1 The Effects of Mattering on Probationary Students’ Adaptation and Success in College Esau Tovar,...

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The Effects of Mattering on Probationary Students’ Adaptation and Success in College

Esau Tovar, M.S.Merril A. Simon, Ph.D.

Annual Conference for the California Association for Institutional ResearchRohnert Park, CANovember 13, 2003

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Presenter Contact Information

Esau Tovar, M.S.

Faculty Leader/Counselor, Assessment Center

Santa Monica College 1900 Pico Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405

(310) 434-4012

[email protected]

Merril A. Simon, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Psychology and CounselingCSU Northridge18111 Nordhoff Street Northridge, CA 91330-8265

(818) 677-2558

[email protected]

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Program Abstract

The issue of retention and persistence are often studied in community college settings, and students’ success and decisions to stay or leave college are explained in terms of academic and social integration. This research study sought to further explain and measure the construct of mattering and its relation to the above concepts. This was accomplished through the development of a mattering questionnaire, whose factorial structure, internal consistency, and discriminant validity lend support to the importance of the construct in explaining the experiences of non-successful community college students. Implications and future directions for mattering will be emphasized.

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Background

Large number of probationary students at college: 35% of all first-time students are on probation at the

end of their first term. 54 - 73% success rate for first semester students (based

on ethnic breakdown)

Persistence rate of 54% from semester one to semester two.

Research showing a significant lack of engagement by community college students compared to four-year university students.

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Theoretical Background

Rosenberg and McCullough (1981) Mattering as motive

Schlossberg (1989) Mattering Marginality

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About Santa Monica College

Spring 2003 Enrollment: Population: 27,850 graded students

Gender: 57% female, 43% male

Status: 30% full-time; 10% F1-Visa

Race/Ethnicity: 37% White,

27% Latino, 20% Asian, 9% African

American, 4% Other, 3% Filipino

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Study Sample

Students attending a probationary student re-orientation: N = 344. 46% male, 54% female; 16% Asian, 15% African American, 43%

Latino, 17% White, and 9% other; Age: ranged 17 and 73, with a mean of

22.68 years (SD = 7.26); Attendance: 48% first year; 19% second

year; 33% third + years.

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Instrument Characteristics

Section 1: Demographic items, including: Background characteristics, self and parent’s

educational goals, career decidedness, study habits, reasons for probation.

Section 2: Mattering Items: 22 items initially written and tested; Items phrased positively and negatively; Answered on a 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly

agree) Likert scale.

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Factor Analysis for Mattering Items .

(1 of 7)

Items subjected to: Principle Components Factor Analysis Varimax Rotation

Criteria for factor retention: Initial Eigenvalues > 1 Scree Plot test Item loading > .40 Theoretical justification of item loading on factor

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Factor Analysis for Mattering Items (2 of 7)

Item Extraction Item Extraction Item Extraction

Q13 0.64 Q22 0.52 Q32 0.58

Q14 0.71 Q23 0.55 Q33 0.68

Q17 0.54 Q25 0.49 Q34 0.61

Q18 0.68 Q27 0.51 Q15T 0.47

Q19 0.50 Q28 0.67 Q16T 0.69

Q20 0.31 Q29 0.52 Q24T 0.65

Q21 0.44 Q30 0.60 Q26T 0.59

Q31T 0.70

Extracted Communalities

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Component Initial Eigenvalues Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings Total % of

Variance Cum. % Total % of

Variance Cum. %

1 6.14 27.90 27.90 3.31 15.03 15.03 2 2.94 13.37 41.27 2.94 13.34 28.37 3 1.32 5.99 47.26 2.44 11.11 39.48 4 1.21 5.51 52.77 2.13 9.67 49.15 5 1.02 4.63 57.40 1.82 8.25 57.40 6 0.97 4.39 61.79 7 0.89 4.04 65.84 …

Variance Explained

Note: additional 15 components extracted with eigenvalues of < 1.0

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Scree Plot

Component Number

21191715131197531

Eig

en

valu

e7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

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Factor Analysis for Mattering Items(5 of 7)

Component

Item 1 2 3 4 5

Q16T 0.82

Q31T 0.81

Q24T 0.78

Q26T 0.72

Q15T 0.57

Q17 0.67

Q27 0.66

Q21 0.63

Q19 0.58

Q29 0.52

Q25 0.44

Q20

Q32 0.68

Q13 0.66

Q22 0.59

Q23 0.56

Q34 0.42 0.42 0.41

Q18 0.74

Q28 0.70

Q14 0.45 0.68

Q33 0.73

Q30 0.67

Component Rotation Matrix

4 Factors &

18 items retained

Q16T, 31T, Q24T, Q24T, & Q15T were reversed to being positively stated.

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Sense of Belongingness: I sometimes feel alone and isolated because of my

gender. My instructors sometimes ignore my comments or

questions.

