Social Suport and Community College Student Academic Persistence

Social Suport and Community College Student Academic Persistence PDF Author: Debra A. Zavatkay
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781321277821
Category : Community college students
Languages : en
Pages : 588

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Book Description
A survey method was used to examine community college students' perceptions of the social support received, its importance, and their academic persistence. The College Social Support Survey (Harrington, 2011), a modified version of the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS; Malecki, Demaray, & Elliott, 2000) was administered to 304 students at four of Connecticut's 12 community colleges. This self-report questionnaire assesses four different types of social support (i.e., emotional, informational, appraisal, and instrumental), five sources of support (i.e., family members, professors, classmates, a close friend, and other people at the college), and the importance students place on that support. It also was designed to elicit participants' descriptions of the stress they experienced related to school and being a student. Additionally, the study looked at the relationship between social supports perceived and their relationship to academic persistence. Data analyses revealed that emotional support was the most often perceived and informational support was the most important type of social support perceived. While appraisal support was the second least frequently perceived and the least important type of support perceived, there was a small positive correlation between the frequency of appraisal support perceived and academic persistence. Data analysis also revealed that social support received from professors was the second most frequently perceived and the most important source of social support and resulted in a small positive correlation between the frequency of support perceived from professors and academic persistence. Numerous other significant correlations were found between the types and sources of support and academic persistence. Finally, participants in this study reported they experienced stress related to school and being a college student and identified stressors that were similar to those identified in the literature. Given that the participants' greatest source of stress was trying to balance their coursework with their job responsibilities, this confirms prior research findings that community college students in particular, often experience additional stressors including balancing multiple classes with other commitments such as work or family. In concurrence with the literature, perceived social support has been found to buffer the negative effects of stress typically experienced by college students.

Social Suport and Community College Student Academic Persistence

Social Suport and Community College Student Academic Persistence PDF Author: Debra A. Zavatkay
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781321277821
Category : Community college students
Languages : en
Pages : 588

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Book Description
A survey method was used to examine community college students' perceptions of the social support received, its importance, and their academic persistence. The College Social Support Survey (Harrington, 2011), a modified version of the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS; Malecki, Demaray, & Elliott, 2000) was administered to 304 students at four of Connecticut's 12 community colleges. This self-report questionnaire assesses four different types of social support (i.e., emotional, informational, appraisal, and instrumental), five sources of support (i.e., family members, professors, classmates, a close friend, and other people at the college), and the importance students place on that support. It also was designed to elicit participants' descriptions of the stress they experienced related to school and being a student. Additionally, the study looked at the relationship between social supports perceived and their relationship to academic persistence. Data analyses revealed that emotional support was the most often perceived and informational support was the most important type of social support perceived. While appraisal support was the second least frequently perceived and the least important type of support perceived, there was a small positive correlation between the frequency of appraisal support perceived and academic persistence. Data analysis also revealed that social support received from professors was the second most frequently perceived and the most important source of social support and resulted in a small positive correlation between the frequency of support perceived from professors and academic persistence. Numerous other significant correlations were found between the types and sources of support and academic persistence. Finally, participants in this study reported they experienced stress related to school and being a college student and identified stressors that were similar to those identified in the literature. Given that the participants' greatest source of stress was trying to balance their coursework with their job responsibilities, this confirms prior research findings that community college students in particular, often experience additional stressors including balancing multiple classes with other commitments such as work or family. In concurrence with the literature, perceived social support has been found to buffer the negative effects of stress typically experienced by college students.

Increasing Persistence

Increasing Persistence PDF Author: Wesley R. Habley
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118234847
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 513

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Book Description
INCREASING PERSISTENCE "Of all the books addressing the puzzle of student success and persistence, I found this one to be the most helpful and believe it will be extremely useful to faculty and staff attempting to promote student success. The authors solidly ground their work in empirical research, and do a brilliant job providing both an overview of the relevant literature as well as research-based recommendations for intervention." GAIL HACKETT, PH.D., provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs; professor, counseling and educational psychology, University of Missouri, Kansas City Research indicates that approximately forty percent of all college students never earn a degree anywhere, any time in their lives. This fact has not changed since the middle of the 20th century. Written for practitioners and those who lead retention and persistence initiatives at both the institutional and public policy levels, Increasing Persistence offers a compendium on college student persistence that integrates concept, theory, and research with successful practice. It is anchored by the ACT's What Works in Student Retention (WWISR) survey of 1,100 colleges and universities, an important resource that contains insights on the causes of attrition and identifies retention interventions that are most likely to enhance student persistence.?? The authors focus on three essential conditions for student success: students must learn; students must be motivated, committed, engaged, and self-regulating; and students must connect with educational programs consistent with their interests and abilities. The authors offer a detailed discussion of the four interventions that research shows are the most effective for helping students persist and succeed: assessment and course placement, developmental education initiatives, academic advising, and student transition programming. Finally, they urge broadening the current retention construct, providing guidance to policy makers, campus leaders, and individuals on the contributions they can make to student success.

