Download or read book A Mixed Methods Approach to Understanding College Student Retention and Graduation written by Nita Teresa Guzman Del Vecchio and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study examined the retention and graduation patterns of a cohort of students at one baccalaureate, public, commuter campus. Quantitative and Qualitative data were analyzed to develop a campus specific retention model (risk model). The results of this study are used to inform retention initiatives on this campus. Recommendations for a specific strategy to improve the year-to-year student retention rate and improve the 6-year graduation rate are made based on the findings of this study.

Download or read book Exploring Black Student Success with a Mixed Methods Investigation of Retention in the Second Year of College written by Adam Petersen and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although significant gains have been made in recent years with regard to increasing access to higher education for African Americans, with 38.4% of Black 18 to 24 year-olds enrolled in college as of 2016 compared to just 25.4% in 1990, completion rates have not kept pace. The national six-year graduation rate for Black students at four-year institutions in 2008 was 40.9%, considerably lower than their White peers’ rate of 63.2% (National Center for Education Statistics, 2018). Students that persist at their institutions through the first two years are significantly more likely to graduate (Adelman, 2006), but retention in the first two years is a particular challenge for Black students: one-fifth of all Black students who successfully complete the first year leave before the beginning of the third (Consortium for Student Retention Data Exchange, 2015). Focusing on this second year, then, could provide a meaningful path to increasing graduation rates for Black students at four-year institutions. This study focused on the second year but narrowed that focus further to Black second-year students using an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach, starting with a quantitative inquiry into the factors that contribute to retention for all second-year students at a regional, comprehensive, four-year institution in southern California. The follow-up qualitative phase concentrated on Black students at the institution and their second-year experiences. The results of the quantitative phase suggest that second-to-third year retention is influenced by students’ senses of belonging and connection to the institution, which positively influences both their commitment to the institution and their academic engagement, which has its own direct, positive effect on retention. Belonging is, in turn, strongly influenced by positive relationships with student peers and faculty. The qualitative results highlight Black student experiences across six themes that suggest the importance of student involvement, membership in multiple campus communities, relationships with faculty, and positive self-concepts, as well as the strong negative effect of racial separation. The implications of these results benefit practitioners and researchers who are looking to make positive changes for second-year students on their campuses and improve both experiences and outcomes for Black students.

Download or read book Helping Underprepared Students written by Roy John Caligan (Jr) and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The goal to discover the effective elements of a retention program is part of the pragmatic epistemology of mixed-methods research. This research evaluated the effectiveness of a first-year retention program at an open-access university in the northwestern United States. The grade point averages and retention rates of students who participated in the program were compared against two groups of students: those who were eligible for the program but did not participate and other freshman students in the same academic year. Overall, most of the students who participated in the program earned higher GPAs than students who opted out of the program, but none of the differences were statistically significant. Additionally, the program improved student retention when compared with students who opted out of the program, but the differences in retention rates were not statistically significant. Qualitative data gathered from the students and staff who participated in the program provided some insight into the benefits and hinderances of the program as they pertain to social integration, institutional commitment, locus of control, self-efficacy, and achievement. The evaluation concludes with recommendations for improvement and future research.

Download or read book Rethinking College Student Retention written by John M. Braxton and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2013-10-21 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing on studies funded by the Lumina Foundation, the nation's largest private foundation focused solely on increasing Americans' success in higher education, the authors revise current theories of college student departure, including Tinto's, making the important distinction between residential and commuter colleges and universities, and thereby taking into account the role of the external environment and the characteristics of social communities in student departure and retention. A unique feature of the authors' approach is that they also consider the role that the various characteristics of different states play in degree completion and first-year persistence. First-year college student retention and degree completion is a multi-layered, multi-dimensional problem, and the book's recommendations for state- and institutional-level policy and practice will help policy-makers and planners at all levels as well as anyone concerned with institutional retention rates—and helping students reach their maximum potential for success—understand the complexities of the issue and develop policies and initiatives to increase student persistence.

Download or read book Retention Among College Students on Academic Probation written by Lizzet Rojas (Graduate student) and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Academic probation is a mechanism to identify students that are at higher risk of institutional departure. In order to move the dial on postsecondary student retention, a mixed-methods study was conducted to predict first-time freshmen students’ placement on academic probation, their risk of institutional departure, and factors that support their academic recovery and persistence. In the quantitative analyses, factors predicting academic probation and subsequent institutional departure included student demographic characteristics, pre-entry and post-entry academic indicators, and academic major change. In the qualitative analysis, five main themes emerged: 1) the shock of the college transition; 2) fear and determination during academic probation; 3) the losses and gains of major change; 4) resources and support; and 5) achievement and belonging as a way toward persistence and graduation. The findings suggest opportunities for postsecondary institutions to support students through key transitions as way to facilitate their academic and social integration, sense of belonging, engagement, and persistence.

