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PREDICTORS OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF NON-TRADITIONAL COLLEGE STUDENTS: OPPORTUNITIES TO CATCH-UP AND SUCCEED
Title
PREDICTORS OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF NON-TRADITIONAL COLLEGE STUDENTS: OPPORTUNITIES TO CATCH-UP AND SUCCEED.
Creator
Bardwell-Owens, Angela, Modianos, Doan, Cox, Karen, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Non-traditional students make up approximately 20% of the undergraduate student population nationwide and are one of few segments of the student population that are not provided with targeted programs and services. To help this cohort achieve their goals whilst universities can increase their retention rates, this research begins a review of the non-traditional student literature to gain an understanding of what this population faces as far as barriers to their education. The literature also...
Show moreNon-traditional students make up approximately 20% of the undergraduate student population nationwide and are one of few segments of the student population that are not provided with targeted programs and services. To help this cohort achieve their goals whilst universities can increase their retention rates, this research begins a review of the non-traditional student literature to gain an understanding of what this population faces as far as barriers to their education. The literature also provides recommendations and further information in retention efforts to support the student during their academic years. Next, an analysis of non-traditional student support services at 4-year public universities was conducted between 15 different institutions, including the University of Central Florida. Only two of the universities in this study had a department or office specifically to support the needs of this cohort, one being the smallest universities in this research study and the other was one of the largest. Three more universities researched have a program dedicated to these students. The remaining 10 universities had little to no non-traditional student support structures in place at their university. This research provides 34 different methods for providing non-traditional student support to universities across the nation.
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Date Issued
2017
Identifier
CFH2000276, ucf:45897
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000276
A COMPARISON OF TRADITIONAL AND NONTRADITIONAL COLLEGE STUDENTS' STRESS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THEIR TIME MANAGEMENT AND OVERALL PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT
Title
A COMPARISON OF TRADITIONAL AND NONTRADITIONAL COLLEGE STUDENTS' STRESS AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THEIR TIME MANAGEMENT AND OVERALL PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT.
Creator
Stagman, Debra, Mottarella, Karen, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The academic demands of college can be strenuous. Nontraditional students in particular may be at risk for role conflict and overload. This study examines levels of academic stressors and reactions to stressors between traditional and nontraditional undergraduate college students in order to investigate the relationships between academic stress, time management behaviors and overall psychological adjustment between the two groups. Participants completed Gadzella's (1991) Student-Life Stress...
Show moreThe academic demands of college can be strenuous. Nontraditional students in particular may be at risk for role conflict and overload. This study examines levels of academic stressors and reactions to stressors between traditional and nontraditional undergraduate college students in order to investigate the relationships between academic stress, time management behaviors and overall psychological adjustment between the two groups. Participants completed Gadzella's (1991) Student-Life Stress Inventory, Time Management Behaviors Scale (Macan, Shahani, Dipboye, & Phillips, 1990) and the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (Derogatis, 1994). Results reveal significant differences between traditional and nontraditional students on a subscale of the Time Management Behavior Scale measuring the ability to set goals and prioritize. Additionally, a marginally significant difference between traditional and nontraditional students was found on another subscale of the Time Management Behavior Scale measuring the mechanics of time management. These results indicate students who maintain multiple life-roles and responsibilities in addition to their role of college student are better at identifying and setting goals that need to be accomplished and prioritizing the tasks required to meet these goals. Furthermore, these students may be more adept at the mechanics involved with time management such as making list and scheduling activities in advance.
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Date Issued
2011
Identifier
CFH0003818, ucf:44729
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0003818
The Community College Baccalaureate and Adult Students: A Qualitative Analysis
Title
The Community College Baccalaureate and Adult Students: A Qualitative Analysis.
Creator
Kersenbrock, Angela, Cintron Delgado, Rosa, Boyd, Tammy, Owens, James, Whiteman, JoAnn, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The focus of this qualitative research was to investigate the motivations, experiences, and constructs of non-traditional adult students who elected to enroll in community college baccalaureate programs. The participants in this investigation were a homogeneous sample of adult students who had priorities other than school, such as employment and families. The research questions which guided the study sought to explore the narratives adult students shared of their reasons for choosing to...
