Social Integration in a Community College Environment

Among current retention models, Tinto’s Interactionalist Model has reached near paradigmatic status. When his model has been applied to two-year college settings, the social integration results have been inconsistent. This has led Maxwell (2000) and Deil-Amen (2011) to suggest that a different construct of social integration exists in community colleges; one that focuses less on purely social activities and more on peer groups centered on academically-related activities, and interactions with faculty and students inside the classroom. But are these two constructs really different? The current study sought to ascertain whether this alternative construct of social integration is, in fact, related to Tinto’s construct. It also was designed to investigate the impact of additional variables including gender, race, age, and program of study (i.e., occupational vs. transfer) have on both constructs. After conducting the analysis, it was found that the two social integration constructs were highly related. Additionally, it was found that social integration, using Tinto’s construct, significantly varied by gender. Future research strategies including longitudinal analysis, regression analysis, and qualitative techniques are all recommended.     

Establishing a Framework for Successful Social Network Site Use in the Community College

ABSTRACT

Many colleges and universities have created college-sponsored communities on Facebook and Twitter as a means to interact, connect, and build community online (Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2009; Wankel & Wankel, 2011). However, the literature provides no clear picture of how community college students use social network sites (SNS) or whether the use of SNS is associated with student outcomes as social integration into the campus environment, institutional commitment, and persistence (Davis, Deil-Amen, Rios-Aguilar, & González Canché, 2012; Junco, 2012). The purpose of this quantitative research investigation was to examine the relationship between Social Networking Site use and social integration, institutional commitment, and persistence among students at a suburban community college. Findings revealed a significant relationship between SNS and social integration and institutional commitment; there was no significant relationship between SNS use and persistence. Recommendations for policy, practice, and future research are offered.     

Early Integration and Other Outcomes for Community College Transfer Students

The purpose of this study was to explore academic and social integration and other outcomes for community college transfer students. The study used Tinto’s (Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition, 1993) Longitudinal Model of Institutional Departure and Deil-Amen’s (J Higher Educ, 82:54–91, 2011) concept of “socio-academic integrative moments” to inform the selection and organization of potential predictors. We developed regression models for relationships between demographic and background variables of interest and perceived academic and social integration following the first six weeks at the receiving university. We also included these perceived integration scores in regression models for six outcomes (first and second semester grade point average, first and second semester earned hours ratios, and second and third semester persistence). Academic and previous college background explained the greatest amount of variance in predicting early integration and academic outcomes.     

Differences in educational outcomes of African American students from different socioeconomic backgrounds

This research tested a structural equation model of educational outcomes for three socioeconomic status (SES) groups of African American students enrolled in a community college. The structural model, which was based on a variant of Tinto's (1987) model, contained two exogenous constructs, educational intentions/commitment and external commitments, and three endogenous constructs, academic integration, social integration, and educational outcomes. The study demonstrated that higher levels of academic and social engagement had positive direct effects on educational outcomes for all students regardless of SES background. Other paths that were supported included the positive direct effects of educational intentions/commitment on academic and social integration and the negative impact of external commitments on social integration. Significant structural differences were not present in the measurement of model constructs or the process of educational outcomes among lowest, lower to middle, and middle to upper SES groups.     

Service Learning and Criminal Justice Students: An Assessment of the Effects of Co-Curricular Pedagogy on Graduation Rates

Service learning courses provide meaningful community service for students in order to assist them with the integration of theory and practice. A partnership with local high schools allows students in a large criminal justice program on the west coast to serve as mentors for students who are referred to the program by school counselors and/or social workers. Data on student performance are used to assess whether the exposure to service learning improves matriculation. All criminal justice students who participated in the program were included in this analysis. The impact of this pedagogy is highlighted by using a randomized sample of criminal justice students who have not participated in this particular course. Findings from this program assessment indicate that race and gender are not strong predictors of graduation. Students with high GPAs and those taking service learning courses are more likely than their low GPA and no service learning course counterparts to obtain a degree.     

