcher coded the participant’s phenomenological data, which revealed four themes. Principal themes included employability, family educational background, denied enrollment to a four-year college or university, and socioeconomics. The findings of this study could be used by governing bodies to develop a better understanding of the importance of the community college system. Community colleges could use the findings of this study to ensure that their organization offers students a conscious teaching and learning environment.
... The researchers posited that in order to meet the educational needs of students, educators must first be able to understand the social, cultural and political experiences of the student. In conventional postsecondary educational settings, these experiences are either absent or ignored (Barbatis, 2010;Doyle, Kleinfield, & Reyes, 2009;Froelich, 2006;Gonzalez, 2000;Huffman, 2001Huffman, , 2003Lee, Donlan, & Brown, 2011;Smiley & Sather, 2009). Researchers have repeatedly confirmed that teachers need to know more about the worldview of the students whom they instruct in order to better offer opportunities for learning success at all levels of instruction (Graybill, 1997;Pransky & Bailey, 2002). ...
This study is motivated by two research questions: (1) How does Culturally Congruent Instruction (CCI) influence American Indian (AI) students' attitudes and achievement in natural resources science at a tribally controlled college/university (TCU)? And (2) What is the nature of the relationship between CCI course modifications and changes (or lack of) in AI students' science attitudes and achievement at a TCU? Findings developed a Culturally Congruent Instructional Framework (CCIF) for use in TCUs and beyond.
Previous research suggest that AI students and tribal college science must find congruence for the student to cross cultural boundaries of the institution. TCUs can address the need for AI science experts to provide stewardship over natural resources within sovereign territory. Previous researchers developed a survey that operationalized CCI content, pedagogy and instruction environment for K-12 science education. The present study used the content and pedagogy items as the basis for modifications in natural resources courses.
This study utilized a mixed-method, quasi-experimental design to assess changes in student attitude and achievement. Four courses were selected for treatment. Faculty engaged in workshops and follow-up individual training to modify their courses. The treatment and control courses were subjected to pre/post surveys assessing changes in attitude toward science, motivational orientation and students’ perception of CCI. Student and faculty focus groups were conducted to gain insight into course modifications and challenges. Formative and summative data were collected to determine student achievement. Quantitative data were gathered using a non-equivalent control group design and analyzed using between group comparisons with t-tests and ANOVA. Qualitative data were gathered using a multiple case study design and within and across case thematic analysis.
Findings indicate no changes in attitude towards science; increase in self-efficacy and task value for treatment group; and a greater agreement that the use of Native languages, tribal guest speakers and collaborative group work support border crossing. Treatment AI students experienced higher achievement scores than the control AI groups. The CCIF model encompasses three levels of support for student border crossing. Institutions, departmental, faculty/course and student level mediating factors are presented to mediate the least hazardous border crossings for AI students.
... On-campus connections with faculty and staff members are an especially valuable form of social capital (Baker, 2013;Barbatis, 2010). A survey of recent college graduates indicated that about a third of students obtained an internship or job related to their major through a professor (Gallup Inc., 2016). ...
Social capital plays a key role in college and career success, and research indicates that a dearth of on-campus connections contributes to challenges first-generation college students face in effectively navigating the college environment. This study investigates a novel intervention that focuses on the development of skills and attitudes to empower first-generation college students to cultivate social capital and on-campus connections during the transition to college. A mixed methods, explanatory design was used to evaluate impacts and processes of the intervention among first-generation college students (n = 164) in the context of an ethnically diverse, urban, public university in the Northeast. Results indicated that students who participated in the intervention demonstrated improved attitudes and behaviors around seeking support in college, closer relationships with instructors, and higher GPAs at the end of their first year in college. These results suggest the potential benefits of a relatively scalable approach to supporting the needs of first-generation college students.
... 264). Essential as well is the idea that the factors that affect racially diverse students' persistence in college are not equivalent to factors for middle-class students (Barbatis, 2010). Suffice it to say, many scholars see minorities as generally marginalized by the American educational system (Astin & Oseguera, 2004;Harris & Bensimon, 2007;Kahlenberg, 2010;Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005). ...
