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published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Education

This study investigated the following with regard to technical-occupational students in a multi-campus urban community college: The enrollment patterns in required general education courses at specific intervals of course work; the relation between successful completion of certain required general education courses (English and mathematics) and academic success as measured by grade point average; and the profiles or basic characteristics (age, GPA, sex, and high school graduation status) of (a) the student who had completed a specified amount of general education course work and (b) the graduate who had attained a higher grade point average in technical course work than in general education course work. The data was obtained from the academic records of 328 current student, selected by established criteria, and 284 graduates of six technical-occupational programs. The six programs were chosen by pairs to represent white-collar, technical-skilled, and blue-collar oriented occupations. Data on enrollment patterns were analyzed according to percentage in frequency distributions. Differences in mean grade point averages for completers and non-completers of English and mathematics were analyzed using the t-test. Significant variance among the groups representing types of occupations was analyzed using the chi-square test for independence. The Pearson Product Moment test was used to investigate correlations between grade point average and amount of general education work completed. Among the major findings were the following: over 57 per cent of the current students had completed general education requirements at a level proportional to their total program enrollments; current students tended to avoid enrollment in English more than in mathematics; current students who had completed mathematics had a higher mean GPA than those who had not completed mathematics; graduates who completed mathematics during the first half of the program had a higher mean GPA than those who completed mathematics later; a negative correlation was detected between GPA and the amount of general education course work completed; and more than 81 per cent of the graduates had a higher GPA in technical course work than in general education course work.

This multiple case study investigated impact and perceptions of students enrolled in the Watson Digital Bridge Academy Foundation Course at Cabrillo College in Watsonville, California. The Watsonville Digital Bridge Academy is an innovative community college program that integrates four theoretical frameworks in student learning: self-efficacy, accelerated learning, team management, and developing a desire for learning. Students identified three crucial components of the Foundation Course as impacting their success in and desire to continue college. First, students believed the self-assessment of their team networking skills was useful during and after the Foundation Course. As part of identifying their own team interaction style, students also reported they learned to understand and appreciate differences in others. Second, students believed the Learning-to-Learn skills made them more efficient learners, able to take notes and engage with texts. Students were amazed that they had read and written so extensively, and felt they could approach other college assignments with new skills. Third, students were energized by the social research project that required them to gather data from community sources, facilitate group discussions and speak in front of others. While each of these components resulted in important skills, the combination had a remarkable impact on these students' beliefs about themselves. Students described themselves as more self-confident, more aware of their own strengths and weakness, more capable of academic success because of their reading comprehension and note-taking skills, and more motivated to continue their education. This case study confirmed much of the literature about the importance of learning to manage teamwork and applying these skills to real-life community projects. Community colleges play a large role in helping at-risk students achieve economic and social advantages. The key to student success is to ensure that for high-risk students, the transition into a college learning environment is both challenging, as well as a safe and comfortable environment. The Watsonville Digital Bridge Academy Foundation Course presents a unique model designed to help students make a seamless transition into the college environment with the goal of teaching students essential academic skills to become successful in college.

This study investigated the relationship between community college institutional expenditures and student success in reaching momentum points. The 3 years of student cohorts of a large community college district in Texas formed the population. Student characteristics and institutional context characteristics served as control variables. Institutional financial data functioned as the independent variables. Student success variables (milestones and momentum points) served as dependent variables. Because each of the three cohorts contained over 10,000 students and displayed equivalent characteristics, the random sample of 7,634 students was drawn from the combined cohorts. Institutional financial variables predicted the milestones of reading readiness (χ2 = 315.10, df = 17, n = 3,495, p < .001) and writing readiness (χ2 = 296.64, df = 17, n = 3,149, p < .001). Financial variables contributed to the completion of English-1301 (χ2 = 1004.14, df = 17, n = 7,634, p < .001), college-level math (χ2 = 615.24, df = 17, n = 7,634, p < .001), 30 college-level credit hours (χ2 = 833.85, df = 17, n = 7,634, p < .001), and reenrollment the second fall semester (χ2 = 375.41, df = 17, n = 7,634, p < .001). Student services expenditures provided high odds for completion of English-1301 (odds ratio = 4.85 x 1014), college-level math (odds ratio = 5.24 x 1018), 30 college-level credits (odds ratio = 1.60x1015), and for re-enrollment in the second fall semester (odds ratio = 7.32 x 1014). Instructional expenditures and operations & maintenance expenditures also predicted student enrollment in the second fall semester. Student services’ influence on student engagement and success should inform decisions about programs for improving student success. Institutional policymakers may utilized these expenditure results support momentum point attainment. Finally, the influence of full time enrollment on student completion of milestones and momentum points in every regression model suggested resources for encouraging full-time, uninterrupted college enrollment are needed. Additional implications and recommendations are provided.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between training in learning style adaptation and successful completion of community college courses. The rationale for conducting this study was based on the need for students to learn how to adapt their learning style in order to more effectively learn in any situation. It is also important that community colleges implement strategies that assist in student retention. The learning styles of entry-level community college students were measured using Kolb's Learning Style Inventory Version 3. Students enrolled in entry-level college courses at a small North Texas community college were studied. The Chi-square Test of Independence with a 2 x 2 design was employed. Findings indicated that there was no statistically significant difference in the relationship between students receiving training in learning styles adaptation and successful completion of entry-level college courses, and that students who attended a learning styles training session and those who did not attend a learning styles training session had an equal chance of succeeding in entry-level community college courses. Findings also indicated that students with Accommodating and Assimilating learning styles are less likely to successfully complete an entry-level college course than are students with Diverging or Converging learning styles, yet students with Diverging and Converging learning styles might withdraw from a course rather than risk being unsuccessful. Finally, findings indicated that students who are dissatisfied with the college course and with the instructor of the college course withdraw from college courses.

