Academic Skills and Student Success in PSE
Transcript of Academic Skills and Student Success in PSE
The Impact of Language Skills on the Attitudes, Experiences and Outcomes of College Students
KeynotePearson Canada Stepping it Up Symposium
May 6, 2011Westin Prince Hotel, Toronto, Ontario
Peter Dietsche Ph.D.Wm. G. Davis Chair in Community College Leadership
Assistant Professor of Higher Education, Department of Theory & Policy Studies in Education
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of theUniversity of Toronto
Pan-Canadian and OCSES Research Design and Data Structure
College Students
Entry Questionnaire(data set 1)
End-of-Term Questionnaire(data set 2)
College average & Status
(data set 3)
Background & entry variables
Mediating &engagement
variables
Outcome variables
September November February
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
College Students
Entry Questionnaire(data set 1)
End-of-Term Questionnaire(data set 2)
College average & Status
(data set 3)
Background & entry variables
Mediating &engagement
variables
Outcome variables
September November February
OCSES Research Design and Data Structure: Analysis 4
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
The End of Term Questionnaire
Module 1: College & Respondent Identity and StatusTwelve items including enrollment status, program length, program choice levelModule 2: Demographic & Family Background Fifteen items including age, gender, socio-economic status, first language, minority status, citizenship status, number of dependents, activity prior to collegeModule 3: College Finances Four items including concerns about paying for college studies, debt accumulation and repayment and hours working at a part time job Module 4: Skills Self Assessment and Academic BehaviourNineteen items including self-reported basic skills proficiency, courses dropped, overall college average, study hours, class attendance, homework completion, college prep workshopModule 5: College Academic ExperiencesSixty three items including student self-perceived support needs and receptivity to college services, difficulties with college, frequency of group study with peers, perceptions of faculty and their institution and frequency of faculty interaction.Module 6: Attitudes re: Confidence, Commitment & CertaintySixty items including confidence in success, perceived value of PSE, preference for job, commitment to graduation, career certainty, perception of program and intent to leaveModule 7: Time Use, Extracurricular Involvement & Service UseTwenty eight items including use of time on campus, participation in extracurricular activities, frequency of college service useModule 8: Open Ended QuestionsFour items allowed students to provide full text comments on their college experiences.
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Measuring Skill Level:
Q. The next few questions ask you to evaluate your various skills. Using the scale below, how would you rate your:
Poor Fair Good Very good
Q29- Ability to comprehend the language of instruction in your program (language spoken by faculty/instructors and used in textbooks)
Q30- Writing abilities? (e.g. writing to get across information or ideas to others, or editing writing to improve it).
Q31- Reading abilities? (e.g. understanding what you read and identifying the most important issues, or using written material to find information).
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Results 1: Skill Level and Difficulties with College
WorkloadCourse Content
Knowing How to Improve GradesKnowing who to talk to about a problem
Knowing how well I’m doing in my courses
The methods used by faculty to teach
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Measuring Difficulty with College
Q How difficult have each of the following been for you during your studies so far?
0. Has not been difficult at all 1. Has been a little difficult 2. Has been quite difficult 3. Has been very difficult
Q73- Dealing with the program workload (# of assignments, course load, class time)
Q76- The content of college courses Q77- Knowing how to improve my grades in courses I’m
having trouble with Q80- Knowing who to talk to when I have a problem Q81- Knowing how well I’m doing in my courses Q82- The methods used by faculty/instructors to teach
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Percent Citing “Quite or Very Difficult” by Academic Area
SKILL AREASkillLevel
ProgramWorkload
CourseContent
TeachingMethods
LanguageComprehension
Poor/Fair 55 49 43Good 46 33 23Very Good 36 19 13
Writing
Poor/Fair 50 40 29Good 43 28 19Very Good 35 19 14
Reading
Poor/Fair 55 44 35Good 44 30 21Very Good 35 18 14
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Percent Citing “Quite or Very Difficult” Knowing How to….
SKILL AREASkillLevel
ImproveGrades
Deal withProblems
How wellI’m Doing
LanguageComprehension
Poor/Fair 57 38 35Good 41 23 22Very Good 24 15 14
Writing
Poor/Fair 50 30 28Good 36 20 19Very Good 23 14 14
Reading
Poor/Fair 54 32 31Good 38 21 20Very Good 24 15 14
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Results: Skill Level and Attitudes
Confidence in SuccessDeparture Intention
Affinity With College Studies
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Measuring Confidence
Q. The following statements describe certain attitudes that students may have regarding their college studies and experiences. Please indicate whether you agree, disagree or are undecided/have no opinion about each statement according to the following scale:
I am capable of getting a B+ average (78%) or better in my courses
I think I am well prepared to be a successful student in college
I have the ability to succeed in college-level studies I am very certain that I will obtain a college credential
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Skill Type and Level
Lang Comprehension Writing Reading
Likert StatementPoor/Fair
GoodVery Good
Poor/Fair
GoodVery Good
Poor/Fair
GoodVery Good
I think I am well prepared to be successful student in college
14 23 45 18 29 49 17 26 46
I am very certain that I will obtain a college credential
35 51 71 44 57 72 42 54 71
I have the ability to succeed in college-level studies.
