‘I'll play the game, but I cannot stay’ : The role of third space professionals in encouraging the retention, success and sense of belonging of undergraduate students

In 2019, a diverse, post-92, Midlands university implemented a new, hybrid third space role called the ‘academic coach’ (AC) to support its mission towards to support its mission to make its educational provision fully accessible to all its students, to retain them and to ensure their success to support its mission to make its educational provision fully accessible to all its students, to retain them and to ensure their success of all its students. Since a sense of belonging to their institution is such a powerful influence on students’ sense of wellbeing, their development of an academic identity and their resilience in the higher education context, with consequent positive impact upon their retention and success, this role is devoted to the pastoral care and personal tutoring of levels three and four students. This case study considers the journey of the AC in defining and shaping this new role and offers the ACs’ perceptions of their influence on the experience of students at levels three and four by enhancing collaborative and learning relationships within the wider university.

The effect of online academic coaches on supporting graduate students’ performance in intensive online learning environments: a three-course comparison

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how academic coaches, through academic student support, impact graduate student performance in a time-intensive online learning program for pursuing a master’s degree in leadership and human resource development in a research-intensive public university in the Southern USA. Design/methodology/approach The participants in this study were 435 graduate students enrolled in their online master’s degree program. Framed by the theory of transactional distance and by adopting a pre-experimental design and the analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique, the student performance in three courses was compared (principles of adult education, research methods and performance analysis) with academic coaches. Findings The findings indicate that the average score of students was higher when students received more feedback and comments from an academic coach than less feedback and comments in the performance analysis course. Students who had an academic coach in the adult education class performed better than those who did not have a coach. However, there was not a significant difference in academic performance based on the number of academic coaches (one versus three) in the research methods course. Originality/value This preliminary work may lead to a better understanding of how academic coaches can best support adult learners in their pursuits of online postsecondary education. This study would suggest implications for online instructors and institutions to enhance student success and retention in online learning activities by using academic coaching.

It’s Complicated: The Relationship Between Participation in Academic Coaching and Program Completion in Online Graduate Students

Among graduate students at one completely online university, it previously was found that participation in synchronous one-on-one academic coaching even once increased the odds of persistence 6 to 9 months later 2.66 times. To examine the longer-term impact of this service, this study was designed to investigate the relationship with program completion by comparing the same random sample of students who participated in academic coaching to the same matched sample of students in the same course with the same faculty member at the same time. In the academic coaching sample, the more times these students worked with an academic coach, the greater their odds were of completing their program. However, when the students from the matched sample (all of whom had 0 academic coaching sessions by definition) were added to the analysis, this relationship was no longer statistically significant. It was determined that the previously observed relationship between participation in synchronous one-on-one academic coaching and persistence in online graduate students might not endure through program completion, although the relationship between several demographic and academic variables and program completion did remain statistically significant. In light of these findings, if the goal is to increase their odds of completion, it seems that students who are already engaging with an academic coach (due to either self-selection or faculty encouragement/requirement) might be encouraged to continue to do so. Moreover, a “booster” coaching session might be helpful. However, there is insufficient evidence to support the practice of requiring participation in academic coaching among students who do not do so on their own.

Academic Coach and Classroom Teacher: A Look Inside a Rural School Collaborative Partnership

This yearlong qualitative case study examines the successful collaborative partnership between a first year academic coach and a teacher in a rural school setting. The partnership became a source of interest as a means to understanding how rural school partnerships are developed and sustained. Data was collected through thirty-four site visits utilizing formal and informal interviews, observations, artifact collection, and detailed field notes. Characteristics that were associated with a successful rural school collaborative partnership include life experiences, personality, a willingness to change, empathy, trust and confidentiality, respect, and persistence. The partnership was also impacted by personal and professional needs, many of which were rural in context. The findings present a nuanced look inside a rural school collaborative partnership.