No description available.

Excerpt: The gurus of the first-year student experience have done it again!

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs / Fred O. Bradley / This study investigated the use of the MAP-Works[superscript]TM program that is designed to help retain first-year students by identifying the level of retention risk for each student early in their first semester and communicating this risk to key university faculty and staff. The participants for this study were all first semester freshman students enrolled during the academic years 2012 and 2013. This study sought to determine if the MAP-Works[superscript]TM program and resulting intervention were effective in predicting the retention of high-risk first semester freshman students to their second semester and second year. The data analysis for this study used quantitative data analysis methods. The first and second research questions asking which of the factors were significant in predicting retention were answered using independent samples t-tests. The third research question asking if the intervention was significant was answered using a 2x2 Chi-square test for independence. The fourth and final research question asked which of the factors contributed the most in predicting retention was answered using a direct (binary) logistic regression analysis. This study found for high-risk domestic students Cumulative GPA, Socio-Emotional, Test Anxiety, Peers, Homesickness: Distressed, Academic Integration, Social Integration and Environment were able to be associated significantly with retention from fall-to-spring semester. For international students GPA, Self-Efficacy and Self-Discipline were able to be associated significantly with retention. The study showed for fall-to-fall retention for domestic students that cumulative GPA, Socio-Emotional, Communication, Analytical, Social Integration and On-Campus Living Social were significant. The research found that the intervention conducted by their direct connects for high-risk domestic students was significant for fall-to-fall retention. The logistic regression analysis showed for domestic students that Cumulative GPA, Financial Means, Socio-Emotional, and ACT Composite score were significant for fall-to-fall retention. The strongest predictor of retention was Cumulative GPA followed by Socio-Emotional, Financial then ACT Composite score. The regression analysis for high-risk international students showed that Cumulative GPA, Gender, and Student Residence were significant for fall-to-fall retention. The strongest predictor of retention was cumulative GPA, Gender (Female) and Student Residence (Off Campus).

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the retention rate and 9 firstyear student programs at Liberal Arts Colleges in the Mountain South, a region in the southern Appalachian Mountains of the United States. Nine first-year programs were studied: Summer Bridge Programs, Preterm Orientation, Outdoor Adventure Orientation, Targeted Seminars, Learning Communities, Early Warning/Early Alert Systems, Service Learning, Undergraduate Research, and Assessment. The data for this study were accessed via the college database of The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, 2013). Chi Square tests were used for analysis to identify associations between first-year student retention and the presence of each of the 9 programs. The results indicated that the presence of each of the 9 first-year programs was not significantly related to first-year student retention.

No description available.

No description available.