22 37 65 31 44 68 28 41 66
I am capable of getting a B+ average (78%) or better in my courses
20 37 63 30 44 66 26 41 64
Respondents who Strongly Agree with Statements Indicative of Confidence (%)
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Measuring Departure
Q. The following statements describe certain attitudes that students may have regarding their college studies and experiences. Please indicate whether you agree, disagree or are undecided/have no opinion about each statement according to the following scale:
I may try to transfer into another program at the end of this semester
I may quit my studies before I finish my program I'm beginning to think the program I'm taking is
not what I want I may not continue with my studies next semester I considered dropping out of my program at least
once this semester© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Skill Type and LevelLang
Comprehension Writing Reading
Likert StatementPoor/Fair
GoodVery Good
Poor/Fair
GoodVery Good
Poor/Fair
Good Very Good
I may try to transfer into another program this semester
30 40 55 37 45 55 35 43 55
I may quit my studies before I finish my program
39 55 69 49 60 70 47 57 69
I'm beginning to think my program is not what I want
25 39 55 35 45 55 33 42 55
I may not continue with my studies next semester.
36 50 65 46 55 65 44 52 65
I considered dropping out at least once this semester
30 45 62 41 51 61 38 48 61
Respondents who Strongly Disagree with Statements Indicative of Departure (%)
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Measuring Affinity
Q. The following statements describe certain attitudes that students may have regarding their college studies and experiences. Please indicate whether you agree, disagree or are undecided/have no opinion about each statement according to the following scale:
I find it hard to pay attention in most of my
classes I feel that I’m making progress toward achieving
my college goals I find my program interesting At this time I feel like I "fit in" at this college
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Skill Type and Level
Lang Comprehension Writing Reading
Likert StatementPoor/Fair Good
Very Good
Poor/Fair Good
Very Good
Poor/Fair Good
Very Good
I find it hard to pay attention in most of my classes *
6 11 23 10 15 24 8 13 24
I feel that I'm making progress toward achieving my college goals
16 26 45 22 31 47 21 28 45
I find my program interesting
19 29 46 28 35 46 26 32 46
At this time I feel like I 'fit in' at this college
14 22 35 14 47 38 17 23 35
* % Disagree
Respondents who Strongly Agree* with Statements Indicative of Affinity (%)
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Results 3: Skill Level and Term Final Average
Language ComprehensionWritingReading
Time ManagementNote and Test Taking
Study Skills
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Language ComprehensionFinal Term Average by Ability to Comprehend Language of
Instruction
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Poor Fair Good Very good
Ability Level
80% or more
70-79%
60-69%
Less than 60%
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Writing Ability
Final Term Average by Writing Ability
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
Poor Fair Good Very good
Ability Level
80% or more
70-79%
60-69%
Less than 60%
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Reading Ability
Final Term Average by Reading Ability
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
Poor Fair Good Very good
Ability Level
80% or more
70-79%
60-69%
Less than 60%
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Time Management
Final Term Average by Time Management
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
Poor Fair Good Very good
Ability Level
80% or more
70-79%
60-69%
Less than 60%
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Note and Test Taking
Final Average by Note and Test Taking Ability
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
Poor Fair Good Very good
Ability Level
80% or more
70-79%
60-69%
Less than 60%
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Study Skills
Final Average by Study Skills
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
Poor Fair Good Very good
Ability Level
80% or more
70-79%
60-69%
Less than 60%
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Mean Term Average by Skill Type and Level
60.0
65.0
70.0
75.0
80.0
Skill Type
%Poor/Fair
Good
Very Good
Poor/Fair 69.5 71.5 70.7 70.9 70.7
Good 72.7 73.8 73.5 75.4 75.3
Very Good 76.4 76.8 76.3 78.0 79.0
Lang Comp Writing ReadingManage
TimeStudy Skill
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D
Model Predicting Term Final Average: OCSES 2006-08
Questions?
Peter Dietsche Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Higher Education
Wm. G. Davis Chair in Community College Leadership
Department of Theory and Policy Studies in Education
OISE/UT
416.978.1217