The purpose of this study was to examine the intellectual factors involved and the basic skill levels necessary for high risk students to experience success in college. The subjects were 60 full-time college freshmen enrolled in a special program for high risk students at Ball State University during the 1978-79 school year.The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) was administered to subjects that were selected by a stratified random sample technique from a group of 342 full-time students identified as high risk students. Academic success was based solely upon grade point average.Pearson Product Moment Correlations were computed between grades and the WWAIS test scores for males, females and the total group. The scores which reached significance for the total group (after two quarters of attendance) were Information, Comprehension, Vocabulary, and the Verbal IQ. These results were consistent with earlier studies which indicated that verbal comprehension skills are of primary importance in predicting academic success in college with regular college students.Sex differences were apparent as significant correlations were found between grades and the Information and Vocabulary subtests for females but not for males. Significant correlations were found between grades and the Comprehension, Similarities, Picture Completion, Verbal IQ and Full Scale IQ scores for males but not for females.Partial correlations with grades were computed for the WAIS results with the effects of the traditional measures of Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) Verbal and Mathematics Sections and high school rank held constant. Information and Vocabulary WAIS subtest scores yielded significant partial correlations with grades for the total group. The Information subtest yielded a significant partial correlation with grades for females while the Comprehension subtest provided a significant partial correlation with grades for males.Multiple correlations using all of the WAIS results did not reach significance for either males, females, or the total group when compared to grade point averages. Multiple correlations using the total WAIS results and the traditional measures did not reach significance for the total group or for females when compared to grades. The multiple correlation using total WAIS results and the traditional measures did reach significance for males. The total WAIS results did not add significantly to the predictive information provided by the traditional measures for either males, females, or the total group.The conclusion of the study was that portions of the WAIS could be useful in evaluating the chances of success for high risk students enrolled in a special program. Subtests which measure verbal comprehension provide the highest relationship with academic success. Also,ability to predict success with the WAIS can be enhanced if sex differences are taken into consideration.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 192-199).

Thesis (Ed.D.)--East Carolina University, 2008. / Presented to the faculty of the Department of Educational Leadership. Advisor: Michael Poock. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed May 21, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Minnesota, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 186-201)

The purpose of this study was to examine the reflective essays of first-year, first-generation college students for evidence of self-directed learning at the conclusion of their first semester at the university. A phenomenological qualitative method was employed and a content analysis rating rubric used to identify and code evidence related to four themes: Self Awareness, Decoding and Pattern Fit, Autonomy/Responsibility, and Academic Success. The study findings indicated that first-year, first-generation college students have the capacity to take ownership of their learning in ways exemplified by self-directed learners. Participants demonstrated deep reflection and metacognition and their essays revealed unexpected student vulnerability as they voiced fears and hopes with a nearly innocent transparency and candor. Study findings also emphasized the importance of a support system that includes coursework designed to facilitate understanding of individual learner characteristics, emphasize strategies to maximize learner efforts that lead to successful outcomes, and empower students to become more self-directed. This study also expands the field of adult education by providing evidence that learner control is a key component of self-direction and is positively correlated to academic success. Ample evidence related to metacognition, self-regulation, and learner control was identified in the essay data.

Remediation has become a compensatory way for an increasing number of students to attend college. The problem addressed in this study was whether student intellectual strengths and learning style preferences were, in part, related to placement or enrollment in remediation courses. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess whether a particular learning style or dominant intellectual strength was characteristic of freshmen enrolled in remediation courses compared to freshmen not enrolled in remediation courses. This study filled a gap in the literature as no studies have analyzed the combination of learning style preferences with dominant intellectual strengths in an American college population. Its theoretical foundations were Gardner's multiple intelligence theory and Kolb's experiential learning theory. A total of 84 participants completed a demographics survey, the Multiple Intelligence Profiling Questionnaire III, and the Learning Styles Inventory. Results from the Spearman Rho correlation indicated a significant negative correlation between logistic/mathematical intellectual strengths and enrollment in remediation. For learning style preferences, students enrolled in remediation courses were significantly more likely to identify as Assimilating learners. Students in remediation were also significantly more likely to identify as Accommodating learners in comparison to students not enrolled in remediation courses. These results suggest that the college curriculum and how it is taught could be altered to accommodate both students' strengths and strengthen weaknesses in order to facilitate higher levels of academic success, ultimately leading to higher graduation rates and better employment opportunities; these improvements might, in turn, facilitate positive changes for communities in South Florida.

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This descriptive case study was an investigation of the transition to university, with a focus on academic experiences in the first semester of the 1992--93 academic year at a Canadian research university. To guide the study, a conceptual framework of the transition to university was created by combining elements of relevant theoretical models in the counseling and higher education literature. A purposive sample of eight first year students was selected, equally distributed in terms of gender, entry status (high school vs. college), and actual or contemplated program of study (English vs. Physics). Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews conducted at four points in the academic year. These were supplemented by class schedules, university documents, and classroom visits. Analysis of the interview data was conducted using the NUD·IST software package. / The results of the study suggest that students are strangers, in a strange land during their first semester at university. As they encounter successive sets of academic challenges throughout the semester, they are "learning the ropes" of functioning in this unfamiliar territory. In so doing, students are acquiring the experiential knowledge base that will allow them to survive in university. The results support the study's conceptualization of the transition to university, but also suggest that figure research in this area requires a more fine-grained and comprehensive model of the academic environment as experienced by students. Towards this end, the basic elements of an ecological perspective on the academic world of university students are presented. Areas of needed research related to the academic transition experiences of first year students are identified, and recommendations are made for improving orientation and academic advising, as well as course design and instructional practices.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of diet, physical activity, and lifestyle characteristics on body weight of incoming freshmen at a Midwestern university. Research shows that many college students gain weight during their first year at college due to a change in dietary habits, lack of physical activity, and other lifestyle characteristics, such as drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes.A systematic sample of incoming freshmen completed an online pre- and post-questionnaire regarding diet, physical activity, and lifestyle characteristics. In addition, students had their height and weight measurements taken to determine body mass index at the beginning and end of their first semester in college.Of the 69 incoming freshmen who participated in this study, 66.7% (n=46) gained an average of 2.6 ± 2.1 pounds and increased their BMI from 24.7 to 25.0 kg/m2 in one semester; 24.6% (n=17) lost an average of 1.5 ± 1.0 pounds. More than half of the students reported they usually tried to make healthy eating choices; however, 58% of the students reported having on average 2 meals per day and the majority did not meet the recommended number of servings for all five food groups. Less than 50% of the students exercised 3 or more days per week and less than one-third strength trained. The majority of incoming freshmen neither smoked nor consumed alcohol. Interestingly, there was an association of weight gain in college students who decreased the average number of meals they had each day or increased the average number of servings of fruits each week. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

The transition from high school to college is difficult for students and they need to learn to navigate the transition in order to be successful and stay in school. This process is especially challenging for many students with disabilities who may face additional difficulties due to their disability. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how having a faculty mentorship influences the collegiate experience of students with disabilities. This study was grounded in qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenology methodology. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with students with disabilities who had a faculty mentor during their first semester of college. Data analysis was conducted based on thematic analysis (Van Manen, 1990), and predominant themes were discovered. The researcher concluded faculty mentorship does affect the collegiate experience of students with disabilities in considerable ways. Students met significant challenges adjusting to the collegiate life. Faculty mentorship assisted some of these students during their transition from high school to college. Based on these themes, specific conclusions were drawn regarding students with disabilities transition and the postsecondary accommodation process. Suggestions were presented for university administrators, faculty, and staff, all of which work with students with disabilities. / Department of Educational Leadership