According to the National Educational Longitudinal Study, an estimated 28% of academically underprepared students who take developmental courses (preparatory, not credit-bearing) graduate within 8.5 years (Attewell, Lavin, Domina, & Levey, 2006), far below the national average graduation rate of near 60% of students for all postsecondary institutions (USDE, 2016). Given these statistics, some conclude that developmental education itself contributes to the low graduation rate of developmental students (Bailey, Jaggars, & Jenkins, 2015). Indeed, the causes of this attainment gap are the focus of vigorous debates by scholars from numerous disciplines, defining whether the problems exist within the organizational structure and climate of the institution, the developmental coursework, the students’ academic preparedness, or with other factors (Bailey et al., 2015; Goudas & Boylan, 2012; Grubb & Babriner, 2013). Similarly, the research methodologies most appropriate to analyze the problems are also debated (Bailey et al., 2015; Goudas & Boylan, 2012; Grubb & Babriner, 2013). In fact, since developmental education’s inception, scholars have disputed how to conduct basic skills education (Grubb & Babriner, 2013) and how best to support developmental students (Soliday, 2002). Despite the breadth of current inquiry, few scholars have used poststructural methodologies to explore the conceptual construction of “problems” related to developmental education, except within the field of basic writing (Horner & Lu, 1999). Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to reposition understandings of developmental English education through the use of poststructural theories of discourse. Specifically, I conducted research to understand how policy discourses produce understandings of developmental English education in U.S. higher-education institutions to better delineate how policies are now shaping the field. Through five rigorous stages of analysis, the investigation of 39 policy documents led to the identification of five major discourses. Four discourses, those of crisis, accountability, standardization, and efficacy, work synergistically to justify the fifth, the role of policy fiat (i.e., commands from state legislatures). These commands both dictate solutions to the field of teachers and regulate the roles of scholars studying developmental education. The discourses shape the collective understanding of problems concerning developmental education and limit the possible solutions.
... Boylan (2008a) noted that providing opportunity is not sufficient to deal with academically underprepared students, who may require development and training to take advantage of the opportunity. The more integrated students are in activities at the college the more likelihood they may not drop of school (Barbatis, 2010). Boylan (2008a) reported nations around the world have the same problem as the U.S. (i.e., not enough educated citizens are available to handle 21 st century challenges). ...
Educational policy in the United States has long been based on a system that values cognitive skills (i.e., memory and analytic abilities) in assessing and determining intelligence, while at the same time devaluing those individuals with other talents such as creative and practical noncognitive abilities (Sternberg, 2010).
... Other research has found that study approaches and time management were predictive of achievement, especially for part-time community college students (MacCann, Fogarty, & Roberts, 2012). Additionally, qualitative work has supported the importance of cultivating motivation, self-confidence, and other psychological characteristics in fostering community college student achievement and transfer (Barbatis, 2010;Suarez, 2003;Wirth & Padilla, 2008). ...
This meta-analysis examined the relationship between psychosocial factors and community college student success. Informed by college persistence models and motivational theory, we statistically integrated past research on five psychosocial categories (motivation, self-perceptions, attributions, self-regulation, and anxiety), examining their relationship with two student success outcomes: community college persistence (58 samples, N = 23,372) and achievement (186 samples, N = 56,095). Results indicated that psychosocial factors had small but meaningful relationships with community college persistence and achievement. Correlations were larger overall for motivation and self-perceptions, and when outcomes were more proximally related with student engagement. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
... However, new college students, whether at four-year or community colleges, face a challenge. According to Barbatis (2010), a growing number of college students enrolling in colleges and universities need developmental education, non-credit courses that address the needs of students who are underprepared for college-level courses (National Association for Developmental Education, 2013). ...
This study considered whether delivery modality, student GPA, or time since high school affected whether 290 students who had completed a developmental math series at a community college were able to successfully complete college-level math. The data used in the study was comprised of a 4-year period historical student data from Odessa College based on the completion of the developmental math courses, Introductory Algebra and Intermediate Algebra, and subsequent completion of a college-level math course. Through an ex-post facto design with logistic regression analysis, the results revealed that GPA was a predictor (p = 1.56 x 10-9) of completing a college-level math course with a C or better. However, the delivery mode of developmental math (p =.456) and time lapse since completing high school (p =.200) were not found to be predictors of college math completion with a C or better. Although online education continues to be an area of concern in higher education, this study’s results reveal there are other variables that may affect successful completion of a college-level course, with this study finding that for every 1-point increase in college GPA, students were 3.64 times more likely to complete college-level math with a C or better.
... A study conducted by Barbatis (2010) examined the effect of student engagement on student persistence and retention at a large urban community college. Without controlling for student characteristics, this study found that students who were engaged on campus in different clubs/ organizations and had interactions with faculty members/other students were positively influenced for persistence and retention at the community college. ...
