Motivation and Self-regulation in Community College Transfer Students at a Four-year Online University

ABSTRACT

Motivation and self-regulation were examined in a sample of community college transfer students enrolled in a 4-year, online university. The relation between motivation and self-regulation and students’ performance was examined, as was the association between these learner characteristics (i.e., motivation and self-regulation) and sociodemographic factors (e.g., marital status, employment status). Motivation was found to be significantly correlated with both semester and cumulative grade point average (GPA), while associations between self-regulation and performance were more limited. Further, motivation was found to be a significant predictor of semester GPA in a model controlling for sociodemographic factors and prior achievement. Motivation and self-regulation were also found to differ according to students’ sociodemographic status. For instance, transfer students with children under 18 were found to have significantly higher levels of motivation than nonparents. Those employed full-time had lower levels of self-regulation than did their nonemployed peers. Implications for further research on community college transfer students and online learning are discussed.     

Community College Student Perceptions of Their Experiences Related to Global Learning: Understanding the Impact of Family,Faculty, and the Curriculum

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this mixed-method research study was to better understand community college students’ engagement in global learning. The study, supported by the Florida Consortium for International Education, was conducted during the 2015–2016 academic year in Florida across nine community colleges drawing from a 55-question survey with an 11% response rate (n = 175). Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used, with data analysis conducted using NVivo and SPSS software. An electronic survey was piloted with one institution, and a refined version was sent to select professors across nine community colleges in the state for distribution to students in the fall semester of 2015. A total of 175 students completed the survey. The majority of students responding were interested in global learning; however, they reported that this interest stemmed primarily from family encouragement and personal experiences rather than from their academic experiences. Students did report that professors were promoting global learning in their classes, although the results were not statistically significant. Students who did not express an interest in global learning felt as though it was not important because it was unrelated to their daily lives. It is the hope that this study will inform community college administrators and faculty to better understand how and why students become interested in global learning to more effectively promote their engagement both on and off campus.     

Predictors of psychological distress and well-being in a sample of Australian undergraduate students

Previous research has found university students report higher levels of psychological distress compared to the general population. Our aim was to investigate the degree to which personality and contextual factors predict psychological distress and well-being in students over the course of a semester. We also examined whether resilience-building skills, such as positive self-talk, mindfulness meditation and self-management, included in a first-year psychology subject, might reduce distress and improve well-being. Undergraduate first-year students (n?=?150) completed a battery of questionnaires in week three (Time 1; n?=?150) and week 10 (Time 2; n?=?53) of semester. At both times students reported high levels of psychological distress, as measured by the K10, the General Health Questionnaire and the Brief Symptom Inventory, and low levels of psychological well-being, as measured by the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale. Students exposed to resilience-building skills embedded in a subject (n?=?24) were no less distressed at Time 2 than those not enrolled in that subject (n?=?29). The personality traits of emotional resilience (vs. reactivity) and bounce-back resilience measured at Time 1 were the only significant predictors of psychological distress and well-being measured at Time 2. Students with high emotional and bounce-back resilience had lower psychological distress and higher well-being scores. Future research could consider development and trial of a full semester university subject designed to improve students’ resilience knowledge and skills.     

“I Hope to Remain the Same”: Continuity and Change in College Students' Sexual Possible Selves across the First Semester

This study replicates and extends research on college students’ sexual possible selves by longitudinally examining their sexual expectations, fears, and behavioral strategies at the beginning and end of the first semester in college. Open-ended responses were collected at two time points (T1, N?=?78; T2, N?=?40) and were analyzed using directed content analysis. First semester students’ salient expectations and fears focused on abstinence, interpersonal relationships, quantity, conditional sex, decreasing/avoidant behaviors, and fears related to sexual health/well-being, sexual assault/coercion, self-focus, and increased sexual risk at both T1 and T2. However, two new themes emerged at T2: maintain (expected) and partner-focus (feared). At both time points, behavioral strategies included abstinence, making opportunities, restricting boundaries, sexual health/well-being, thoughtful/informed decisions, and self-assertion/protection. Quantitative frequency comparisons were also conducted to examine changes in the prevalence of the reported categories and indicated shifts in salient expectations, fears, and strategies across the first semester. Implications for sexual education are discussed.     

The Role of Community College Financial Aid Counselors in Helping Students Understand and Utilize Financial Aid

Financial aid counselors are a primary source of information that many students rely upon to understand financial aid and how to pay for college. However, little is known about financial aid counselors at America's community colleges and their interactions with the students they serve. Using original survey data, this study examined the role these counselors play in helping community college students understand and make use of financial aid. The majority of counselors in the sample reported the counselor-to-student ratio at their college was one counselor for every 1,000 students (or higher), suggesting these counselors do not have the time or resources to meet the needs of every student who needs their advice. Counselors also identified common pitfalls their students experience during the financial aid process. These findings serve as the basis for recommendations intended to improve the utilization of financial aid among community college students.     