Determinants of Self-Worth in Children with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder

Harter (1987) argues that both competence-importance discrepancy and social support/positive regard constructs predict a child's global self-worth. In the current study, this model was used to ascertain whether both determinants were pertinent to the self-worth of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD: American Psychiatric Association, 1994) and to control children. A group of 36 children with DCD were compared with a matched group of 36 normally coordinated children. The two groups were matched on variables of age, gender, and verbal IQ. It was found that Harter's (1987) model was supported for the group of control children as both the competence-importance discrepancy and the social support/positive regard construct were significant predictors of self-worth. However, for the DCD group, only the competence-importance discrepancy predicted self-worth. The results of this study indicate that future research efforts need to examine an alternative model which incorporates the variables that are relevant to the self-worth of children with DCD.     

“Performance,Resistance, Caring: Racialized gender identity in African American boys”

This study illuminates the meaning making world of 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th grade African American boys in a community based after-school program. Employing participant observation, questionnaire and interviews, the work captures the manifestations of their definitions of gender and racial constructions, including maleness, masculinity, “Blackness,” as well as the intersections of race and gender- racialized gender identity. Their voice revealed the implications of those constructs on schooling along with their sense of the raced and gendered nature of their school experiences. Their sense of identity emerged as multiple, shifting and produced, yet also reflected the presence and desire for a self apart from external constructions.     

Researching Race Within Educational Psychology Contexts

In this article, we question why race as a sociohistorical construct has not traditionally been investigated in educational psychology research. To do so, we provide a historical discussion of the significance of race as well as present current dilemmas in the exploration of race, including an examination of the incidence and prevalence of race-related constructs in top educational psychology journals. As a means of expanding educational psychology's use of race as a sociohistorical construct, we introduce the concepts of race-focused and race-reimaged constructs. We end the article with suggestions for how we can begin exploring race as a sociohistorical construct in the field of educational psychology, including the need to challenge traditional paradigms and embrace culturally relevant methodologies.     

The Impact of Developmental Mathematics Courses and Age,Gender, and Race and Ethnicity on Persistence and Academic Performance in Virginia Community Colleges

This research study examined the 2006 cohort of First-Time-in-College students from all 23 community colleges in Virginia. The goal was to examine fall-to-fall persistence and success in the first college-level mathematics course. Predictor variables used were developmental status, age, gender, and race and ethnicity of the student. Interaction variables were created to determine if age, race and ethnicity, or gender moderates the effects of developmental status for both persistence and success. And a model was created using all main and interaction predictor variables to determine to what extent each variable accounts for persistence and success. It was found that neither gender nor race and ethnicity moderates developmental status for either persistence or success, but age moderates both success and persistence. Developmental courses are more effective for traditionally aged students and developmental courses are positively related to the persistence of nontraditionally aged students and negatively related to the persistence of traditionally aged students. The predictor variables developmental status, age, race and ethnicity, and gender are all significantly related to both the success and persistence of students. The effect of developmental status on both success and persistence is weak. Nondevelopmental status, female, nontraditionally aged, and non-Black race and ethnicity are all positively related to the success of students. Nondevelopmental status, female, traditionally aged, non-White and non-Black race and ethnicities are all positively related to the fall-to-fall persistence of students.     

Integration Factors Related to the Academic Success and Intent to Persist of College Students with Learning Disabilities

Despite increased enrollment, outcomes such as grade point average (GPA), persistence, and graduation rates for college students with learning disabilities (LD) continue to lag behind those of their nondisabled peers. Reasons for the differences vary but may include academic and social integration, factors identified as important to the success of college students in general. This research investigated the relative influence of background characteristics, precollege achievement, and college integration variables on the academic success and intent to persist of college freshmen and sophomores with LD. While academic and social integration were not unique predictors of college GPA, both integration variables were unique predictors of intent to persist. The findings suggest that beyond high school achievement and background characteristics, college experiences as captured by academic and social integration are promising constructs to help explain the persistence of college students with LD. Implications for future research and practices for high school and college personnel are discussed.     

