Linking faculty development to community college student achievement: a mixed methods approach

Using a mixed methods, multilevel research design, this pilot inquiry explored the relationship between college faculty professional development and the academic achievement of diverse students by coupling two separate links: (a) the effects that professional development activities have on improving teaching strategies, and (b) the effects these teaching strategies have on student learning. Data were collected from administrators, faculty, and students to discover what teaching strategies are being used and, in their view, how these strategies affect learning outcomes. Data sources included a survey, documents, interviews, and observations. The case study institution is a New Mexico community college, and the research focuses on two academic programs with 145 students enrolled. Data analyses revealed three main themes: (a) faculty development and its link to teacher effectiveness and student learning outcomes are embedded in the mission, goals, and policies of the institution; (b) faculty development is considered vital, funding is always available, and faculty participate in on- and off-campus development activities to enhance their teaching effectiveness and student learning outcomes; and (c) the institution focused on collecting and analyzing student learning outcomes data, but no data-driven means for assessing the effectiveness of faculty development activities existed.     

The Influences of Faculty on Undergraduate Student Participation in Research and Creative Activities

Using data collected from surveys of college juniors and seniors and faculty members in related academic departments, this study examined whether faculty teaching and research orientations, as well as faculty external funding, had any impact on undergraduate student participation in research and creative activities. The results of the study indicated that faculty research orientation and external funding were indeed positively related to student participation in research activities. However, faculty members’ teaching orientation was not significant. Further analyses indicated that faculty teaching and research orientations had different impacts on a range of research and creative activities by undergraduate students. The findings from this study provide insight on ways of improving college teaching and learning as well as informing the development of institutional academic policies related to faculty and undergraduate education. Shouping Hu is Associate Professor of Higher Education at Florida State University. He received his M.S. degree in Economics and Ph.D. in Higher Education from Indiana University. His research and scholarship focus on college access and success, student engagement, and higher education policy. Kathyrine Scheuch is the Deputy Director of Research and Evaluation in the Division of Community Colleges, Florida Department of Education. She received her Ed.D. in Higher Education from Florida State University. Her research interests include undergraduate research activities and minority student issues. Joy Gaston Gayles is Associate Professor of Higher Education at North Carolina State University. She received her Ph.D. in Higher Education from Ohio State University. Her research interests include the college student experience and its impact on student development and learning.     

The Impact of Human Capital and Selected Job Rewards on Community College Faculty Job Satisfaction

Community colleges accommodate nearly half of all United States college students. Increased reliance upon community colleges is driven by the current economic downturn, rising costs of higher education, and changing expectations for today's workforce requiring advanced skill sets. Community colleges offer more affordable options for broader spectrums of students including traditional and nontraditional college students and dual-enrolled high school students.

Community college faculty facilitate student learning and program completion. A shortage of community college faculty will likely emerge as numerous faculty retire. Community college administrators need strategies for retaining and recruiting faculty amid increasing retirements. One effective strategy is to offer a work environment that cultivates positive work-related attitudes (e.g., job satisfaction). This study examines the ability of select human capital investments, intrinsic rewards, extrinsic rewards, and sociodemographics to predict overall job satisfaction for full-time community college faculty. A cross-sectional predictive design was used with secondary analysis of the 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:04) dataset.

Logistic Regression was utilized to determine predictive ability of the independent variables on overall job satisfaction. Results indicated that faculty were more likely to be satisfied with their work if they were satisfied with their salary, benefits and workload; were satisfied with the teaching support they received from their institutions; and if they perceived that females and minorities were treated fairly by the organization. Conversely, minority faculty were less likely to be satisfied, as were faculty who indicated they would again choose a career in academe if given the choice.     

Community College Study Abroad: Implications for Student Success

The aim of this research is to explore whether participation in study abroad by community college students impacts levels of engagement and if there is a connection between studying abroad and academic achievement. While university-level studies have a history in exploring these questions, the same is not true for community colleges. The California Community College Student Outcomes Abroad Research project (CCC SOAR) uses a mixed methods design to examine data that evidences how participation in study abroad programs not only has implications for personal development and global learning, but also has a range of indicators of academic success variables. Data show that there is a range of positive outcomes that occur as a result of studying abroad for all students across an array of early, midstream, and terminal outcomes due to engagement-enhancing components such as shared common experiences, nurturing behavior from faculty, and increased student interaction in collaborative activities.     