Despite a great increase in the numbers of students enrolling in higher education, specifically at community colleges, the successful completion rates for these students has remained static since the 1970’s. When reviewing strategies to increase student retention and successful completion, the Student Success Course (SSC) has emerged as a promising and prominent strategy for community colleges. Given that, the purpose of this sequential mixed methods study was to determine if participation in a SSC influences persistence, retention, academic achievement, and student engagement on a community college campus. Data were collected from a purposeful sample of 197 SSC participants at a middle sized community college in southeast Texas and compared to a matched sample of 235 non-SSC participants. Twelve former SSC participants were also interviewed in an attempt to build a more empirical understanding of the impact of the SSC on student engagement and thus, the students’ decisions to remain in college. Results of this study indicate that a relationship exists between participation in the SSC and persistence, retention, academic achievement in English and mathematics, and student engagement. Additionally, participants claim that taking the SSC not only altered their perceptions of the importance of the course, but their social and study skills as well.
... This study identified several subgroups that influenced sense of community of the overall campus com unity: membership in fraternities and sororities, residence, ethnicity, campus club membership, employment status, and desire to change college major. A study conducted by Barbatis (2010) examined the effect of student engagement on student persistence and retention at a large urban community college. Without controlling for student characteristics, this study found that students who were engaged on campus in different clubs/ organizations and had interactions with faculty members/other students were positively influenced for persistence and retention at the community college. ...
Despite a great increase in the numbers of students enrolling in higher education, specifically at community colleges, the successful completion rates for these students has remained static since the 1970s. When reviewing strategies to increase student retention and successful completion, the Student Success Course (SSC) has emerged as a promising and prominent strategy for community colleges. Given that, the purpose of this sequential mixed methods study was to determine if participation in a SSC influences persistence, retention, academic achievement, and student engagement on a community college campus. Data were collected from a purposeful sample of 197 SSC participants at a middle sized community college in southeast Texas and compared to a matched sample of 235 non-SSC participants. Twelve former SSC participants were also interviewed in an attempt to build a more empirical understanding of the impact of the SSC on student engagement and, thus, the students’ decisions to remain in college. Results of this study indicate that a relationship exists between participation in the SSC and persistence, retention, academic achievement in English and mathematics, and student engagement. Additionally, participants claim that taking the SSC not only altered their perceptions of the importance of the course, but their social and study skills as well.
... Research suggests that connections with faculty on campus may represent a particularly important form of social capital, especially for underrepresented college students (Baker, 2013;Barbatis, 2010). In fact, supportive interactions with caring faculty and staff on campus have been identified as the "single most potent retention agent on campus" (Crockett, 1985, p. 245). ...
This study investigates a new approach to cultivating mentoring relationships in which adolescents participate in workshops to develop their capacity to recruit mentors and other supportive adults who can help advance their academic and career goals. Drawing on in-depth pre- and post- interviews, research observations, and participant feedback and workshop materials from a pilot intervention conducted with 12 ethnic minority students in their senior year of high school, this study explores whether and how the intervention influenced participants, as well as mechanisms of change. Results suggested that the intervention increased the value students placed on social capital and mentoring relationships, developed their knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy in how to develop such connections, and influenced their interactions with potential academic and career mentors. Although additional research is needed, this study highlights the potential of a relatively low-cost intervention to support underrepresented college-bound students in developing relationships that are crucial to college and career success.
... Although specific methods for conducting focus groups with college students have not been detailed (Billups, 2012), prior research from a range of higher education-related fields has implemented focus groups to gather student feedback on a survey (Ouimet, Bunnage, Carini, Kuh, & Kennedy, 2004). Issues such as perceptions of a particular instructional approach (e.g., Frailey, Buck-Rodriguez, & Anders, 2009), the impact of a particular instructional design on their attitudes about college (e.g., Barbatis, 2010), or on their transition to college (e.g., Hadley, 2006) have all been explored through student focus groups. Similarly, a focus group was employed to gather information on students' perceptions of overall literacy preparation for college, their perceptions and attitudes toward their current and past literacy instruction, and their perceptions of the transition to college-level literacy expectations. ...
