adli
Uploaded by
23 SLIDES
375 VUES
230LIKES

Analyzing Student Persistence: Insights from Focus Groups on Barriers and Interventions

DESCRIPTION

This report examines the persistence rates of TCC’s first-time freshmen from their first to second semester, revealing that 25% were not retained. It utilizes student focus group data to identify barriers affecting academic persistence, including academic, service, and adjustment challenges. By analyzing both qualitative and quantitative data, the report proposes data-driven strategies and policy changes aimed at improving retention rates. The findings emphasize the importance of addressing common barriers to support student success, particularly among diverse demographics within the student body.

1 / 23

Télécharger la présentation

Analyzing Student Persistence: Insights from Focus Groups on Barriers and Interventions

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Student Focus Group Data Persistence: First Semester to Second Semester Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  2. Four Components • What’s Wrong? 25% of TCC’s first-time freshmen were not retained to the second semester. • Why? Student Focus Group Data • Interventions Data-driven Strategies • Assessment Formative and Summative Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  3. The Four Components What’s Wrong? (Quantitative Data) Goals • Persistence (Year 2 – 4 ) • Developmental Reading (Year 3 – 4 ) • Developmental Math (Year 4 ) Revised Interventions New Interventions Policy Changes Questions • How do we revise current interventions to directly address common barriers? • What new interventions can be implemented to address common barriers? • What policy changes need to be made to address common barriers? Assess Impact Assessments Formative: • To what extent did interventions (or policy changes) effectively address common barriers? Summative: • To what extent did interventions increase persistence? Why? (Student Focus Group Data) Top Persistence Barriers/Challenges Qualitative Data Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  4. Student Focus Groups Demographics: Gender Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  5. Student Focus Groups Demographics: Ethnicity Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  6. Student Focus Groups Demographics: Age Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  7. Other Subgroups • 4% African American males in both AtD Cohort and focus groups • 44% Tulsa Achieves students • Mean average age was • 22.7 years for Focus Groups (more 18 year olds with Tulsa Achieves) • 24.5 years for AtD Cohort • Mean average age of non-Tulsa Achieves students was 25.8 years. Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  8. Definition of Terms • Student Focus Group • Barrier/Challenge • Frequency • Cluster Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  9. Student Focus Groups • Three focus groups per campus • 12 total groups • 101 total students • Students volunteered and were accepted if they had completed their first semester in Fall 2007 and had re-enrolled in Spring 2008. Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  10. Barrier/Challenge • Barrier/Challenge “All students experience barriers or challenges as they make their way toward graduation.” • Common barriers include those experienced at TCC and those connected to life circumstances. Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  11. Frequency • Barriers/Challenges - Frequency • By Raw Total • By Group • By Campus Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  12. Cluster • Barriers seemed related to each other. • Data Team classified barriers into larger clusters or categories to provide the best overall picture of the data. Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  13. General Findings • No single barrier was mentioned in every focus group on all four campuses. • Many barriers occurred frequently and were identified on all four campuses. • Barriers specific to individual campuses did not occur frequently overall; College-wide barriers were identified far more frequently overall. Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  14. Most Frequent Barriers/Challenges • Adjusting to college (19) • Balancing school and life (15) • Textbook issues (13) • Tulsa Achieves implementation issues (13) • Communication issues with instructors (12) • Choosing courses (8) All six barriers/challenges were identified on all four campuses. Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  15. Specific Findings 82% of all barriers/challenges fell into one of three clusters: • Academic Barriers (63) • Service Barriers (53) • Adjustment Barriers (48) Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  16. Academic Barriers (63) 63 Academic Barriers were grouped into two types: • Instructional Issues (33) • Student Issues (30) Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  17. Academic Barriers Instructional Issues (33) • Communication issues with instructors (12) • Instructional quality (6) • Understanding instructor’s course requirements (6) • Instructor attitudes (2) Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  18. Academic Barriers Student Issues (30) • Choosing courses (8) • Meeting academic workload (8) • Using Blackboard and MyTCC email (4) • Academically underprepared (3) • Lacking computer proficiency (3) • Course placement (3) • Choosing a major (1) Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  19. Service Barriers (53) • Textbook issues (13) • Poor customer service (8) • Financial Aid service (8) • Confusing enrollment process (7) • Limited times and locations of classes (6) • Finding your way around campus (5) • Parking (5) • Inter-campus communication (1) Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  20. Adjustment Barriers (48) • Adjusting to college (19) • Balancing school and life (15) • Time management (7) • Lack of motivation (7) Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  21. Tulsa Achieves Implementation Issues • 13 barriers/challenges identified These were not included in the three clusters. • Examples: • Paying for textbooks • Financial aid processing • Information about TA changed and sometimes not accurate Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  22. The Four Components What’s Wrong? (Quantitative Data) Goals • Persistence (Year 2 – 4 ) • Developmental Reading (Year 3 – 4 ) • Developmental Math (Year 4 ) Revised Interventions New Interventions Policy Changes Questions • How do we revise current interventions to directly address common barriers? • What new interventions can be implemented to address common barriers? • What policy changes need to be made to address common barriers? Assess Impact Assessments Formative: • To what extent did interventions (or policy changes) effectively address common barriers? Summative: • To what extent did interventions increase persistence? • Why? • (Focus Group Student Data) • Top • Persistence Barriers: • 1. Adjusting to college • 2. Balancing school and life • 3. Textbook issues • 4. Tulsa Achieves implementation issues • 5. Communication issues with instructors • Choosing courses Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

  23. Next Steps • TCC’s goal is to achieve a 3% increase in student persistence each year. • Based on the data, major barriers are selected for intervention and improvement. • Intervention and assessment strategies are then devised or modified for the selected barriers. Student Focus Group Data: Persistence

More Related