The aim of the research is to explore the first year experiences of two groups of undergraduate student nurses. The research takes a holistic approach to the investigation of the first year experience. In part, a curriculum change is used as a way to find out about the first year experience, with the research looking at how the introduction of enquirybased learning (EBL) into a curriculum impacted on the first year. The curriculum change is described in detail in chapter 1. The objectives of the thesis were to: 1. Examine the first year experience of nursing students. 2. Describe the curriculum change, the rationale for the change and the context within which this occurred. 3. Compare the demographic profiles of two groups of students one following a ‘traditional’ curriculum and the other using ‘EBL’; to compare students who chose to leave the courses with those who successfully completed first year. 4. Compare experiences with expectations of first year between nursing students undertaking a ‘traditional’ and an ‘EBL’ curriculum. 5. Propose strategies to enhance the student experience and rates of retention in first year undergraduate nursing students. The context for the research is described in chapter 1 – the literature review. This chapter explores the literature on the first year experience from both national and international perspectives. Inevitably, it reviews issues relating to student retention, which is the focus for much of the first year experience literature. The literature review argues that the contemporary context of nursing education requires nurse educators to consider the whole first year student experience when developing curricula that are fit for purpose. While the content of a course is important, the approaches to teaching need to facilitate learning within a diverse student population and need to prepare students to continue to learn in an increasingly dynamic healthcare environment. The chapter goes on to 2 argue that the issues that impact on the students’ first year experiences (e.g. relationships with peers and with academic staff, external domestic and personal circumstances) can be mitigated through curriculum development and other means (such as the availability and effectiveness of student support). The context of the particular nursing course along with the curriculum change and the rationale for the change are described. It can be argued that the retention literature takes a deficit approach to the improvement of the first year experience. Such an approach can be viewed as one that emphasises the factors that cause people to leave (or puts them ‘at risk’), and attempts to address these. On the other hand, a positive approach to the improvement of the first year is one in which measures and interventions aim to enhance the overall experience for all students, not just those who are seen as ‘at risk’. That said, the policy drivers for improving retention cannot be ignored and are discussed within the context of HE and nursing education. Finally, it is contended that the first year experience has not been widely explored within nursing literature and merits attention for a number of reasons, including the policy context and the need to determine whether student nurses have differing needs from students within other specialities. In chapter 2 the research methodology and research methods are described. An overview of case study research is provided and the approach taken within this thesis is described, along with a rationale for its use. The philosophical perspective is discussed with particular emphasis on the relationships between the methodology and the methods used to investigate the first year experience of students. It is argued that case study research is an appropriate methodology to investigate a complex area and provides an opportunity to utilise a number of methods so as to get to a ‘thick’ description of the phenomenon (the first year experience). All students in the two groups under investigation were asked to complete an expectations questionnaire, and an experiences questionnaire. Everyone who chose to leave the courses was asked to undertake an in-depth focused interview, although not all agreed. A sample of students who successfully completed first year was also asked to undertake an in-depth 3 focused interview. Finally, a sample of students was asked to complete a diary for the duration of the first year. The use of multiple methods is fitting, given the case study approach and the aim to create a ‘thick’ description, and an in-depth understanding of the first year experience. The use of the same research methods across the different groups of students allows for some comparisons to be made between the ‘traditional’ and ‘EBL’ curriculum students, and between leavers and stayers. The chapter also describes the approaches to data analysis. Chapter 3 presents the findings from the two questionnaires. Relevant demographic variables are reported, and the quality of the educational experience is measured in relation to the ways in which experiences meet expectations. This chapter shows that the two groups (‘traditional’ and ‘EBL’) are similar in terms of demographic variables. It also shows that the participants appeared to expect a ‘connected’ curriculum experience, but that the experience did not always match expectations. In chapter 4 the findings from the interviews and diaries are presented. Four themes are identified, with a number of categories in each. The themes (and categories) are: relationships with people (broadening horizons, knowing self and others, being supported and valued); the classroom experience (feeling inspired, becoming empowered, engaging with the learning experience); the practice experience (feeling inspired, becoming empowered, engaging with the learning experience); and professional education (motivation, preparedness, making adjustments). The chapter demonstrates the differences and similarities between the groups of students, before introducing the links to the quantitative findings, and to relevant research findings from the literature. Chapter 5 – the Discussion - brings together the findings from the qualitative and quantitative data as the case study. A conceptual framework is presented as a way in which the findings can be framed and through which future research can be organised. The assertion is made that the better the relationships, and the closer that experiences meet 4 expectations, the more likely it is that the student will have a ‘good’ experience and therefore be successful. The first year is seen as the foundation for future experiences on a course. While there are some areas that are particularly relevant to nursing students, it seems that the first year experience of student nurses is similar to that seen in other disciplines. Similar issues are identified within the thesis as within the wider literature, although nursing students’ issues may manifest themselves in slightly different ways (e.g. issues with practice placements/learning). In chapter 6, a number of conclusions are drawn that may enable future curriculum development to take a more holistic view of the student experience. Recommendations for practice are made and a focus for future systematic research is proposed. It is asserted that the conceptual framework that has been developed from the findings has allowed for a contribution to be made to the theoretical debate that relates to enhancing the first year experience and, in particular, to propose policy changes within the HE sector that may improve retention rates. This opening section has provided the reader with the context from which the ideas and focus for the thesis have developed, and has provided an overview of the aim and objectives of the research. It provided signposts for the full thesis and its component parts.