Social Support Systems as Factors of Academic Persistence for African American, Lower-income, First-year College Students and High School Graduates Not Attending College

Social Support Systems as Factors of Academic Persistence for African American, Lower-income, First-year College Students and High School Graduates Not Attending College PDF Author: Melody Lynn Carter
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 322

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Book Description


The Relationship of First-time-in-college Students' Perceived Social Support to Persistence at a Selected Urban Community College

The Relationship of First-time-in-college Students' Perceived Social Support to Persistence at a Selected Urban Community College PDF Author: Monty W. Smith
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Community college students
Languages : en
Pages : 402

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Book Description


Community and Social Support for College Students

Community and Social Support for College Students PDF Author: Norman S. Giddan
Publisher: Charles C. Thomas Publisher
ISBN:
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 262

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Book Description


Social Support and Communication Interaction Involvement as Predictors of Persistence in Community College Students

Social Support and Communication Interaction Involvement as Predictors of Persistence in Community College Students PDF Author: Candis Lee Whitecraft
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Community college students
Languages : en
Pages : 98

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Book Description


Rethinking College Student Retention

Rethinking College Student Retention PDF Author: John M. Braxton
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118415663
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 166

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Book Description
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.

A Sociocultural Roadmap to Academic Achievement: Exploring the Support and Challenges of First-Generation College Students as They Persist in College

A Sociocultural Roadmap to Academic Achievement: Exploring the Support and Challenges of First-Generation College Students as They Persist in College PDF Author: Sharon Lanre-Orepo
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Academic achievement
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
In recent years, an increasing number of first-generation college students have pursued higher education. However, previous studies found that these students are significantly more likely to depart before their second year in college and encounter more challenges that impede them from pursuing a college degree. The purpose of the current study is to examine the role of support factors and the academic and social burden associated with first-generation college students in predicting persistence. The study also examined the role of instructor support and academic self-efficacy in predicting college persistence. A total of 145 first-generation college students completed a survey that assessed family support, instructor support, social support, college persistence, college academic self-efficacy, and academic and social burden. Results revealed that instructor support and social support significantly predicted higher college persistence, and that family support and social support significantly predicted lower academic and social burden. The results also demonstrated that academic self-efficacy predicted college persistence after controlling for support factors and that academic self-efficacy mediated the relationship between instructor support and college persistence. These findings indicate that academic self-efficacy is not a rigid personality trait but can be impacted by a student's college experience, particularly the student's relationship with a trusted instructor. Findings from this research can guide institutions of higher education to implement programs and practices to help more first-generation college students realize their academic dreams and goals.

The Influence of Academic and Social Support Systems on the Attitudes of African American Students Towards Academic Persistence

The Influence of Academic and Social Support Systems on the Attitudes of African American Students Towards Academic Persistence PDF Author: Marissa Ashley Boyd
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
Brief Literature Review: While environmental factors play a role in a student's institutional retention, student attitude and behavior may be just as significant to retention and degree completion. Exposure and prior knowledge of the social conventions of academia can be instrumental in preparing students for achieving success in a higher education setting (Farkas, 1996). Students who do not have family or friends who have been exposed to higher education cannot pass down the key tools to be academically successful in college. Students identifying as first generation are often from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and encounter decreased levels of family support, lessened college expectations, and lower educational values among parents (McConnell, 2000; Terrenzini, Springer, Yaeger, Pascarella, & Nora, 1996). Statement of the Problem: Institutions looking to promote the academic persistence of African American students may find that traditional retention practices may not work as well with students of color. Student retention is widely based on student engagement, including academic and social involvement with the campus community (Kuh, 2005). Identifying the ways in which academic and social supports effect attitudes of African American students towards academic persistence will allow colleges and universities to enhance existing programs or create programs to include support for students specifically through means of academic and social integration. Methodology: The study used a quantitative method to conduct research on all undergraduate African American students currently enrolled at a diverse university located in California's capital. The study employed an electronic survey, and 103 students participated in the research. Conclusions and Recommendations: African American students' most influential form of support came from themselves, indicating a high level of academic self-efficacy. The study revealed that African American students did not engage in academic and social activities on campus events with much frequency, but there seemed to be a slightly higher rate of academic engagement utilizing social informality than purely social activities between African American students and their peers. Understanding the influence of both academic and social support systems on student success, specifically African American student success, may allow institutions to foster or create support systems in alliance with academic programs.

A Community Research Guide to Student Persistence

A Community Research Guide to Student Persistence PDF Author: Ed D Michael K Blanchard
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 70

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Book Description
According to the United States Department of Education, only 22% of all students who enroll in community colleges complete an associate degree within three years. Only 16% of students at urban community colleges earn a degree in the same time frame. This rate rises to 35% after five years; however, 45% of these degree-seekers drop out and do not graduate. Community college administrators recognize that most of their student population desires to earn a degree, but many lack the knowledge, skills, and support to complete college. For example, only 68% of students enroll in a 2-year or 4-year course program in post-secondary institutions upon completing their high school studies. Very few community college students graduate, and the completion rate of those who enroll in 2-year institutions was found to be only 30%. This low graduation rate is related to the college readiness of the learner prior to enrollment. Thus, community college faculty and administrators agree that addressing the problems of academically unprepared students and the developmental programs intended to help those students need to be essential components of any framework for understanding and improving community college persistence. This guide serves to empower college students and their families to improve their outcomes over the course of their academic careers.