Effects of Individualized Instruction on Control Expectancy: A Field Test

Abstract

This study was conducted in order to determine whether or not one semester of individualized instruction is enough time to create in students an increased sense of being able to control payoffs in life and to lead students to develop a more realistic appraisal of their ability to control payoffs in an academic environment. Paradoxically, the converse may occur. When first confronted with a success-oriented instructional process and opportunities for self-pacing, students with failure histories may become more external, anxious, or uncertain. In order to examine these notions, a sample of 126 educationally deficient students who were beginning their first semester of study in a community college were selected from 18 different sections of math, English, and history and tested twice—once at the beginning of the term and again late in the term just prior to finals.     

Autobiographical Counternarratives from the Community College to the PhD

ABSTRACT

Historically, community colleges and those they serve have been relegated to the margins of academe. Community colleges’ critics argue that students starting at two-year institutions are less likely to earn bachelor’s degrees and have lower student outcomes. This CCJRP Exchange Article draws upon counternarratives in highlighting multiple truths of the community experience through use of scholarly personal narratives (SPN) of those that moved in, through and out the community college to the PhD. The faculty member and doctoral students reflect on how their community college experiences influenced their career trajectories. Further, implications for community college practice, policy, and research are shared as the authors make a case for applying SPN in an effort to see community colleges as sites of deep growth that have lasting effects on the personal and professional lives of their students.     

Initial Academic Momentum and Student Success: Comparing 4- and 2-Year Students

ABSTRACT

Today, many full-time students spend one, two, or more additional years completing a 2-year associate or 4-year bachelor degree. In order to reduce this time frame, many institutions are utilizing a 15 to Finish campaign to encourage full-time students to enroll in 15 credits each semester. The first purpose of this study was to examine if there is a relationship between the number of credit hours enrolled in the first semester and the number of credits earned at the end of the first year. Concurrently, it examined how a student’s initial academic momentum (i.e., the number of credit hours earned in the first year) relates to student persistence and degree completion. The second purpose was to determine if there was a relationship between a student’s socioeconomic status and the number of credit hours enrolled in the first semester—and if it is feasible for low-income students, who primarily attend community colleges, to afford additional credit hours. The results showed that more students who earned 30 credit hours in the first academic year persisted to the second year and earned a degree than students who did not earn 30 credit hours. Also, the results showed that the majority of low-income community college students had enough Federal Pell Grant funds to pay for the additional tuition cost. Given these results, practical and policy implications are discussed.     

Examination of Factors that Predict Academic Adjustment and Success of Community College Transfer Students in STEM at 4-Year Institutions

ABSTRACT

There are a limited number of individuals who possess the skills to fulfill the workforce demand in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) in the United States. Therefore, community colleges and 4-year institutions must be able to identify academic and social factors that impact students’ participation in the areas of STEM. These institutions must also explore the possibility that these factors contribute to the high rate of students switching out of STEM fields. This study’s purpose was to develop a better understanding of the perceptions of community college transfer students who continue at a 4-year institution to determine academic and social factors that influenced their academic success in STEM. To collect the quantitative data, the Laanan-Transfer Students’ Questionnaire was utilized. The results of this study reveal that Academic Adjustment was predicted by father’s highest level of education, interaction with faculty at the community college and university, and perception as a transfer student at the university. The cumulative grade point average (GPA), was predicted by the highest level of education of the father, associate degree obtained at the community college, community college transfer GPA, general courses from the community college, transfer credit hours, and university course learning. Overall, the findings indicate that community colleges and 4-year institutions should encourage students to be connecting more in class and after class—not only with their peers, but also with faculty. Findings also suggest that students should become more involved academically and socially to enhance their academic and social adjustment at a 4-year institution.     

A Plan of Classifying Pupils

ABSTRACT

Critical ethnic and gender gaps exist in college retention and graduation rates. Early achievement motivation may play an important role in student persistence. A sample of undergraduates completed surveys tapping motivation at the beginning (n = 591) and end (n = 232) of their first semester in college. African American and Caucasian students were more academically self-efficacious than Asian American students. Self-efficacy increased over the semester and was higher for male than female students at both time points. African American and Asian American students were initially more extrinsically motivated than Caucasian students; however, by the end of the semester, all ethnic groups were similar on extrinsic motivation. Female students were more extrinsically motivated and mastery oriented than male students who were more performance oriented. Performance goal orientations were negatively associated with grade point average whereas mastery orientation, intrinsic, and extrinsic motivation were positively associated with academic performance. Implications for higher education are discussed.     