AN INVESTIGATION OF CRITICAL MASS: The Role of Latino Representation in the Success of Urban Community College Students

The community college has historically functioned as a primary access point to postsecondary education for Latino students. This study, an investigation conducted through an analysis of the Transfer and Retention of Urban Community College Students (TRUCCS) project, focuses on Latino students enrolled in urban “minority-majority” community colleges, where Latino students have a high representation. The specific interest of this research is the role and effect of the level of representation of Latino community college students on their academic outcomes. The relationship between the level of representation of Latinos, and the levels of academic success are analyzed in concert with other variables, such as, the level of representation of Latino faculty on campus, student age, attitude, academic integration, English ability and aspiration. Findings indicate a relationship between academic success of Latino community college students and the proportion of Latino students and faculty on campus. The findings thus suggest that a critical mass of Latinos may be a positive influence encouraging “minority” students to higher academic performance.     

From Crisis Management to Academic Achievement: A University Cluster-mentoring Model for Black Undergraduates

In spite of the widening racial achievement gap among U.S. college students (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011), some universities are achieving success in supporting the graduation and postcollege goals of Black undergraduates (Apprey, Bassett, Preston-Grimes, Lewis, & Wood 2014/this issue; Baker, 2006; Hrabowski, 2003; Hrabowski & Maton, 2009). Although research has documented efforts to improve students’ college academic success in mathematics, science, and engineering (Maton & Hrabowski, 2004), little research has examined the role of undergraduate support programs across the academic disciplines to bridge success for students from high school graduation through graduate school matriculation. This is a key link in the pipeline to career and lifelong achievement for Black students. The following case study describes an inclusive cluster-mentoring model for Black undergraduates at a Research I university that includes four elements—(a) student peer-advising, (b) faculty–student academic mentoring and advising, (c) culturally sensitive initiatives, and (d) organized parental support—to create high impact with measurable results. This university-based model can serve as a guide to improve and expand services that support the academic and leadership success of Black undergraduate students in other higher education settings.     

At Risk on the Border: Assessment of Student Learning at an Hispanic Serving Institution

Hispanics face multiple barriers to academic achievement. This study measured learning in an undergraduate criminal justice program at an Hispanic Serving Institution bordering Mexico. We estimated the average gains students achieved across core content areas using a technique that can be used by other faculty as part of program assessment. The majority of participants were Hispanic first-generation college students. An independent samples t-test was used to examine differences between freshman- and senior-level students, and the Lovett/Johnson model (2012) model was used to measure student gains using regression analysis. Results indicated that seniors showed meaningful gains at every level.     

Creating and Implementing a Faculty Interest Group for Historically Underrepresented Faculty

This article describes the creation and implementation of a faculty interest group for historically underrepresented faculty at a large, urban community college in the Northeast. Faculty interest groups provide opportunities for faculty across disciplines to meet to explore common interests and share concerns and best practices. The faculty interest group described in this article was designed to explore and address the challenges faced by historically underrepresented faculty and facilitate the process of attaining reappointment, promotion, and tenure. Nationwide, nearly half of community college students come from populations that are also historically underrepresented, and community colleges are challenged to recruit and retain faculty that mirror the student body. Research demonstrates that historically underrepresented faculty members enrich the overall education of all students, and yet a significant number of those faculty members describe their college campuses as unwelcoming. Factors that make campuses unwelcoming for these faculty include, but are not limited to, the following: isolation and marginalization; salary disparities; microaggressions based on race, gender, and sexual identity; heightened visibility; and additional role demands. Community college administrators ought to be concerned with historically underrepresented faculty members’ satisfaction and persistence on campus because these faculty members are vital members of the academy. Faculty interest groups for historically underrepresented faculty may provide the support and professional development opportunities that will ensure their retention and success in academia.     

CREATING A COLLABORATIVE CAMPUS CULTURE

Organizational culture influences whether or not community colleges maintain local support as well as overall institutional effectiveness. This paper discusses culture and the context of culture at River Parishes Community College (RPCC) a new institution within the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, currently in its fifth academic year. Implemented to provide faculty, staff, and students with an opportunity to share ideas and strategies for improving student success, the Education for Success through Partnership Rallies on Instruction and Teaching (ESPRIT) expressly aspires to shape campus culture and promote collaboration. This paper discusses organizational culture as well as it reflects the goals and cultural implications of the ESPRIT program at RPCC.     