Interactions of gender with predictors of academic achievement

Predictive models of academic achievement are used in various (often high stakes) applications, including selection and study orientation procedures for higher education. Considering the far-reaching consequences of their outcomes, these models should show as little bias for irrelevant factors as possible. While numerous studies have researched the impact of gender on the isolated individual predictors of academic achievement, no studies yet have explored how gender affects program-specific prediction models of academic achievement. As such, the present study examined whether prediction models exhibit gender differences in the accuracy of their predictions, and how such differences relate to the gender balance within a study program. Besides that, we developed gender-specific prediction models of academic achievement in order to examine how these models differ in terms of which predictors are included, and whether they make more accurate predictions. Data was examined from a large sample of first year students across 16 programs in an open access higher education system (N = 5,016). Results revealed interactions between gender and several predictors of academic achievement. While the models exhibited little difference in the accuracy of their predictions for male and female students, analyses showed that using gender-specific models substantially improved our predictions. We also found that male and female models of academic achievement differ greatly in terms of the predictors included in their composition, irrespective of the gender balance in a study program.     

The Impact of Registration Timing on Student Performance

This study compares the impact of timing of registration on the student learning outcomes of students taking courses at three rural community colleges in the southeastern U.S. during the school years 2001–2003. Findings from this study indicate that early registration has a positive influence on students' grades and course completion rates. Also contributing to differences in student outcomes were student race, Pell Grant status, gender, program of study, and age.     

Sense of audience and the adult writer: A study across competence levels

The purpose of this research was to investigate five audience-related constructs impacting on the written expression of adult writers who demonstrate varying degrees of literacy competence. Four specific groups of adult writers were targeted for this study, including 35 college-able writers demonstrating learning disabilities, 22 writers with learning disabilities attending a rehabilitation vocational training program, 35 remedial English college writers, and 35 normally achieving college writers. A primary trait scale was developed to investigate five major constructs identified in the literature as impacting on audience. These constructs included general characteristics, organization of text, analyzing/constructing the audience, construct differentiation of voice, and execution. The results of this research indicate that the population of adult writers demonstrating learning disabilities have difficulties with certain aspects of the writing process that may impact on the audience (reader). Implications for assessment and instruction are discussed.     

Determinants of predisposition to transfer among community college students: A structural model

Employing aspects of Tinto's (1975, 1987) theoretical framework, the purpose of this study was to test a model of student transfer behaviors and attitudes with a community college student population. More specifically, this study examined the structural relationships among five constructs: (1) student background factors, (2) initial commitments, (3) social integration, (4) academic integration, and (5) predisposition to transfer. Student background factors were examined to determine their direct and indirect effects on community college students' initial commitments, social integration, and academic integration on three multiple indicators of the dependent variable, predisposition to transfer: (1) number of four-year institutions students planned to apply for transfer, (2) transfer behavior, and (3) transfer perceptions. The study supported utilization of factors identified in the retention literature that are based on Tinto's model to examine transfer attitudes and behaviors among community college students. Students with high levels of social and academic integration tended to have high levels of predisposition to transfer. Ethnic background was found to have no relationship to predisposition to transfer.     

Lessons from Dorothy Allison: teacher education,social class and critical literacy

Integrating autobiographical narrative and case study, this teacher‐research article looks closely at how one white, female, heterosexual, middle‐class elementary school teacher in the US used short stories written by Dorothy Allison as an entry point to look at difference from a critical perspective. Challenging the too often conflated constructs of race and class, this study was conducted in a Masters course on literacy that foregrounded issues of social class. Contrary to what some may believe, the author argues that foregrounding class did not eclipse critical analyses of race, gender and sexuality, but moved one student towards more nuanced readings of oppression.     