Interaction with Peers: I have had adequate opportunities to get to know

other students at SMC. I get support from my classmates when I need it.

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Supportive Learning Environment: The classroom atmosphere encourages me to speak

out in class. When I speak in class, I feel my contributions make

a difference in class discussions.

Mattering to Others: I believe that who I am as person matters to my

academic counselor. I believe that who I am as person matters to my

instructors.

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Internal Consistency for Mattering Scale

Scale Items alpha

Full Mattering Scale 18 .85

Sense of Belongingness 5 .82

Interaction with Peers 6 .76 Supportive Learning Environment 4 .73

Mattering to Others 4 .69

Internal Consistency for Full Mattering Scale and Subscales

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Discriminant Validity Assessment

Initial validation for Ethnic GroupsAssessed via MANOVA

Multivariate effect of ethnicity on mattering scales: Wilk’s lambda, F(12,281) = 2.84, p = .001, partial η2 = .04.

Univariate Effects:

Source F Sig. Partial η2

Full Mattering Scale 3.68 .013 .04

Sense of Belongingness 4.38 .005 .05

Interaction with Peers 3.56 .015 .04 Supportive Learning Environment 4.51 .004 .05

Mattering to Others 0.08 .970 .00

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Discriminant Validity Assessment

Asian students in general experience lower degrees of belongingness, interact less with peers, experience a lesser supportive learning environment, and more generally, indicate they matter less. The opposite is the case for African Americans.

Scale 1. Asian 2. African American

3. Latino 4. White

Full Mattering Scale 63.74* 69.20* 67.67 68.32 Sense of Belongingness 18.60*,** 20.02 20.72** 20.50*

Interaction with Peers 17.00* 19.11* 17.96 17.98

Supportive Learning Environment 13.70*,** 15.53** 14.60 15.23* Mattering to Others 14.42 14.53 14.39 14.61

* p < .05, ** p < .01 *** p < .001

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Construct Validity Assessment (preliminary & exploratory) (1 of 4)

Mattering Scales correlated with College Student Inventory scales:

Total Mattering Scale: Attitude Toward Educators: r = .75** Verbal Confidence: r = .50* Educational Stress: r = -.53* Academic Stress: r = -.50*

* p < .05, ** p < .01 *** p < .001

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Sense of Belongingness subscale: Opinion Tolerance: r = .67*** Receptivity to Social Enrichment : r = -.44* Receptivity to Personal Counseling: r = -.51* Receptivity to Institutional Assistance: r = -.48* Attitude Toward Educators: r = .60** Verbal Confidence: r = .54** Math & Science Confidence: r = .49* Academic Stress: r = -.64*** Educational Stress: r = -.52** p < .05, ** p < .01 *** p < .001

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Construct Validity Assessment (preliminary & exploratory)


Interaction with Peers subscale: Academic Difficulty Likelihood: r = -.51* Math & Science Confidence: r = .46* Study Habits Motivation: r = .48*

Mattering to Others subscale: Family Emotional Support: r = .51*

* p < .05, ** p < .01 *** p < .001

(3 of 4)

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Supportive Learning Environment subscale: Opinion Tolerance: r = .59** Receptivity to Social Enrichment : r = -.54* Receptivity to Personal Counseling: r = -.45* Receptivity to Institutional Assistance: r = -.47* Attitude Toward Educators: r = .58** Verbal Confidence: r = .56**

* p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001

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.

No significant findings for: Gender Age Degree of Career Decidedness Length of College Attendance

Non-Significant Findings for Mattering

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Conclusions

Psychometric properties of the Mattering Scale supported by sound: Factorial structure;

Moderate levels of Internal Consistency;

Construct Validation by widely supported

College Student Inventory;

Discriminant Validity for ethnic groups

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Current & Future Research

Expansion of 22-item scale to 36 items;Given to other groups of community college

probationary students and freshmen university students;

Construct validation via Confirmatory Factor Analysis and the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire;

Degree to which mattering influences students’ retention, persistence, success, and engagement in college.

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Select References

Astin, A. W. (1993). What matters in college: Four critical years revisited. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Rosenberg, M., & McCullough, B. C. (1981). Mattering: Inferred significance to parents and mental health among adolescents. In R. Simmons (Ed.), Research in Community and Mental Health, vol. 2. Greenwich, CN: JAI Press.

Schlossberg, N. K. (1989a). Improving higher education for adults. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Schlossberg, N. K. (1989b). Marginality and mattering: Key issues in building community. In D. C. Roberts (Ed.), Designing campus activities to foster a sense of community (New Directions for Student Services, No. 48, pp. 5-15). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Schlossberg, N. K., LaSalle, A., & Golec, R. (1989). The Mattering Scale for Adults. College Park, MD: University of Maryland.

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