Enrollment patterns and students’ risk of academic difficulty

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-108
Author(s):  
Robert Matthew DeMonbrun ◽  
Michael Brown ◽  
Stephanie D. Teasley
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Student Success ◽  
General Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Difficulty ◽  
Enrollment Patterns ◽  
Gateway Courses ◽  
Prescribed Curriculum ◽  
General Education Requirements ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Experiencing academic difficulty can deter students’ academic momentum, decreasing the speed with which they complete coursework and increasing the odds that they will not persist to a credential. The purpose of this paper is to expand upon an existing framework that investigates students’ academic difficulty in co-enrolled courses by adding additional co-enrollment variables that may influence academic performance in introductory gateway courses. Design/methodology/approach This study uses quantile regression to better understand academic difficulty in co-enrolled courses and the impact that students’ co-enrollment patterns may have on their success in focal introductory gateway courses. Findings This study revealed significant relationships between student success and co-enrollment patterns, including: the disciplinary alignment of the course with a student’s major, the student’s co-enrollment in other difficult courses and experiencing below average academic performance in a co-enrolled course. Further, impact of these relationships often differed by students’ performance quantile in the focal course. Practical implications The results point to factors related to the student and their co-enrolled courses that faculty, academic advisors and curriculum committees can consider as they design general education requirements within and across disciplinary majors. Originality/value This approach advances the understanding of how a prescribed curriculum produces interdependent pathways that can promote or deter students’ success through the organization of curricular requirements and student course taking. The paper provides a generalizable methodology that can be used by other universities to investigate curricular pathways that have the potential to reduce student success.

Training autonomous managers for a dynamic environment

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 719-731
Author(s):  
M. Valle Santos ◽  
Rosa M. Mayoral
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Evaluation System ◽  
Teaching Strategy ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Dynamic Environment ◽  
Motivational Orientation ◽  
Self Directed Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Evaluation System

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore self-regulated learning among university students, the role played by motivation and its impact on academic performance. This paper presents a teaching strategy aimed at self-regulation which draws on the educational value provided by the evaluation system.Design/methodology/approachThis research includes a quantitative analysis to examine the dependency relation between self-regulation, motivational orientation and academic performance. The impact of the teaching strategy on the relation between self-regulation and academic performance is also explored.FindingsThe findings indicate that self-regulation is closely linked to motivational orientation and is a determining factor in academic performance. In addition, implementing a teaching strategy focussing on self-regulation alters said relation.Practical implicationsThis research reflects the value of fostering the level of student self-regulation with a view to enhancing not only their current learning, but also the self-directed learning that will ensure professional success. The research also evidences the potential of the evaluation system for encouraging the development of self-regulation.Originality/valueThe conclusions to emerge from this research will help educators gain an awareness of the usefulness of strengthening student self-regulation and the potential offered by the evaluation system as a teaching resource. This research also merges extremely interesting elements – student self-regulation and the evaluation system – which to date have not been explored jointly.

scholarly journals Statistically, Does peer assisted learning make a difference on a UK engineering degree programme? HETL Scotland 2017

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Louise Nortcliffe ◽  
Sajhda Parveen ◽  
Cathy Pink-Keech
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Social Categories ◽  
Peer Assisted Learning ◽  
Student Records ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Attainment Gap ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Black British minority ethnics (BME) students are nationally underachieving in comparison to their Ethnic Chinese and White peers, showing typically a 16 per cent graduate attainment gap in the UK. Previous research has suggested that the attainment gap could be explained by BME student disengagement, as the students typically commute from family home to University, and they work part time. However, peer-assisted learning (PAL) has been shown to have a positive impact on addressing and resolving student alienation and disengagement. However, a question still remains regarding whether student perceptions hold up to statistical analysis when scrutinised in comparison to similar cohorts without PAL interventions. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents the results of a statistical study for two cohorts of students on engineering courses with a disproportionately high representation of BME students. The research method involved a statistical analysis of student records for the two cohorts to ascertain any effect of correlation between: PAL; student ethnicity; and student parental employment on student academic performance and placement attainment. Findings The results indicate that PAL has no significant impact on the academic performance; however, PAL has a positive impact on the placement/internship attainment for BME students and students from parental households with parents in non-managerial/professional employment. Research limitations/implications The research limitations are that the cohorts are small, but more equal diverse mix of different social categories than any other courses. However, as the cohorts are less than 30 students, comparing social categories the data sets are small to have absolute confidence in the statistical results of academic performance. Even the t-test has its limitations as the subjects are human, and there are multiple personal factors that can impact an individual academic performance; therefore, the data sets are heterostatic. Practical implications The results highlight that there is need for pedagogy interventions to support: ideally all BME students from all social categery to secure placements; BME students who are unable to go on placement to gain supplementary learning that has the same impact on their personal development and learning as placement/internship experience; and White students from managerial/professional family households to engage more in their studies. Social implications Not addressing and providing appropriate pedagogy interventions, in the wider context not addressing/resolving the BME academic and placement attainment gap, a set of students are being disadvantaged to their peers through no fault of their own, and compounding their academic attainment. As academics we have a duty to provide every opportunity to develop our student attainment, and as student entry is generally homogeneous, all students should attain it. Originality/value Previous research evaluation of PAL programmes has focused on quantitative students surveys and qualitative semi-structured research interviews with students on their student engagement and learning experience. On the other hand, this paper evaluates the intervention through conducting a quantitative statistical analysis of the student records to evaluate the impact of PAL on a cohort’s performance on different social categories (classifications) and compares the results to a cohort of another group with a similar student profile, but without PAL intervention implementation.