‘The accommodation I make is turning a blind eye’: faculty support for student mothers in higher education

The levels of support which faculty provide to students have been linked to a number of positive effects on students such as lower rates of attrition, greater satisfaction with college life, enhanced self-concept, improved academic performance and more likelihood of remaining enrolled in college through stressful life periods. There are surely fewer periods of life that are busier than new motherhood. This paper presents research carried out at a higher education institution in the United Arab Emirates. We look at the ways in which faculty interact with new student mothers and employ interviews to explore ways in which faculty acknowledge and offer academic and pastoral support to the new mothers. Their perceptions of students’ coping strategies when they combine motherhood and college studies are reported, and the ways in which faculty navigate college policy which relates to the student mothers. Faculty saw themselves as being extremely supportive and flexible towards new mothers. Whilst undergraduate student motherhood was uncommon in their home countries, it was generally felt that the increased organization, efficiency, time management and resilience witnessed in student mothers were assets to the college community. This study also has wider applicability to faculty support of non-traditional students in other settings.     

应用型本科院校大学生心理资本开发体系构建

心理资本是继人力资本、社会资本之后人力资源开发的新取向.众多研究表明,其对个体的职业行为与职业成就会产生重要影响.开发应用型本科院校大学生的心理资本将对其综合素质、适应能力、学业成就及创新创业能力提升均存在积极作用.系统构建应用型本科院校大学生心理资本开发体系并提出具体实施策略,可以有效保证心理资本开发实现的可能性、可执行性及实效性,对提高应用型本科院校人才培养具有重要意义.     

影响民航大学生数学学习成绩的因素

以中国民航飞行学院飞行技术专业部分学生为研究样本,利用多种统计分析方法对影响大学生数学成绩的因素进行分析,考察教师的教学水平、学生的高考数学成绩等因素对大学数学成绩的影响.结果显示：教师的教学水平与学生的高考数学成绩对大学数学成绩的影响均显著,但高考数学成绩只能解释大学数学成绩12.6%的变异.结论：教师的教学水平与学生的学习能动性对大学数学成绩有良好的促进作用.     

Student Engagement: A CCSSE Follow-Up Study to Improve Student Engagement in a Community College

This qualitative case study at a two-year community college investigated the reasons behind a persistent gap in the college students’ engagement level in several key areas such as active and collaborative learning and student-faculty interaction as demonstrated in the longitudinal Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) and the Community College Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (CCFSSE) results. Using the maximal variation purposeful sampling method, 63 students participated in the study. Results suggested that students’ own perception and behaviors, faculty’s expectations and characteristics, the course characteristics, and institutional level support all played an important role in engaging students. There was a disparity between students’ high perception of the importance of engagement and low level of effort and a disparity between faculty’s perception of student engagement and students’ own perception of engagement. Community college students welcomed high expectations and high standards from their faculty and also desired more challenging courses despite all the obstacles in their lives. Discussions and recommendations for strategies to close the gap in the two disparities and, thus, improve student engagement level are provided.     

LEARNING STYLE AWARENESS AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AMONG COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS

This study examined the relationship between learning style awareness and academic achievement of community college students. The study was undertaken to determine if learning style awareness alone, without a change in the manner of teaching or in the matching of student and instructor styles, would benefit community college students as evidenced by an increase in academic achievement. The sample consisted of 78 second term anatomy students at Florida Community College in Jacksonville who were taught by two instructors who used comparable content and methods. By random assignment, half the group served as a control; the treatment half was given a learning style inventory, the Productivity Environmental Preference Survey (PEPS) by Dunn, Dunn, and Price (1979). The PEPS profiles were returned at mid‐term and were interpreted for each student. Individualized study tips for using learning style preferences advantageously were provided. All students were exposed to the same classroom experiences. Summed unadjusted scores of 105 objective items of common first and second classroom tests served as pretest scores. Scores of the 105‐item comprehensive final examination were used as posttest scores. An ANCOVA was performed using the pretest scores as covariates. There was a significant difference in academic achievement in favor of the learning style awareness group (p<.05).     