A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to understand the transition and integration experiences of first-year freshmen who participated in an outdoor orientation program at 2 higher education institutions in the Southeastern United States. Student attrition from the first year to the second year and increased time to degree completion are challenges for a number of higher education institutions in the United States (Hamilton & Hamilton, 2006; Pascarella, Terenzini, & Wolfle, 1986; Tinto, 2006). First-year to second-year attrition and lack of persistence to degree completion may be due to an unsuccessful transition to college, the inability to integrate into the campus community, or a lack of student involvement (Braxton & McClendon, 2001; Tinto, 2006). The research setting included 2 public higher education institutions that offer outdoor orientation programs for incoming first-year freshmen. The sample was purposefully selected, using 4 criterion: (1) first-year students who had participated in a university sponsored outdoor based program prior to their first year of college, (2) students who had successfully completed their first semester of college and remained enrolled as a student during the data collection term of the research, (3) students meeting the definition of traditional age (18-21 years old) college freshmen, and (4) students willing to participate in data collection. Traditional age first-year students who participated in outdoor orientation programs at 2 institutions during the summer 2015, and who were enrolled in the spring 2016, were eligible research participants. The sample chosen provided information-rich, illuminative detail on the phenomenon of first-year student transition and integration to college. Data collection included the creation of 3 concept maps followed by a semistructured in-depth interview. The highest number of mentioned areas on the research participant concept maps included friends, family, and organizations/clubs. A comprehensive support system, the right environment, and engagement in fun campus activities were found to be cornerstones of successful transition and integration to college. The study provides higher education leaders with insight on the lived experiences of first-year student transition and integration as well as evidence related to the impact of first-year experience programs that may guide and enhance institutional efforts.

It is well documented that students from low socioeconomic backgrounds face a significant degree of deficiencies in college opportunity. Previous researchers have shown an estimated 1 in 5 student athletes given the opportunity to compete at the college level come from low socioeconomic backgrounds and encounter more adjustment issues than other students because of the psychological barriers they face. Using Pearlin's theory of psychological distress and Selye's GAS as the foundation, this study explored the extent to which the difference between the perceived time needed and actual time spent in both sports and academic commitment predict psychological distress in first-year high-risk student athletes. Data were collected from 132 first-year high-risk student athletes via an online survey. The survey included Health & Human Service SES questionnaire, Sport and Academic Commitment Questionnaire, and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Multiple regression analysis revealed that sports commitment differences and academic differences were shown not to predict psychological distress. However, the results consistently showed the student athlete has time discrepancies with sport and academics and on average has moderate to severe psychological distress levels. The results are key to continuing the conversation of student athletes' psychological distress levels and establishing better interventions that specifically address the challenges of being a high-risk student athlete. If specific interventions target high-risk student athletes' mental health, they can be better served and more prepared to make the most of the college experience.

The aim of the thesis is to investigate the readiness characteristics that determine risk for either failure or withdrawal before students enter university. These relationships are investigated and explained with a literature discussion that includes readiness for university education, student transition, retention and withdrawal theory. The motivation for this research emanates against the challenges that the South African Higher Education in general faces as well as the demands placed on the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences to supply for the high demand for well equipped financial service professionals. The research project was completed in three phases. In the first phase a structured questionnaire was developed to measure the non-cognitive factors relating to readiness for university education. The purpose of the ‘Academic Readiness Questionnaire’ is to function as a screening test for first-year students that enter university. The Academic Readiness Questionnaire went through a scientific process of test development and standardisation. The overall Cronbach’s alpha for the questionnaire is 0.87, which indicates good internal consistency reliability for the scale with this sample. In the second phase the Academic Readiness Questionnaire was administered to the 2008 cohort of first-time entering students from the faculty of Economic and Management Sciences during the first-year orientation week. The total number of students in the sample is 829 students. In the third phase the students who withdrew from their studies were interviewed telephonically. A total of 42 students were interviewed to determine the salient reasons for withdrawal. Quantitative data were analysed using various descriptive and inferential statistical methods. These include factor analysis, regression analysis and multiway frequency analysis. The telephonic interviews were analysed with content analysis. The main findings reveal that the readiness characteristics show a direct relationship with academic success and intention to withdraw. The number of variables able to predict risk for either failure or withdrawal differ. More variables show a significant relationship with risk for failure than for withdrawal. Furthermore, the research results show that African students have higher academic achievement and are less likely to withdraw, when compared to white students. African students also tend to have higher academic success, compared to white students. The differences in academic success and withdrawal rates among African and white students are due to high school achievement and the number of credits the students register for. White students are also more likely to withdraw voluntarily, mostly within the first couple of weeks or months mainly due to choosing an incorrect study choice. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Psychology / unrestricted