Executive Function, Metacognition, and Language: Promoting Student Success With Explicit Strategy Instruction

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Lynn Meltzer ◽  
Michael Aaron Greschler ◽  
Kim Davis ◽  
Caitlin Vanderberg
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Strategy Instruction ◽  
Language And Literacy ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
Important Relationship ◽  
Assessment And Treatment ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this clinical focus article was to discuss the important relationship between executive function and language skills and to provide speech-language pathologists (SLPs) with strategies for promoting student success. Background and Method The impact of executive function processes on language and literacy begins in the preschool years and becomes increasingly important from third grade onward. These executive function processes play a more dominant role when tasks require students to integrate and synthesize multiple linguistic and other subskills in order to read and comprehend, write, complete projects, and study for quizzes and tests. In this clinical focus article, we provide a brief overview of research-based executive function strategies that are beneficial for all learners and are essential for students with language weaknesses as well as learning and attention difficulties. We focus on the key executive function processes that are the foundation of academic performance, namely, goal setting, organizing and prioritizing, thinking and problem-solving flexibly, accessing information in working memory, and self-monitoring. We discuss a theoretical framework for understanding and promoting metacognition and executive function as part of assessment and treatment plans for SLPs. Finally, we address the importance of executive function strategies for improving students' effort, academic performance, and resilience. Conclusion SLPs can promote student success by offering structured and systematic approaches to teaching executive function strategies.

Racial and low-income quotas in Brazilian universities: impact on academic performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 156-176
Author(s):  
Claudia Bueno Rocha Vidigal
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The North ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to estimate the impact of racial and low-income quotas on academic performance of students from public and private universities in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach Using propensity score matching applied to student-level data from the National Examination of Student Performance conducted in 2012; this paper identifies the impact of the quota policy on academic performance considering all Brazilian universities. Findings The results indicate that there is no statistically significant difference in academic performance between students admitted under the racial quota and those who had the regular admission (non-quota students). The impact is positive, however, for students from the North region of Brazil and among those with very low family income, whereas a negative impact is observed for those from the Central-West region. In regard to the low-income quota, quota students perform worse than eligible non-quota students as their scores are, on average, 14 percent lower. Similar findings are observed when different subsamples are considered. Originality/value This paper’s main contribution is to provide a broader and more rigorous empirical approach than that presented by the existing literature in order to evaluate the impact of quota policies on academic achievement. Moreover, this study considers all Brazilian institutions whereas previous studies are limited to only one or a few universities.

scholarly journals Examining Students’ Online Course Perceptions and Comparing Student Performance Outcomes in Online and Face-to-Face Classrooms

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Spencer ◽  
Traci Temple
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
Student Success ◽  
General Education ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Performance Outcomes ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Instructional Format ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Impact