Although research findings to date have documented that computer-mediated communication (CMC) gets students involved, a substantial gap remained in determining the impact of CMC on academic and social integration of community college students. Because computer technology, specifically CMC, has proliferated within teaching and learning in higher education and because of the importance of academic and social integration, this study was significant in documenting through quantitative data analysis the impact that CMC had on the academic and social integration of community college students. The following research question was addressed: Does computer-mediated communication have an impact on the academic and social integration of community college students as measured by the CCSEQ? The study hypothesized that data analysis will show that there will be no difference in the integrations reported by the control and experimental groups. The overall approach was to conduct a pretest-posttest control-group experimental study using CMC as the experimental treatment. The Community College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CCSEQ) was given to collect data that were used to measure the academic and social integration of the control and experimental groups. After an in-depth analysis of data using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and ANCOVA, the finding of this study was that there is no statistically significant difference between the control and experimental groups on their academic and social integrations as measured by the CCSEQ. In other words, CMC did not have a positive or negative impact on the integrations of community college students. This study examined for the first time the impact that CMC had on the integrations of community college students and provided an experimental methodology that future researchers might replicate or modify to further explore this topic. Because CMC will continue to increase as technology becomes more available and accessible to faculty and students and because of the importance of academic and social integration, further study on this relationship is vital to higher education research.

The research was designed to test the hypothesis that significant differences exist between Hispanic and non-Hispanic students respecting background characteristics and reasons for enrollment in selected two-year colleges. The findings led to firm conclusions regarding the need for educational institutions to provide remedial and tutorial services, liberal financial aid, culturally sensitive institutional ambience, diversity in faculty, counselors, and staff, and instructional and student development programs responsive to the cultural diversity of all students.

This study investigated the factors related to student retention in a comprehensive community college developmental education mathematics program. The purpose was to identify and describe these factors and to develop strategies for improving retention in the community college developmental education mathematics program. Tinto's 1975 model of institutional departure was employed to examine different factors relating to retention in developmental education mathematics courses. In accordance with established criteria, data were collected using the Institutional Integration Scale (IIS) and Students Existing Records (SER). The IIS survey instrument questionnaire was completed by 41 students from a sample of 56 developmental education students enrolled in college level mathematics, and the data thus collected were used for analysis. Data were analyzed using frequency count, percentage, and the chi-square statistical analysis with a significant level of 0.05. The analysis of the data showed that the responding sample was primarily white, females aged 18 to 45. Most of the respondents had high grade point averages, did not miss any developmental education mathematics classes, and attended extra curricular activities infrequently. More fathers than mothers of the sample population had received a college education. Academic goal commitment, institutional experience, academic involvement, and placement grades were not statistically significant factors influencing retention. Among the major findings were: Development education instructors appeared to make the difference, institutional experience, academic goal commitment, and placement grades did not appear to play a major role; the students' academic involvement beyond classes appeared negligible; age, gender, grade point average, and parental educational levels were not significant factors for student retention in developmental education mathematics courses. Although statistical evidence did not support reversal of the proposed null hypotheses, pertinent issues for further research were raised.

A study was conducted to identify demographic and academic characteristics of students transferring from North Texas area senior colleges to Tarrant County Junior College (Texas) in the Fall 1984 semester. Academic characteristics were measured at the point of transfer and during subsequent junior college enrollment(s) through Spring 1989. Transcripts of 608 reverse transfer students were examined. Non-Completers, students who transferred prior to completing a baccalaureate degree, were identified as 77% of the population; students who transferred after earning a degree were 22%. Of the Non Completer students, 35% transferred as Poor Students (transfer GPA of 0.00-1.99), 23% as Fair Students (2.00-2.79) and 19% as Good Students (2.80-4.00). The reverse transfer students were 52% male. Most (87%) were white, with 6% black, 4% Hispanic, and 3% other ethnic. They varied in age from 18 to 81: 24% were younger than 21, 31% were 21-25, 45% older than 25. Poor Students earned a cumulative junior college GPA 1.29 higher than transfer GPA; Fair Student GPA was .63 higher; Good Student GPA decreased by .01. The change was significant at the .01 level for Poor and for Fair students. Poor arid Fair students who stopped out "for at least two years prior to transfer increased GPA by .58 more than the GPA of immediate transfers; those who changed from an academic program to vocational or avocational courses increased GPA by .46 more than those who did not. The differences were found to be significant at the .01 level. Too few Poor and Fair Students (11%) enrolled in remediation to allow statistical measurement, but Poor Student junior college GPA was found to be 1.41 higher than university transfer GPA. Degree students were found to be older than the average reverse transfer, to be 91% white and 52% male, and to be good students with diverse educational objectives.