The multipronged study described in this manuscript was designed to determine the implicit definition of college-text ready at one community college. The impetus for this study is a need to fully understand what it means to be college-text ready based on the literacy demands, practices, and expectations in introductory-level (or entry-level) general-education courses. Only with this deeper understanding of college-text readiness can college reading professionals begin to design effective literacy interventions to help students who may not be considered college-text ready. Thus, another major goal of this study is to provide information on whether, how, and to what extent, current developmental reading courses are adequately preparing students for the reading expectations of the introductory-level courses that follow. Three component investigations were conducted: one on the text practices and expectations as observed, one on the faculty perspectives, and one on the student perspectives. Data sources included text analyses, classroom observations, faculty surveys and focus groups, and student surveys and focus groups. Findings included a mismatch between developmental reading and general-education courses in terms of the text types and difficulty levels, the purpose for the text, and the text-associated tasks and learning foci. Another major finding was that general-education faculty in this study do not provide explicit instruction on text-navigation. Instead faculty tend to use text-alternatives to deliver content. Finally, in response to the original driving question, the findings of this study suggested that there is not any widely accepted definition of college-text ready at this institution.
... Possibly, their findings demonstrate that convenience is a key factor influencing faculty-student engagement. This may be one rationale for explaining why community college students who participate in learning communities benefit from greater levels of faculty-student engagement than those who do not (Barbatis, 2010). While, the studies above shed light on the importance of faculty-student engagement, the following section focuses specifically on Black men to better understand more specific factors that impact success for this population. ...
This research focuses on factors predicting faculty–student engagement for Black male collegians. In this study, the authors investigated whether students’ perceptions of racial/gender stereotypes had a moderating effect on the determinants of engagement with faculty. The sample population was derived from 16 urban community colleges located across four states. A total of 340 Black men participated in the Community College Survey of Men. Degree utility and intrinsic interest were both found to be positive determinants of faculty–student engagement. The variable with the most significant contribution to the model was faculty validation.
This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the social and organizational factors shaping K-16 teachers' cultural learning processes, through both a systematic review of the extant literature on K-12 urban teacher thinking and interviews with instructional staff at a high-performing minority serving institution (MSI). It highlights common challenges K-16 educators face in navigating cultural differences between themselves and their students. Drawing from cultural psychology, organizational behavior, and organizational psychology, the book offers evidence-based insights for creating school systems in which educators working with students from low-income and other minoritized cultural communities can critically examine and challenge their cultural assumptions to create more inclusive and supportive learning environments for all students, as well as develop and implement more culturally responsive classroom management practices.
Inclusion is constantly referenced in educational institutions’ mission and values statements. Despite their purpose of guiding the institution, these brief paragraphs usually create more questions than answers regarding the who, what, and how of inclusion work. This article applies a queered critical discourse studies lens to a manifest content analysis of the term “inclusion” in professional journals from the field of postsecondary developmental education. Queer pedagogies support critical examinations of power and deconstructing dominant discourses. Our analysis of 112 articles across eight journals uncovered how developmental education scholars’ discussion of inclusion and the nature of inclusion work rarely operationally defined who should be included or who is/ought to be included in conversations about educational equity and inclusion. Further, the data included a strand of heteronormative ideologies that suggest an implicit assumption that being inclusive of queer students is only about discussing LGBT students, rather than acting inclusively of the queer population at large. In applying a queer theory lens, we interweave concrete recommendations into our presentation of the findings, challenging educational scholars, educators, and educational leaders to make inclusion language inclusive of all and create spaces that promote discursive as well as physical inclusion.
This qualitative study of students in mid- and later-life (MLL; age 40 and older) sought to address the role faculty play in facilitating student success and how institutions support faculty, especially adjunct faculty. Adjunct faculty teach a majority of classes at community colleges but are not provided the same professional development opportunities as tenure track faculty and are often not well integrated into the college system. Data were collected in focus groups with faculty (both adjunct and tenured) and students, supplemented by key informant interviews, at multiple community colleges in a Midwestern state. MLL students are a heterogeneous group and often have more demands on their time than do younger students. Our findings on the critical role faculty members play in helping MLL students succeed suggest that providing additional support for faculty is a valuable investment for community colleges.