Through the use of existing grade and student survey data, this study investigated online courses offered at a public four-year university. Specifically, the study explored differences in student success rates between online and face-to-face courses for traditional undergraduate students as well as the climate of student perceptions towards online courses. Our general results suggest that students performed better in, and had higher levels of preference toward, traditional face-to-face formats. However, overall perceptions of online courses were positive, with students viewing instructional technologies as reliable and easy to use, as well as reporting that online technologies facilitated prompt feedback, enhanced their problem-solving skills, and met their learning needs. Alongside this, students exhibited positive views towards their instructors’ skill level and use of technology to support academic success. Logistic regression analyses of differences in student success across instructional formats revealed interaction effects with variables of age (nontraditional/traditional), aid status and whether or not courses were taken to fulfill general education or major requirements, suggesting a more complex effect of instructional format across student subpopulations. The variability in the results observed in the current study warrant further exploration before definitive conclusions on the impact of instructional format on student outcomes and perceptions can be made.

scholarly journals Linking exploration to academic performance

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 404-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Gkorezis ◽  
Petros Kostagiolas ◽  
Dimitris Niakas
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Healthcare Management ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Academic Self Efficacy ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Substantial empirical research has addressed the antecedents of students’ academic performance. Building on these insights, the purpose of this paper is to extend the related literature by investigating the impact of students’ exploration on their academic performance. Furthermore, to provide a better understanding of this relationship the authors incorporate two sequential mediators, namely, information seeking and academic self-efficacy. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative approach using self-report questionnaires. This study was conducted in the Hellenic Open University through a specially designed questionnaire. The authors collected data from 248 students attending a postgraduate course in Healthcare Management. Findings The results showed that information seeking and in turn academic self-efficacy mediate the positive association between exploration and academic performance. Both theoretical and practical implications are also discussed. Originality/value Students’ exploration plays an important role in enhancing both their information seeking and self-efficacy which in turn affects their academic performance.

Hole-in-the-Wall learning stations and academic performance among rural children in India

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ritu Dangwal ◽  
Krati Sharma ◽  
Santonu Hazarika
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Computer Literacy ◽  
Continuous Process ◽  
Socioeconomic Background ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Government School ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Time Points ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

Purpose – Earlier research on “Hole-in-the-Wall (HiWEL)” conclusively indicated groups of children pick up computer literacy on their own and are adept at performing basic functions such as cut, copy, paste, surf the internet to answer high-end questions. Research also indicates that children self-organize themselves to figure out things which they find difficult and thus learning is a continuous process for them. The studies have also indicated that HiWEL pedagogy is child centric and is at the discretion of the child. Children organize themselves and become self-regulated learners. However, so far no study has been undertaken to determine whether children accessing Hole-in-the-Wall learning stations (HiWEL LSs) can improve in mathematics and English. The intent of the present study is to examine whether groups of children are able to pick up mathematics and English on their own using the learning station. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – In order to study the impact of HiWEL LS on mathematics and English, the authors took two groups; experimental group and control group from six states. Experimental group – 31 children from each site (except for two sites, where experimental group consisted of 30 children) were randomly selected to be a part of the study. 16 children from class 6th and 15 children from class 7th were identified. For this study, the experimental group consisted of a total of 277 children from nine locations. Mathematics and English tests were administered at two time points, pre and post within a gap of six months of installing the learning station. Control group – children that formed the control group were selected from nearby villages with similar socioeconomic background as the experimental group. A total of 135 children (15 children per location) were selected for this study. This group did not have access to HiWEL LS or to any other computers. These children were also tested on the same two tests at two time points, pre and post within a gap of six months. Findings – Children exposed and using HiWEL LSs pick up academic English and mathematics on their own for grade 6th and 7th. These are government school going children. Qualitatively, the teachers and parents feel that they too have seen the benefits in the academic achievement of these children. Research limitations/implications – The study was done for a six-month period across seven sites. This study should be replicated over across entire India and a bigger sample should be taken for results to be conclusive. Practical implications – The actual quantity of schooling that underprivileged children experience and the quality of teaching they receive are extremely insufficient. This seems to be true of both the educationally more advanced states and the educationally backward states. These findings suggest a new pedagogy for enabling children to improve their academic performance which in turn leads to improvement in school performance. Thus, for the current educational system, it is important to have alternatives. Originality/value – So far, no study has been undertaken to determine whether children accessing HiWEL LSs can improve in mathematics and English. The intent of the present study is to examine whether groups of children are able to pick up mathematics and English on their own using the learning station. And, the findings have been positive.

scholarly journals School engagement as a mediator in students’ social relationships and academic performance: a survey based on CiteSpace