Exploring the first year academic achievement of school leavers and mature-age students through structural equation modelling

One of the most noticeable changes to the university student profile over the last decade is the increasing number of mature-age students. This study examined the relationship between previous academic performance, psychological characteristics of the student, learning strategies, and the first year academic performance of school leavers and mature-age students through structural equation modelling (SEM). A total of 1193 first year university students completed a questionnaire at the beginning of their first year of study, and provided consent for their academic results to be tracked over their first year at university. While the overall model of success appeared to fit for both groups, differences were identified in the order of importance of constructs affecting achievement and the strength of some relationships. The most obvious difference occurred in the relationship between previous academic performance, self-reported learning strategies, and achievement in first semester, with previous performance a more accurate predictor of school leavers' performance and self-reported learning strategies a more accurate predictor of mature-age students' performance. This study has implications for the university in terms of the targeting of academic support services for students of different ages.     

Applied Gamification: Reframing Evaluation in Post-Secondary Classrooms

This piece reports on an early attempt at gamification (reframing post-secondary classrooms drawing on the structure of games). The attempt began in the 2011–2012 academic year and is structured to allow students substantial autonomy in determining which assignments, and how many of them, to complete over the course of the semester. Initial results show small increases in overall student achievement and suggest students may take greater risks in their learning in gamified classrooms. Themes in student responses to gamified classrooms are reported, challenges for both faculty and students in employing such an approach (e.g., pacing student work, confronting assumptions about the nature of academic work, and communicating the nature of the system) are discussed, along with strategies that can help address them.     

基于主成分分析法的学习成绩评价与分析

学习成绩评价是大学教学管理的重要问题,为使成绩评价更具科学性、客观性和合理性,通过应用主成分分析法进行综合评价与分析,能够客观反映学生的实际特征,并为教学研究和学生管理提供科学依据.     

Pathway to success: using students’ insights and perspectives to improve retention and success for university students from low socioeconomic (LSE) backgrounds

In an increasingly complex landscape of diversification and massification, universities are grappling with challenges of student attrition. This paper presents findings from a project investigating how students from low socio-economic backgrounds at a regional Australian university perceive challenges and supports associated with retention and success. Twenty-seven students received intensive one-to-one support from a Faculty-embedded ‘academic advisor’, and reflected on this support, their overall student experience, and strategies to enhance student success. Students identified a range of challenges that they experienced across an academic year (personal circumstances, lack of preparedness for university study, timely access to support, course/programme difficulties) and what worked well for them (academic advisor, University support services, growing confidence in self as competent student, peer support). A range of strategies for enhancing student success were identified by students, namely consistency across teaching design and delivery, transparency of delivery modes, mandatory orientation, access to a dedicated academic advisor, and increased peer connectedness. The applicability and viability of the proposed strategies within current higher education settings are explored.     

CLASSROOM GROUPING AND INTEGRATION

African American students and former students from a predominantly white institution (PWI) were interviewed to understand their perceptions regarding the impact of their families on their academic achievement and persistence. The characteristics of families that students perceived to support and hinder their academic success at college are described along with implications for improving African American college student retention theory and practice.     

MOTIVATIONAL BELIEFS AND LEARNING STRATEGIES IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Students enter college chemistry courses with different sources of motivation, appropriate or inappropriate assumptions about their probability of success and how to study. This study is theoretically aligned with self-regulated learning research. Clearly, academic performance is closely related to student motivational beliefs and learning strategies. This study investigated the motivational beliefs and learning strategies of 2 years of college students in the second semester of organic chemistry. Responses to the Motivational Beliefs and Learning Strategies Questionnaire indicated that student self-efficacy was highly correlated with academic performance (semester grades). Gender differences were quite pronounced. Male academic performance was associated with intrinsic motivation as well as the importance placed on the learning task. Test anxiety was negatively associated with male grades. Extrinsic motivation was negatively correlated with female grades. Responses to students’ sense of control over learning, the value of the learning task, and self-efficacy were significantly higher for males compared to females. Faculty who attend to these different patterns may influence beliefs as well as learning strategies. Correcting erroneous assumptions about how to learn chemistry may help students shift both their attitudes and their learning practices. The notable gender difference suggests that female chemistry students may especially profit from focused faculty intervention.