An exploratory study of freshman attrition from an Appalachian physiology program

Appalachia has low rates of college attendance and graduation, but relevant data investigating student attrition from physiology majors in this region are lacking. This exploratory study examined freshman attrition from an undergraduate exercise physiology program in Appalachia with the goal of identifying potential strategies for improving retention across similar programs in this underserved region. Questionnaires were administered at the beginning and end of the fall semester to freshman ( n = 247) and students transferring out of the major [Transferred group (T); n = 50] by the end of their first semester were compared against those that remained [Retained group (R); n = 190]. The Transferred group was invited to participate in qualitative interviews. Fewer Transferred students reported feeling underprepared in academic preparedness skills, but more reported feeling underprepared in math. At the end of the semester, more in the Transferred group reported doing worse than expected in math and in getting good grades and had a lower grade point average (R: 3.27 ± 0.05; T: 2.62 ± 0.15; P < 0.01). More in the Transferred group were first-generation (FG) college students (R: 17%; T: 30%). Transferred FG had lower academic preparation and performance and more financial need than Retained FG. In interviews ( n = 35), most students expressed a change in career goals and many noted the academic rigor of the program, while academic advising, faculty, and the major received generally positive praise. This study identified several factors that would allow for early identification of incoming freshmen at risk for attrition and proposes strategies for improving retention within Appalachian physiology programs.

Social Stratification in secondary school success after ambitious track decisions

It is well established in the literature on social stratification in educational attainment that children in families with high socio-economic status (SES) choose more academically demanding educational pathways than children in low SES families, particularly if they did not perform well in school. However, little is known about whether children succeed on these tracks. We make two contributions to this literature: First, we evaluate whether children with low academic preparedness successfully graduate from the academic track in Germany and whether a high SES compensates for low academic preparedness. Second, we try to identify the underlying mechanisms of differences in success rates: Differences could either be attributed to children catching up academically or different reactions to low performance on the academic track. We do so by following the educational trajectories of 2,371 children who transferred to the academic track in 2010 for nine years using survival analysis. In general, children with low academic preparedness are much more likely to downgrade to another track. However, among the children with low academic preparedness, particularly high SES children succeed on the academic track. Yet, little of the differences in success rates by academic preparedness and SES can be attributed to performance in the academic track which limits the contribution of both proposed mechanisms.

Behavioral Economics in the First-Year Experience

Many colleges and universities have put in place some form of freshman or first-year experience. This article suggests the use of a course in behavioral economics when the first-year experience has an academic basis and demonstrates how such a course can assist in the achievement of acculturation goals as well as help diagnose areas of strength and weakness in academic preparedness. JEL Classifications: A20, A22, D90, D91

Repositioning students as co-creators of curriculum for online learning resources

Amid increasing calls for universities to transition to online learning, there is a need to explore how platforms and technology can provide positive student experiences and support learning. In this paper, we discuss the implementation of an online peer learning and recommender platform in a large, multi-campus, first-year health subject (n = 2095). The Recommendation in Personalised Peer Learning Environments (RiPPLE) platform supports student’s co-creation of learning resources and allows for students to provide feedback and rate their peers’ submissions. Our results indicated that both student engagement and academic performance were positively impacted for users by the introduction of the RiPPLE platform, but that academic preparedness, in the form of students’ ATAR scores, strongly influenced their engagement and the benefits received. Implications for practice or policy: We explored if students were willing to co-create learning resources online. Our study piloted an online platform known as Recommendation in Personalised Peer Learning Environments (RiPPLE). Critical analysis provides insights into fostering online engagement and peer learning. We further offer recommendations for future practice on how to embed online student co-creation of curriculum.

Experiences of first-generation scholars at a highly selective UK university

Targets set by the UK Office for Students require highly academically selective UK universities to enrol a greater percentage of students identified as least likely to participate in higher education. Such students are typically at a disadvantage in terms of levels of academic preparedness and economic, cultural and social capital. Drawing on eighteen interviews with first-generation students at Durham University, we identify five sites of pressure: developing a sense of belonging within the terms of an elite university culture, engagement in student social activities, financial worries, concerns about academic progress, and self-transformation. Based on these insights, we argue that support for first-generation scholars will require that universities recognise and redress elitist cultures that discourage applications from prospective first-generation scholars and prevent those who do enrol from having the best educational and all-round experience.