This white paper presents an overview of qualitative research that provides a fundamental knowledge of the methods of inquiry, the approaches to data collection, and the ethics associated with using qualitative and/or conducting qualitative research. Overviews of methods include Narrative, Phenomenology, Grounded Theory, Ethnography, Case Study, Autoethnography, Content/Document Analysis, and Life/Oral History. Data Collection and analysis procedures in brief that are covered include surveys, interviews, focus groups, archival text and document resources, visual data, and stimulated recall/verbal protocol approaches. Recognizing personal bias and strengthening analysis is discussed along with reflective journaling, memo-ing, trustworthiness, and triangulation. Coverage of the ethics of qualitative inquiry follows. While this white paper was written for those in postsecondary student success programs, it serves as a useful primer for any individual.
Online coursework is dramatically changing the higher education landscape, particularly for adult learners. And while research notes the way these courses increase college opportunity for post-traditional students, they have poor learning and completion outcomes at many of the institutions to which older students frequently enroll. The author conducted a qualitative exploration involving 34 adult students at a large community college on the west coast to better understand the perceptions, experiences, opportunities, and challenges of online instructional delivery for adult students. Informed by semi-structured interviews with participants, findings from this study highlight: (1) the challenge of being a digital/online course novice, (2) online courses as better in theory than practice, and (3) problematic institutional assumptions that online pedagogy is better for adult learners. Results from this investigation provide new directions for implementation of online courses for adult learners students in higher education.
Professional public health training has traditionally been at the graduate level. Adding undergraduate public health degree programs not only expands the number of individuals with needed public health expertise but also creates challenges for traditional graduate-only educational programs. Our purpose was to discuss the degree development process and examine challenges of adding the Bachelors of Arts in Public Health (BA PH) to a traditional graduate-only program, with illustrations from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, which opened its BA PH in 2014. Challenges were encountered for four groups of primary stakeholders: (1) administrators (infrastructure, staffing, funding), (2) faculty (buy-in, undergraduate teaching skills), (3) students (assuring courses fit undergraduate education requirements, adding student support systems), and (4) community preceptors (establishing appropriate expectations for undergraduate vs. graduate students). Barriers and solutions identified for these four primary stakeholder groups may help other schools and programs of public health in adding a baccalaureate public health degree.
There is a large population of students who enter postsecondary institutions underprepared in the area of writing,which can negatively affect their academic success in various disciplines. Lack of alignment between secondary andpostsecondary education writing curricula is a common cause of why students are underprepared in writing.Identifying gaps in writing when transitioning from secondary to postsecondary institutions is critical in creatingappropriate writing support programs which better prepare students for academic success. Moreover, in order tofacilitate successful postsecondary writing outcomes, proactive writing interventions (transition programs) betweensecondary and postsecondary institutions can be implemented to generate a positive impact on students’ ability towrite, thereby leading to greater academic success.
This study examined the relationship among community college students’ perceptions of the social support received, its importance, and their academic persistence. Specifically, it examined whether the frequency and importance of the types of support and sources of support were correlated to the students being retained. Data analysis revealed that the more social supports perceived, the more likely students would be retained, although this relationships only approached significance at the .07 level. However, there were other statistically significant findings. Furthermore, in concurrence with the literature, perceived social support was found to buffer the negative effects of stress experienced by college students.
This study reports on Mexican-origin university students' perceptions of their K-12 literacy experiences and preparation for college-level reading. Participants were first-generation college students from Spanish-dominant homes enrolled in a reading-intensive course at a four-year Hispanic-serving institution. The study was conducted as part of an initiative to assist predominantly low-income, Latino/Hispanic students enrolled in entry-level reading-intensive courses, with the goal of improving postsecondary persistence. Data consisted of individual interviews and participants' language and literacy autobiographies and were analyzed from an ecology-of-literacy perspective. Findings included contrasts between home and school literacy forms and practices, differences between high school and college as learning environments, linguistic discrimination experienced at school, and negative ideologies associated with Spanish as a barrier to the development of strong literacy skills in English. Suggestions are offered for improving academic literacy instruction for Mexican-origin youths.
In this paper, we look at the communities and groups where engineering students work and learn outside the classroom, ranging from study groups to design project teams to professional society communities. Among four diverse institutions, we evaluate which academic communities, groups, or teams students participate in and when asked, which they tend to speak about more than others. We also probe more deeply into how and why the most effective teams or groups work for students. In a mixed methods approach, our quantitative (survey) data first show which academic communities students participate in and how active they are in these communities. Our qualitative data (interviews and focus groups) then explain how the most influential communities work for students. Our results show that while students reported participating at various levels, ranging from minimally to very active, in a broad range of academic groups available through their home departments and colleges, most (53%) are active or very active in laboratory groups and a large number (42%) are active or very active in informal study groups. In follow up interviews and focus groups, students also chose to discuss their experiences in study groups (83%) or lab groups (82%) but also commented frequently on their participation in professional societies. Of these students, most (87%) found benefit in participating in these groups, and a majority of the students (72%) felt that they benefitted in ways related to operating within the group as an integral part of the team. Most students stressed the social learning provided by the group as compared to a single individual working alone.