EFFECTS OF TRANSFER ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS AT THE FOUR‐YEAR INSTITUTION

This study presents an in‐depth meta‐analysis of transfer shock, the grade point average (GPA) drop experienced by many community college transfer students. The purpose of the study was to identify all possible studies dealing with transfer shock and to report the magnitude of GPA change from the last quarter or semester at the community college to the end of the first quarter or semester at the senior institution. The study also researched the amount of recovery of GPA obtained by the community college transfer students at the 4‐year institution.

The search revealed 62 studies that reported the magnitude of GPA change. The studies showed that although community college transfer students in 79% of the studies experienced transfer shock, the majority of the magnitude of GPA change was one half of a grade point or less.

Of the studies that showed that community college transfer students experienced transfer shock, 67% reported that students recover from transfer shock, usually within the first year after transfer. Significantly, 34% of these studies showed community college transfer students recovered completely from transfer shock, 34% showed nearly complete recovery, and 32% showed partial recovery.

Because admission criteria for community college transfer students are based almost solely on academic performance, it is important for admissions personnel to consider the GPA recovery phenomenon in the decision process, not just the transfer‐shock phenomenon.     

Differences in the Performance of Male and Female Students in Partially Online Courses at a Community College

ABSTRACT

Many scholars argue that female students are more motivated than their male counterparts. This study examines evidence from 435 students, 237 males and 198 females, in 19 partially online Introduction to Marketing and Marketing Research classes taught by this researcher at an urban community college. The study spans 10 semesters from fall 2012 to spring 2017. In this retrospective study, female students outperformed male students on the following measures: (a) Students’ final course grades adjusted to remove extra credit grades, (b) Students pre-semester cumulative Grade Point Averages adjusted to remove extra credit grades, and (c) Scores on three early semester extra credit assignments assigned to all students. The data suggest that female students are more likely to be self-regulated learners – more disposed to adopt a proactive disposition to their studies – than male students. But, this study does not include psychometric data. Consequently, the proposition that female students are more self-regulated learners than male students is only a hypothesis that emerges from this analysis. Given that the data are not normally distributed, the analysis was conducted using nonparametric test: Chi-Square and Kruskal–Wallis H.     

Factors contributing to the retention of natural mentors among underrepresented students across the first year of college

The current study examined characteristics of natural mentoring relationships (NMRs; i.e. mentoring relationships that develop organically with adults in one’s pre-existing social network) among underrepresented college students as contributors to NMR retention across the first year of college. The sample consisted of 209 underrepresented college students (73% female; mean age = 18.1, SD = .35) who reported having a natural mentor during the first semester of college. Each participant could report up to five natural mentors and a total of 550 NMRs were reported. We found that more frequent contact and greater relational closeness with natural mentors during the Fall semester of mentees’ first year of college increased the likelihood that NMRs were retained through the Spring semester of the first year. These findings shed light on aspects of NMRs that may be most central to fostering their duration during difficult transitional spaces.     

The Financial Aid Consortium: Rationales and Best Practices for their Establishment between Community Colleges and Public Universities

ABSTRACT

The financial challenges facing college students in the U.S. are daunting. The majority of these students are incurring substantial debt during their studies. For many this likely debt level is sufficient to cause them to forgo college, while for others it leads them to drop out before completing a degree. This financial strain places a premium on efforts that the student can take to economize. One of the most substantial ways that the students can economize is through the inclusion of a community college in their plans of study. Consequently, economizing requires the inclusion of multiple colleges and the courses needed to be taken at different institutions seldom fits neatly into full-time semesters. Recent regulatory changes have created an opportunity for institutions to eliminate this type of financial strain through the strategic cooperation of a financial aid consortium.     

Evaluation of the effectiveness of remedial reading courses at community colleges

Limited research is available on the effectiveness of remedial college courses. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of two instructional approaches for developmental reading courses at a community college in the southwestern United States. The instructional approaches were traditional textbook-based instruction and strategic-reading instruction. The sample consisted of 64 participants. Half (n = 32) of the participants were in the control group (n = 32) and received traditional textbook-based instruction; the other half (n = 32) were in the experimental group and received strategic-reading instruction. All participants completed the Nelson-Denny Reading Form G at the beginning of the semester and then again 12 weeks later, at the end of the semester. The data were then statistically analyzed to identify any relationships between the type of instruction and the differences between the students’ pretest and posttest scores. The null hypotheses for H1 and H2 were rejected because the results of the paired t tests indicated that both traditional textbook-based instruction and strategic-reading instruction have a statistically significant positive effect on students’ performance on the test. A one-way ANOVA was conducted to determine whether the pretest/posttest difference scores varied based on the type of instruction. The findings showed that both methods of instruction were equally effective in improving the reading comprehension skills of community college students in a developmental reading course. Based on the findings, community college leaders are encouraged to assess the effectiveness of the instructional methods used in developmental courses to ensure at-risk community college students are receiving the most beneficial instruction.     