Download or read book How We Keep Them Here written by Brent M. Drake and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Learning Communities and First Generation College Students written by Marcellence L. Watson and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 708 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Organizational Identity and College Student Retention written by Amy Frances Roquemore and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Through a combination of textual analysis of recruiting materials, in-depth student interviews, and a quantitative survey, this mixed methods case study has attempted to illuminate some of the complex, interrelated factors of organizational identity and identification at play at a particular university seeking to improve lagging retention rates. The chosen research methods revealed a treasure trove of descriptive insights into students' individual feelings of identification with the institution and its unique organizational identity. On a broader level, the findings serve to reinforce established theory concerning the ways in which an organization's identity is continually negotiated by various stakeholders. Results revealed that various perceptions about the university's organizational identity are diverse, stratified, and sometimes conflicting and originate from at least a dozen different sources. These findings strongly reinforce other researchers' determination that an organization's identity exists in the tension resulting from the push and pull of various members' perceptions.

Download or read book College Student Retention written by Alan Seidman and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2024-08-09 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: College student retention continues to be a top priority among colleges, universities, educators, federal and state legislatures, parents and students. While access to higher education is virtually universally available, many students who start in a higher education program do not complete the program or achieve their academic and personal goals. In spite of the programs and services colleges and universities have devoted to this issue, student retention and graduation rates have not improved considerably over time. College Student Retention: Formula for Student Success, Third Edition offers a solution to this vexing problem. It provides background information about college student retention issues and offers the educational community pertinent information to help all types of students succeed. The book lays out the financial implications and trends of retention. Current theories of retention, retention of online students, and retention in community colleges are also thoroughly discussed. Completely new to this edition are chapters that examine retention of minority and international students. Additionally, a formula for student success is provided which if colleges and universities implement student academic and personal goals may be attained.

Download or read book Research Handbook on the Student Experience in Higher Education written by Chi Baik and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2023-11-03 with total page 593 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bringing together cutting-edge research from over 50 leading international scholars, this forward-looking Research Handbook offers theoretical and empirical insights into the student experience in higher education.

Download or read book Improving College Retention by Identifying Factors Influencing Student Success written by Maryjane Felter Leonard and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Too many high school graduates are failing to complete higher education programs necessary to achieve the American dream. At a time when more Americans need a degree, it's becoming more difficult to get one––particularly for low-income and minority students. Are students ill prepared to meet the challenges of college level studies due to inadequate secondary school educational program, or do colleges need to reassess their teaching programs to meet the needs of this incoming generation of students? This study was carried out in three phases in a mixed methods research design using a series of student and instructor surveys and personal interviews. Qualitative ~d quantitative methods were used to explore student and instructor perceptions of factors leading to success or failure in completion of college level degrees. Descriptive statistical and quantitative analysis of surveys completed by 27 instructors and 75 students were used in this study. Additionally, qualitative methods were used to analyze data gathered during 5 student interviews. The results of the study suggest that many students need adult support and interactive collaborative learning environments to successfully complete a college degree.

Download or read book Improving College Retention by Identifying Factors Influencing Student Success written by and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Too many high school graduates are failing to complete higher education programs necessary to achieve the American dream. At a time when more Americans need a degree, it's becoming more difficult to get one--particularly for low-income and minority students. Are students ill prepared to meet the challenges of college level studies due to inadequate secondary school educational program, or do colleges need to reassess their teaching programs to meet the needs of this incoming generation of students? This study was carried out in three phases in a mixed methods research design using a series of student and instructor surveys and personal interviews. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to explore student and instructor perceptions of factors leading to success or failure in completion of college level degrees. Descriptive statistical and quantitative analysis of surveys completed by 27 instructors and 75 students were used in this study. Additionally, qualitative methods were used to analyze data gathered during 5 student interviews. The results of the study suggest that many students need adult support and interactive collaborative learning environments to successfully complete a college degree.