Finding practical ideas about college reading that have been draw from theory and research is difficult for most veteran instructors, but it is even more difficult for the beginner unaware of professional organizations and journals. Consequently, the authors of this article decided to generate a list of ten best ideas the represent a synthesis of impactful research and theory. An extensive reference list is provided.
This longitudinal study examined the role of perceptions of prejudice-discrimination on collegiate experiences and on college-related outcomes among minority and nonminority students at a public, predominately white, commuter institution. Results indicated that minorities were more prone to feel discrimination and prejudice while on campus than were whites and that these perceptions were found to affect minority students' adjustments to college and college-related outcomes.
Whole issue. Incl. bibl., index. In the last decade, the rates of enrollment and retention of many students of color have declined. Access and completion rates for African American, Hispanic, and Native American students have always lagged behind white and Asian students, as have those for low-income students and students with disabilities. Because students of color often make up a much smaller percentage of students in studies, their experiences and needs are often lost and go undetected. As the authors note, the United States will become significantly less white over the next 50 years, so these issues are becoming more urgent. We must have institution-wide programs to improve the graduation rates of minority students. Pre-college preparation, admission policies, affirmative action, and financial aid are important factors, but campus-wide support, from the chancellor's office to the classroom, is critical to success. This ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report is intended as a reference for key stakeholders regarding the realities of and strategies for student retention. It is our hope that it will serve as a compass for those with the complex task of improving retention. (Author)
Data from a study of a learning community program in an urban community college are used to explore the educational character of student persistence. Analyses reveal that classroom activities influence student persistence by changing the way students and faculty interact within and beyond the classroom setting. Implications for current theories of persistence are discussed and a modified theory proposed.
This literature review provides an overview of selected studies directly related to retention in higher education. It begins with a broad discussion of primary retention models and then focuses more closely on the retention of minority students in particular. It concludes with implications for a minority student retention model, integrated recommendations for best practice and a model used to translate the theory into practice on one community college campus. The review is guided by a desire to discover and uncover significant influences and variables that have aided the persistence and retention of minority students. It also explores some of the issues affecting African American students particularly, with an attempt to illuminate the complexity in finding solutions. Although there appears to be no shortage of research on varying aspects of retention as it relates to students in general, studies that focus on retaining African American students, particularly men appear to be limited. There are also limited studies with this as a focus, which are grounded and conducted at the community college level. This literature review provides a brief discussion of issues identified as relevant to the retention of African-American men; however, it should be considered as just the beginning of a critical dialogue. Future research and examination in this area is highly encouraged and is of paramount importance to leveling the playing field in post-secondary education.
The dropout/stopout patterns of community college students were examined in the research reported here. About two thirds of the 51,903 students in the study were enrolled in developmental education courses. Success in college was defined as a passing grade point average after five semesters of coursework. Student success was found to be associated with enrollment patterns, initial skill deficiencies, and age. Community college students who enrolled for consecutive semesters outperformed students with other types of enrollment patterns.
Learning communities have been present in community college settings for more than a decade. The literature suggests that they are generally effective for both participating students and faculty. As economic development increasingly demands greater technological sophistication, and community colleges are faced with increasing numbers of developmentally challenged students, learning communities may be one means to effectively resolve this paradox. This article is directed to those faculty and staff who may be considering the initiation of a learning community. It provides a review of literature, and presents a set of issues currently being addressed at one small community college in Louisiana where a learning community is in the design stage.
Data from entering student surveys for the fall 1993, 1994, and 1995 freshmen cohorts at Utah Valley State College and 1998 outcomes data from the college's student information system were analyzed to determine student attrition rates and their relationship to variables defined in the literature about retention models, at-risk populations, and evaluating retention programs. Based on logistic regression analysis, the author discusses demographic, goal commitment, academic, and financial support variables as predictors of student retention.
In the following three excerpts from his 1985 Achieving Educational Excellence: A Critical Assessment of Priorities and Practices in Higher Education, reprinted by permission of Jossey‐Bass Publishers, Alexander W. Astin describes and critiques four traditional conceptions of educational excellence, explains and defends the talent development approach that he espouses, and presents his conception of educational equity. Charles S. Adams comments on Astin's book in this issue's Reviews.