More than “Getting Us Through:” A Case Study in Cultural Capital Enrichment of Underrepresented Minority Undergraduates

Minority students continue to be underrepresented among those who seek graduate and professional degrees in the sciences. Much previous research has focused on academic preparation. Equally important, however, are the psychological–social barriers and lack of institutional support encountered by many minority students. We present a case study of a university-sponsored intervention program for minority science majors that addresses not only academics, but also socialization into the academic community, networking, and the ability to practice newfound skills and dispositions through undergraduate research. In examining this case, we suggest that concerted, formal efforts toward expanding habitus and thereby augmenting cultural and social capital may have positive effects for underrepresented minority (URM) college students’ academic and career prospects. Moreover, we argue that these differences complement the gains program participants make in academic preparedness, showing that attention to academics alone may be insufficient for addressing longstanding inequities in science career attainment among URM students.

The need for integration of reading, critical thinking and academic reading skills: a quantitative analysis of Slovak undergraduates’ reading performance

Based on recent research (Alderson, 2005; Khalifa and Weir, 2009), this study focuses on three areas of reading comprehension necessary for a successful academic career: general L2 EFL reading skills, more specific academic reading skills and critical thinking and reading. The study presents an analysis of quantitative research conducted in 2020, based on a sample of Slovak undergraduate students reading an academic text in English as L2 in EFL CLIL-formatted classes in humanities. The respondents’ general reading skills were analysed in the context of their critical reading skills and academic preparedness. When tested for general reading skills, respondents were asked to identify implicit and explicit information and the gist of the text. Academic abilities were tested via the ability to identify the attributes of an academic text, such as the system of references, rational and logical language and causeeffect type of argumentation, which indicated the author and genre of the text. In order to evaluate participants’ critical skills with a focus on the social aspects of the text, respondents were asked to identify the importance of the text for themselves and for their community and life. The participants’ mean scores and differences in their performances on each task type were compared using descriptive statistics, and multiple analysis of variance. The results suggest that the general reading skills of university undergraduates in Slovakia are adequate, however, more difficulty was encountered with implicit, rather than explicit, tasks. Students also need to improve their critical reading skills and reading for academic purposes. The research outcomes highlight the need to hone the education of future linguists to the new needs of a more text-based society.

Stop, Drop, or Enroll? How Ability Beliefs Are Associated With College-Going Among Black Males

High educational attainment is associated with beneficial outcomes for both individuals and society; however, Black males are underrepresented among college students. This study drew on a positive youth development (PYD) perspective to investigate the role of academic self-efficacy beliefs (a malleable strength) in predicting academic preparedness (a measure of PYD) and how academic preparedness, in turn, was associated with immediate postsecondary enrollment. We also investigated a school-level measure of climate—academic press—as a moderator. Our study’s sample of Black male students was drawn from the Education Longitudinal Study (ELS) of 2002 and used three waves of ELS data. We found significant direct and indirect (through academic preparedness) effects of academic self-efficacy beliefs on college enrollment, and the findings indicated no differences in indirect relationships based on academic press. We discuss recommendations for future studies and the practice of school counseling.

The process of attrition in pre-medical studies: A large-scale analysis across 102 schools

The important but difficult choice of vocational trajectory often takes place in college, beginning with majoring in a subject and taking relevant coursework. Of all possible disciplines, pre-medical studies are often not a formally defined major but pursued by a substantial proportion of the college population. Understanding students’ experiences with pre-med coursework is valuable and understudied, as most research on medical education focuses on the later medical school and residency. We examined the pattern and predictors of attrition at various milestones along the pre-med coursework track during college. Using a College Board dataset, we analyzed a sample of 15,442 students spanning 102 institutions who began their post-secondary education in years between 2006 and 2009. We examined whether students fulfilled the required coursework to remain eligible for medical schools at several milestones: 1) one semester of general chemistry, biology, physics, 2) two semesters of general chemistry, biology, physics, 3) one semester of organic chemistry, and 4) either the second semester of organic chemistry or one semester of biochemistry, and predictors of persistence at each milestone. Only 16.5% of students who intended to major in pre-med graduate college with the required coursework for medical schools. Attrition rates are highest initially but drop as students take more advanced courses. Predictors of persistence include academic preparedness before college (e.g., SAT scores, high school GPA) and college performance (e.g., grades in pre-med courses). Students who perform better academically both in high school and in college courses are more likely to remain eligible for medical school.

The Road to the Baccalaureate

International students are increasingly enrolling in U.S community colleges as a starting point to their higher education. However, limited research examines the factors contributing to their successful transfer to a 4-year institution and bachelor degree attainment. Utilizing longitudinal transcript data from a large community college district in Texas, this study uses hierarchical logistical regression to compare college experiences and transfer outcomes based on region of origin. Findings demonstrate that while Sub-Saharan African students have a significantly higher probability of transfer than Asian and Latin American students, the majority of bachelor degree recipients were Asian students graduating in STEM fields. Delayed enrollment into college and academic preparedness in math were negatively associated with transfer for Latin American and Caribbean students.