Show moreThe focus of this qualitative research was to investigate the motivations, experiences, and constructs of non-traditional adult students who elected to enroll in community college baccalaureate programs. The participants in this investigation were a homogeneous sample of adult students who had priorities other than school, such as employment and families. The research questions which guided the study sought to explore the narratives adult students shared of their reasons for choosing to enroll in a community college baccalaureate degree program, how they described meaning to having access to these new degrees, and what impact the community college baccalaureate had on the decision to return for the bachelor degree. The voices of the students were captured during semi-structured individual interviews.Six central themes emerged from the data gathered: Resiliency vs. Obstacles: Managing Life, Finding Self Through Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivational Factors, The Community College Degree as Key to Economic Stability, Limited Alternatives to Baccalaureate Degree Attainment, Importance of Communality to Adult Students Feelings of Belonging, and Neither Difference nor Disadvantage to Obtaining a Community College Baccalaureate Degree.The study's results led to recommendations and implications for legislators, higher education faculty and administrators, and admissions and marketing specialists.
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Date Issued
2012
Identifier
CFE0004561, ucf:49243
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004561
The Influences of Roles and Support Systems on the Baccalaureate Degree Attainment of Nontraditional Learners
Title
The Influences of Roles and Support Systems on the Baccalaureate Degree Attainment of Nontraditional Learners.
Creator
Roberts, Shirdricka, Cox, Dr. Thomas, Vitale, Thomas, Hopp, Carolyn, Campbell, Laurie, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
The purpose of the research study was to examine the influences of roles and support systems on the baccalaureate attainment of nontraditional learners. A qualitative bounded case study was conducted that include ten face-to-face interviews with nontraditional learners attending the same University during the same time period. The study provided a brief overview on the challenges, support systems, and motivations of these nontraditional learners. Theories used to frame the study's conceptual...
Show moreThe purpose of the research study was to examine the influences of roles and support systems on the baccalaureate attainment of nontraditional learners. A qualitative bounded case study was conducted that include ten face-to-face interviews with nontraditional learners attending the same University during the same time period. The study provided a brief overview on the challenges, support systems, and motivations of these nontraditional learners. Theories used to frame the study's conceptual framework and address its research questions included Biddle's (1979) Role Theory, McClusky's Theory of Margin, Load and Power (1971) and Tinto's (1975, 1993, 2012) and Bean and Metzner's (1985) Theory of Persistence.The results of the study indicated: 1) The role management that adult learners employed while being a full-time or part-time student. 2) The challenges that adult learners had to address as it relates to their multiple roles and degree attainment. 3) The support systems that adult learners used to assist them in their efforts to role manage and persist towards graduation. 4) The motivations behind an adult learner's pursuit of an undergraduate degree.iii
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Date Issued
2017
Identifier
CFE0006648, ucf:51220
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006648
A comparison of final grade outcomes of veterans enrolled in English I through online and face-to-face instructional modalities at a public four-year college
Title
A comparison of final grade outcomes of veterans enrolled in English I through online and face-to-face instructional modalities at a public four-year college.
Creator
Hoke, Thomas, Taylor, Rosemarye, Cox, Dr. Thomas, Baldwin, Lee, Marshall, Nancy, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
Since the passing of the first GI Bill in 1945, the community college, now two-and-four-year college, has provided access to veterans in pursuit of postsecondary education. As the college system has grown and expanded during the second half of the 20th Century, online learning has become increasingly important to the development of four-year colleges. Research into online learning has yet to reach an agreement on its effectiveness compared to traditional face-to-face instruction. Additionally...