Alleviating Anxiety and Altering Appraisals: Social-Emotional Learning in the College Classroom

Most college students experience stress and an increasing number also experience anxiety. This stress and anxiety has negative impacts on academic performance, as well as psychological well-being. In the K–12 setting, social-emotional learning (SEL) interventions have been consistently associated with improvements in outcomes related to stress and anxiety. However, little to no research has been conducted on effective ways for college instructors to help students in this area utilizing SEL. We developed a semester-long SEL program as an easy-to-implement and scientifically driven program to address this striking void. In statistics courses at two separate institutions (N?=?46), students completed weekly activities that fostered SEL-based skills and mindsets conducive to alleviating anxiety and appraising stressors in a productive manner. In our exploratory analyses, we empirically assessed the efficacy of our program utilizing a number of pre- and post- measures, including stress appraisal and various dimensions of anxiety. Significant improvements were noted in students’ ability to appraise stressors as positive challenges, rather than threats. Noteworthy improvements were also seen in students’ ability to recognize the resources available to help them cope with stressors, as well as decreases in math anxiety. These preliminary findings demonstrate that SEL programs implemented in a college setting have the potential to impact students’ psychological well-being and, in turn, their academics.     

“Do I Really Belong Here?”: The Stigma of Being a Community College Transfer Student at a Four-Year University

ABSTRACT

Students who begin their educational journeys in community college face many obstacles trying to complete their bachelor’s degrees. Much research has been dedicated to identifying academic factors that predict successful transfer and degree attainment, but relatively little research investigates how the community college experience affects these students once enrolled at the four-year university. Here, we present the results of a qualitative study that explored the challenges faced by 14 community college students during and after transfer. Specifically, we focus on student reports of a sense of stigma from having attended community college and how students overcame these feelings. Recommendations are provided for how community colleges and four-year universities can better equip their students with the knowledge and resources to combat this perception of stigma.     

Supplementing the ‘College Experience’ with Program-Based Learning Communities

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to examine the benefits of a learning community created for first-year students enrolled in a criminal justice degree program at an urban community college in the Northeast. Quantitative and qualitative survey data were collected from three cohorts of students in the program-based learning community. Survey questions examined students’ satisfaction with the learning community structure and their perceptions of social networking and academic skills gained from participation in the learning community. Quantitative data from the college’s records were used to compare the academic progress and retention of criminal justice students in the program-based learning to other first-year criminal justice students. Our findings indicate that participants had positive experiences in the learning community reporting satisfaction with the learning community structure and significant social networking and academic benefits from their participation in the learning community. Findings also indicated that program-based learning community students exhibited greater academic progress and were retained at higher rates than other first-year criminal justice students. This study substantiates the positive impact of program-based learning communities on students’ satisfaction, their academic success toward degree completion, and retention.     

Editorial

Abstract

Based on a recently completed alumni study of 522 graduates at a private college in the northeastern Unites States, this paper presents a model for designing alumni research to assess higher education's effectiveness in preparing graduates for work and life. Results revealed substantial variation in alumni evaluation of their education. While alumni reported a high level of satisfaction with the academic programme and career preparation, their feedback suggests they seek more from their college experience. Results reveal that students who feel a sense of community are more satisfied with their overall college experience and those who are satisfied with their social life are more likely to recommend the college to prospective students.     

Community College Engineering Students’ Perceptions of Classroom Climate and Fundamental Engineering Skills

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine community college engineering students’ perceptions of their classroom climate and how these perceptions are related to fundamental skills in engineering. The study was guided by the following research question: How are community college engineering students’ perceptions of their fundamental engineering skills related to their perceptions of classroom climate? Data from a 2009 National Science Foundation sponsored project, Prototype to Production: Processes and Conditions for Preparing the Engineer of 2020 (P2P), which contains information from students in 15 pre-engineering community college programs, were examined. Measures of classroom climate and fundamental skills related to engineering were first established through an exploratory factor analysis. In order to explore differences in student perceptions by individual characteristics and by institution, hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used. Results indicated that for community college engineering students, a warmer perception of classroom climate was associated with a higher perception of fundamental engineering skills. At community colleges, class sizes are generally smaller, especially compared to introductory courses at universities, and may provide a warmer climate for students considering beginning their engineering degrees. Given the diversity within community colleges, these institutions may provide an important pathway for underrepresented groups in engineering.