The Impact of Social Integration on Subsequent Institutional Commitment Conditional on Gender

Social Integration has been found by several scholars to have a significant impact on the subsequent institutional commitment and retention of college students. Few of these scholars, however, have attempted to examine whether social integration has a different impact on female students as compared to male students. This paper presents the results of a study which examined whether the impact of social integration on subsequent institutional commitment is conditional on gender. Findings suggest the need to slightly revise how higher education scholars and practitioners think about social integration and its impact of student retention.     

The Value of Peer Interaction in the First-Term Community College Classroom: A Faculty Perspective

ABSTRACT

Existing literature suggests that social connection with peers is beneficial for first-term college students. First-term community college students are less likely to experience social interactions than their counterparts at residential universities. However, recent attention has pointed to the classroom as the main place where social interaction can occur. The objective of this study was to understand the value in promoting social integration in the first-term community college classroom. This qualitative study used a multiple case-study design to interview 13 instructors who promote social interaction in their community college classrooms filled with primarily first-term students. The sampling was reputational. Coding and thematic analysis was applied to each completed interview, and then a cross-case analysis was used to generate comprehensive themes for the entire study. According to the data generated by this study, the value of promoting social interaction in the community college classes is found in: (a) enhanced learning, (b) appealing classroom atmosphere, (c) student development and growth, (d) membership in supportive community, (e) student success, and (f) safety and comfort. The themes that emerged from the data indicate that there is qualitative value for both the student and the instructor when social interaction is present in a community college classroom. This study also suggests further research is needed to better understand how social interaction activities impact the student, and how practices can be delivered effectively and beneficially.     

A Cross-Sectional Study of Engineering Students’ Self-Efficacy by Gender, Ethnicity, Year, and Transfer Status

This is a cross-sectional study of 519 undergraduate engineering majors’ self-efficacy beliefs at a large, research extensive, Midwestern university. Engineering self-efficacy is an individual’s belief in his or her ability to successfully negotiate the academic hurdles of the engineering program. Engineering self-efficacy was obtained from four variables: self-efficacy 1, self-efficacy 2, engineering career outcome expectations, and coping self-efficacy. The four variables were analyzed using a repeated analysis of variance among levels of gender, ethnicity, years students had been enrolled in their engineering program, and transfer status. No significant differences in mean engineering self-efficacy scores were found by gender, ethnicity, and transfer status. However, significant interactions between gender and the subscales, ethnicity and the subscales, and transfer status and the subscales were found. Significant differences in mean engineering self-efficacy scores were found among years students had been enrolled in the program.     

Hispanic Student Success: Factors Influencing the Persistence and Transfer Decisions of Latino Community College Students Enrolled in Developmental Education

This study examined the impact of a set of theoretically-derived predictor variables on the persistence and transfer of Hispanic community college students. Early models of student persistence have been validated primarily among 4-year college students. While the constructs have been well-established, the relationships of those relevant factors remain unexamined among community college transfer students, and specifically, among Hispanic students enrolled in developmental coursework and planning to transfer from a community college to a 4-year institution. Logistic regression analysis was used to test the hypothesized conceptual framework on an existing set of quantitative persistence data drawn from a national sample of Hispanic students.     

Racial and Gender Identity Among Black Adolescent Males: An Intersectionality Perspective

A considerable amount of social identity research has focused on race and racial identity, while gender identity, particularly among Black adolescents, remains underexamined. The current study used survey data from 183 Black adolescent males (13–16 years old) to investigate the development and relation between racial and gender identity centrality and private regard, and how these identities impact adjustment over time. It was found that dimensions of racial and gender identity were strongly correlated. Levels of racial centrality increased over time while gender centrality, and racial and gender private regard declined. In addition, racial and gender identity uniquely contributed to higher levels of psychological well‐being and academic adjustment. These findings are discussed within the context of existing identity theories and intersectionality theory.