Download or read book Investigating First Year College Student Locus of Control in Relation to Retention written by Aaron Estes and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Institutions of higher education place a high priority on retaining students. With orientation programming, tutoring, learning communities, peer mentoring, and other efforts, institutions dedicate the resources necessary to increase the academic success of their students because academic success has a positive relationship with retention. Through these efforts, institutions seek a return on their investment. The direct impact that retention has on revenue is clear; when students are retained they pay more tuition. In addition, retention has a clear benefit to students through furthering their personal development and enhancing their career possibilities. In short, retention is important so there is value in understanding factors that could potentially impact retention. One such factor is locus of control. While there has not been a great deal of research on the relationship between locus of control and retention, there have been studies that link an internal locus of control to academic success. If a student with an internal locus of control is more likely to be academically successful, and students who are academically successful are more likely to be retained, then one might infer that students with an internal locus of control are more likely to be retained. The following mixed methods explanatory designed study examined the possible relationship between locus of control and retention from a student's first to second semester. The quantitative phase of the study found that there was not a statistically significant difference in the way retained students responded to the Academic Locus of Control Scale for College Students, and the way students who were not retained responded. Information gathered in qualitative interviews with retained students describes how students' locus of control impacted their experiences and their decision to return for a second semester.

Download or read book Improving College Student Retention written by Robert D. Reason and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-07-03 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Higher education institutions have already begun to see decreasing enrollment numbers, even as higher education enrollment is predicted to drop precipitously starting in 2025. Much of the decrease in enrollment will be driven by demographic trends about which higher education institutions can do little, making the retention of students who do enroll that much more important. Overall retention rates have stagnated and differential retention rates by race and ethnicity have persisted. If higher education institutions, researchers, and policy makers are to improve retention rates, a critical examination of the current state and future directions of retention research is essential.This edited volume begins that examination by addressing several questions: What are the needed directions in theory and research on college student persistence and how do we translate new theory and research into effective practices? Are we asking the right questions, looking in the right places, or trying to apply out-of-date theories to new populations? In short, how can the research community help institutions improve retention in this challenging time?

Download or read book Crossing the Finish Line written by Alan Seidman and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2018-07-30 with total page 131 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: College student retention continues to be a vexing issue for colleges and universities. There are some very simple steps that a college or university can take to help students persist until they reach academic and/or personal goal attainment. This book is intended to give the reader the necessary tools, for all types of educational institutions and delivery systems, to implement a retention formula and success model that will actually help students meet their academic and personal goals and thus increase college retention and graduation rates. Regardless of the academic ability, socioeconomic status, gender, first generation, ethnicity of students, the retention formula and model presented will help each and every college type increase student retention and graduation rates.

Download or read book Examining Adult Student Success Through a Lifespan Development Lens written by April J. Paschall and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this study was to examine the individual perspectives and experiences of adult college students and their life contexts, resources, and demands experienced as they engage in the college environment and explore how adult college students utilize developmental regulation strategies to overcome goal conflict and achieve success while balancing work, life, and education. The study explored adult college students through a lifespan developmental lens guided by the Selective Optimization with Compensation theoretical framework. Particular focus was on age-graded influences to provide a nuanced understanding of adult student development. The author presented results from a mixed method investigation of adult students at a Midwestern Metropolitan University. The explanatory design utilized a two-phase structure to understand the contextual and background characteristics of adult students though a first phase demographic survey followed by a second phase of three purposefully selected focus group discussions of adult students age 25--29, 30--39, and 40 and older to further examine the resource utilization and self-regulation behaviors of adult students enrolled in academic programs at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The results enhanced the understanding of the selection, optimization, and compensation behaviors that adult students, within and across age groups, utilize to reach their goals. This informs development of interventions to assist adult students in goal striving and indicates promise for further investigation of adult student development and retention research and practice.

Download or read book Examining the Impact of a First year Experience Course on Student Retention and Persistence at a Midwest Two year Public College written by Schenzel Jason E. and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Midwest two-year technical college implemented a first-year experience (FYE) course in fall of 2017, but no formal examination into the course's impact had been conducted. The purpose of this study was to investigate the college's student retention numbers pre- and post FYE course implementation and to understand if the efforts to increase student retention had been effective. A sequential mixed methods approach was used for the study and incorporated both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study concludes with an analysis of student persistence rates at a Midwest, two-year public college pre- and post implementation of the GPS course. Results of this study could help identify any gaps in the GPS course or opportunities for improvement in the curriculum or course offerings. This study has implications within continuous improvement efforts related to student retention and persistence by assessing the college's GPS course. The development of a student experience survey for the FYE course could be used in the future as a tool or process to be re-administered to continue to improve the course and reassess its impact on student retention and persistence. The overall findings of the study on the GPS course could be generalized to other public two-year colleges with similar GPS courses.