This study provides understanding of college readiness from the perspectives of older first-generation college students who transferred from community colleges. Results indicate that life experiences contribute to academic skills, time management, goal focus, and self-advocacy. Research is recommended to improve nontraditional student advising and placement, community college-to-university transfer, and college reading instruction.
Since their inception, community colleges have carried out a number of complex and often competing programs or foci. The transfer, vocational, developmental, and continuing and community service foci have become increasingly important as the mission of community colleges has evolved. During their early history, operating primarily as transfer institutions, the student population of junior colleges was not especially diverse-traditional age, male, White, college-bound students filled most classrooms. As times passed and as enrollments grew, community colleges became increasingly diverse in the students they serve and in their purposes for being. Today, community colleges fulfill a multiplicity of roles within their communities, offering a myriad of educational programs and services with a broad and sometimes contradictory set of intended outcomes. This article summarizes pertinent literature related to community college access, mission, and outcomes, exploring the complex intersections between these important constructs. It concludes that meeting the needs and goals of students should be paramount in conceptualizing outcomes, otherwise community colleges will continue to be criticized by populists who observe that they are not reaching enough students and elitists who believe they do not meet traditional outcomes linked to educational and economic attainment.
This article discusses curricular innovations and teaching
strategies within first-year and one-credit seminars. Seminar
learning experiences can set the stage for further general education
coursework by encouraging active learning and independent
investigation, along with helping students to assume
responsibility for their own intellectual development.
Bowling Green State University, Ohio, carried out a study of learning communities and first-year programs to determine their success in facilitating student success, increasing engagement, and promoting connections. Findings from 10 learning communities show the overall success of these programs and provide favorable cost estimates. (SLD)
The American Association of Community Colleges commissioned this study of remedial education in community colleges as a framework for describing context, generating discussion, and encouraging improvement. The study reviews current research about open-door policies, underprepared students, faculty, and remedial programs. It also argues that changing demographics, burgeoning technologies, and a faltering public education system have led to increased illiteracy, unemployment, welfare dependency, racial tensions, crime, and other social ills. The report describes the major issues surrounding remediation in community colleges and provides the following recommendations to colleges for improving current practices: (1) examine the characteristics of other institutions' successful remedial programs in the interest of adopting them; (2) employ a more collaborative effort to learn from other colleges; (3) ask the questions about your own college's performance that are being asked about others, and take appropriate action; (4) provide a holistic approach to programs for at-risk students, addressing their broad range of needs; (5) abolish voluntary placement in remedial courses; (6) create a more seamless web of collaboration with other educational institutions; and (7) strengthen this web by partnering with private businesses. Contains 61 references. (AS)
Describes the success of the Freshman Seminar Program at the University of South Carolina, designed to retain African-American students. Discusses the personal and social development needs of African-American students and how the Freshman Seminar contributes to their development. Presents data showing retention results. (MAB)
Four elements contribute to a classroom's success or failure as a learning environment: student needs, instructor approach, course content, and institutional setting. This chapter discusses the challenge of aligning these elements in the developmental classroom.
Successful learning experiences contribute to student motivation and retention and require that educators design programs around learning preferences. This chapter discusses the relationship of learning preferences to motication and retention and presents a profile of learning preferences of Hispanic and Native American learners.
This case study describes steps for implementing innovative learning communities that build basic skills and foster self-confidence in students at the developmental level.
This study examines the relationships between participating in learning communities and student engagement in a range of educationally purposeful activities of first-year and senior students from 365 4-year institutions. The findings indicate that participating in a learning community is positively linked to engagement as well as student self-reported outcomes and overall satisfaction with college.
This article examines the extent to which social and academic integration and student educational objectives and intents to reenroll are predictive of persistence for community college students. An instrument designed to operationalize the concepts of social and academic integration for four-year college students was largely replicated with the two-year college population. Student educational objectives/intents discriminated most powerfully between persisters and nonpersisters, although academic and social integration and employment status also contributed significantly to differentiating the two groups. The article concludes with a brief discussion about the nature of community colleges and the fact that nonpersistence at the institution may be an indicator of student success if the student has transferred or accomplished his/her goals.
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Connections: An integrated community of learners
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Yes, we cant A community college guide for developing America's underprepared
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