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yin Li ◽  
Leiju Qiu ◽  
Baowen Sun
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
School Engagement ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Research Trend ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose In studies related to education, sociology and economics, the relationship between students’ social relationships and their academic performance is one of the most important research topics; a large number of research studies have focused on it. This study aims to analyze the previous studies about social interaction and academic performance and attempts to reveal the underlying mechanism. Design/methodology/approach This study uses CiteSpace to analyze 1,843 articles on social relationships and academic performance from 2001 to 2019. According to the co-cited literature network results in CiteSpace, this study proposes an adapted conceptual framework of the relationship between social relationships and academic performance. This paper further examines more studies about the two most-cited articles in the co-cited literature network for better understanding. Findings From the results of the co-cited literature network, this study determines that school engagement is an important mediator between social relationships and academic performance. This paper further examines studies on school engagement and determine that, along with the self-determination theory, school engagement is influenced by multiple components of self-determination theory: autonomy, competence and relatedness. Originality/value According to the visual result in CiteSpace, this study examines a research trend in which researchers scholars start to conduct micro and detailed empirical research on the impact of the specific social networks on academic performance because of the progress of information technology. Therefore, based on the previous literature that we have analyzed, this study predicts that the trend of using information technology, such as data mining or data analysis, in this academic field will become a mainstream practice in the future.

scholarly journals Quantifying the Impact of Student Enrollment Patterns on Academic Success Using a Hidden Markov Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 6453
Author(s):  
Shahab Boumi ◽  
Adan Ernesto Vela
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Transfer Students ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Enrollment Patterns ◽  
Part Time Students ◽  
Part Time ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time

Simplified classifications have often led to college students being labeled as full-time or part-time students. However, student enrollment patterns can be much more complicated at many universities, as it is common for students to switch between full-time and part-time enrollment each semester based on finances, scheduling, or family needs. While previous studies have identified part-time enrollment as a risk factor to students’ academic success, limited research has examined the impact of enrollment patterns or strategies on academic performance. Unlike traditional methods that use a single-period model to classify students into full-time and part-time categories, in this study, we apply an advanced multi-period dynamic approach using a Hidden Markov Model to distinguish and cluster students’ enrollment strategies into three categories: full-time, part-time, and mixed. We then investigate and compare the academic performance outcomes of each group based on their enrollment strategies while taking into account student type (i.e., first-time-in-college students and transfer students). Analysis of undergraduate student records data collected at the University of Central Florida from 2008 to 2017 shows that the academic performance of first-time-in-college students who apply a mixed enrollment strategy is closer to that of full-time students, as compared to part-time students. Moreover, during their part-time semesters, mixed-enrollment students significantly outperform part-time students. Similarly, analysis of transfer students shows that a mixed-enrollment strategy is correlated with similar graduation rates as the full-time enrollment strategy and more than double the graduation rate associated with part-time enrollment. This finding suggests that part-time students can achieve better overall outcomes by increased engagement through occasional full-time enrollments.

scholarly journals No textbook cost general education pathway: an effort to increase retention at Central Washington University

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 503-522
Author(s):  
Maura Valentino ◽  
Geri Hopkins
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Open Educational Resources ◽  
Education Curriculum ◽  
Content Type ◽  
General Education Curriculum ◽  
Library Resources ◽  
General Education Requirements ◽  
Washington University

Purpose This study aims to describe a project that aims to give students a choice to complete their general education requirements without purchasing a textbook. Design/methodology/approach In total, 26 faculty, teaching in the new general education curriculum, at Central Washington University were given stipends to eliminate expensive textbooks and use free to the student resources such as open educational resources (OER) or library resources. The data was collected on student savings and student and faculty satisfaction with the program. Findings Many paths were created through the general education curriculum, so a student may easily finish these requirements without purchasing a textbook. The data from this case study coincide with the literature on the subject. Faculty found it fairly easy to replace their required textbooks with pedagogically sound, free resources. Students were relieved to have some financial relief and found the resources to be good. The student’s biggest complaint was that faculty often use very small portions of expensive required textbooks. Research limitations/implications This is a case study and the results are limited as such. This is one university and one general education curriculum. Also, if an academic library wants to replicate this case study, some funding is required. Practical implications Students struggle financially and alleviating the costs of textbooks is one-way librarians can ease that burden. Social implications Students struggle financially and alleviating the costs of textbooks is one-way librarians can ease that burden. Originality/value There have been some case studies written about OER, where 8 or 10 courses are replaced. There are studies written about zero-textbook-cost degrees at community colleges, but this case study explores a textbook-cost-free general education program at a state university.

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