| Title: |
Experimental Evidence for a First-Year Experience Course plus Mentoring on Moderate-Income University Students' Engagement, Achievement, and Persistence |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Fitzpatrick, Dan (ORCID 0000-0002-9095-0370); Collier, Daniel A. (ORCID 0000-0002-3164-0815); Parnther, Ceceilia; Du, Yu (ORCID 0000-0001-8669-7547); Brehm, Chelsea; Willson-Conrad, Angela (ORCID 0000-0002-9289-7278); Beach, Andrea; Hearit, Keith |
| Source: |
Higher Education Research and Development. 2021 40(3):491-507. |
| Availability: |
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: |
Y |
| Page Count: |
17 |
| Publication Date: |
2021 |
| Sponsoring Agency: |
Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (ED) |
| Contract Number: |
P116F140353 |
| Document Type: |
Journal Articles; Reports - Research |
| Education Level: |
Higher Education; Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: |
College Freshmen; First Year Seminars; Mentors; Student Characteristics; College Students; Low Income Students; Learner Engagement; Academic Persistence; Academic Achievement; Grade Point Average; Performance Factors; Financial Problems; Teacher Student Relationship; Communities of Practice; Program Effectiveness; Research Universities; Learning Motivation; Measures (Individuals); Grants; Federal Aid |
| Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: |
Pell Grant Program |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: |
Academic Motivation Scale |
| DOI: |
10.1080/07294360.2020.1761303 |
| ISSN: |
0729-4360 |
| Abstract: |
Colleges and universities are paying increasing attention to students' transition into post-secondary education, including the provision of support to freshmen through structured First-Year Experiences (FYEs). Although low- and-moderate-income students are participating in post-secondary education at increased rates, their performance remains behind that of affluent students. We evaluated the effects of a two-arm experimental-assignment treatment for low- and moderate-income U.S. students eligible for Federal Pell grants at a four-year high-research university (N = 178): 57 control condition, 61 in professional learning communities, 60 in community mentoring, with computerized random assignment conducted by an external evaluator. The intensive (3 credit) two-semester research-based FYE plus mentoring program showed no effect on students' GPA or likelihood of good academic status, probation, or year two persistence. The treated students also showed no differences in fall-to-spring growth or spring level for non-cognitive measures, including academic engagement, amotivation, peer interaction, faculty interaction, and staff interaction. The null findings are consistent across unadjusted treatment-control comparisons, multivariate regression analyses for continuous outcomes, and logistic, probit, or linear analyses of dichotomous outcomes. Our findings have implications for generalizability about FYE effectiveness for low- and moderate-income students and for the design characteristics of FYE programing to reliably improve student outcomes. |
| Abstractor: |
As Provided |
| Entry Date: |
2021 |
| Accession Number: |
EJ1292464 |
| Database: |
ERIC |