Show moreSince the passing of the first GI Bill in 1945, the community college, now two-and-four-year college, has provided access to veterans in pursuit of postsecondary education. As the college system has grown and expanded during the second half of the 20th Century, online learning has become increasingly important to the development of four-year colleges. Research into online learning has yet to reach an agreement on its effectiveness compared to traditional face-to-face instruction. Additionally, little research into the academic outcomes of veterans taking courses through use of the online instructional modality has been conducted. To address this gap, the current study used the Theory of Student Integration (Tinto, 1975) and three research questions to explore these gaps. A quasi-experimental design was applied to investigate three research questions: (a) how do the academic outcomes of veterans, as measured by final grades, of veterans enrolled in an online version of English I (ENC 1101), compare with veterans enrolled in a face-to-face version of the same course with and without consideration of gender? (b) How do the academic outcomes, as measured by final grades, of veterans compare to nonveterans in both online and face-to-face versions of the course English I (ENC 1101) with and without consideration of gender? (c) What ability, if any, do instructional modality, veteran status, and age have in predicting final grade outcomes in the course English I (ENC 1101)? Archival data were gathered from a public, four-year state college in Florida of final grade outcomes and student demographics for course ENC 1101 for academic years 2012-2013, 2013-2014, and 2014-2015. Demographic data included: (a) age, (b) veteran status, (c) gender, and (d) instructional modality. Participants examined for this study were veteran and nonveterans enrolled in the course English I (ENC 1101) in two instructional modalities: online (n = 2,080) and face-to-face (n = 17,415). Additionally, participants were examined as groups of veterans (n = 544) and nonveterans (n = 18,951). Quantitative analysis utilizing independent samples t-tests of the archival data revealed that veterans earned statistically significant different final grade outcomes between the two instructional modalities t(55.65) = 2.18, p = .03. Veterans enrolled in the face-to-face version of ENC 1101 performed significantly better (M = 2.44, SD = 1.48) compared to veterans in the online version (M = 1.90, SD = 1.67). No significant differences were found when comparing final grade outcomes within gender across instructional modalities. Independent samples t-tests of the data revealed no statistically significant differences between the final grade outcomes of veterans and nonveterans within the face-to-face, t(17,413) = 0.25, p = .80, or online instructional modality, t(2.078) = 0.94, p = 0.35. Statistically significant differences were found between male veterans and nonveterans within the face-to-face modality, t(8,086) = -2.56, p = .01. Male veterans in the face-to-face instructional modality had statistically significant higher final grade outcomes (M = 2.48, SD = 1.47) compared to male nonveterans (M = 2.28, SD = 1.48). Additionally, statistically significant differences between female veterans and nonveterans within the face-to-face instructional modality were found, t(9,138) = 2.16, p = .03. The final grade outcomes of female nonveterans were significantly higher (M = 2.60, SD = 1.46) than those of female veterans (M = 2.30, SD = 1.50) in the face-to-face modality. No statistically significant differences were comparing the final grade outcomes from the online modality of veterans and nonveterans by gender.Multiple linear regressions were used to determine what relationship age, veteran status, and instructional modality had on final grade outcome. Analysis revealed that age and instructional modality were statistically significant in predicting final grade outcome, while veteran status was not, F(3, 19,491) = 85.07, p (<) .001. The model predicts that older students will earn higher final grade outcomes than younger student in the face-to-face instructional modality regardless of veteran status.Throughout the 20th and 21st Centuries, the four-year college has continued to grow in both number and program offerings. This growth has helped the four-year college to remain a leading source of postsecondary educational opportunities for veterans. With the development of online learning technology in the late 20th Century, four-year colleges have utilized this new technology to provide opportunities to larger groups of students than they had previously been able to reach. However, the effectiveness of this instructional modality has yet to be fully ascertained when compared to face-to-face instruction, especially for veterans, a population that has demonstrated at-risk characteristics (Kasworm, 2005). The findings of this study provide implications for four-year college administrators, instructors, and educational researchers to continue working to support veterans as they enter higher education.
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Date Issued
2017
Identifier
CFE0006602, ucf:51280
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006602
A DIALOGICAL APPROACH OF GROUP IDENTITY SALIENCE AND THE ACADEMIC COMPETENCE OF NONTRADITIONAL COLLEGE STUDENTS
Title
A DIALOGICAL APPROACH OF GROUP IDENTITY SALIENCE AND THE ACADEMIC COMPETENCE OF NONTRADITIONAL COLLEGE STUDENTS.
Creator
Thally, Robert, Wright, Ph.D., Chrysalis, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
As of 2007, approximately 73% of the 18 million college students in this country could be identified as nontraditional (Ross-Gordon, 2011). A key characteristic distinguishing this group from the traditional college student is the influence of multiple roles of the adult learner on the learning and engagement process (Keith, Byerly, Floerchinger, Pence, & Thornberg, 2006). Ross-Gordon remarks on some roles that may provide life experience, an asset to understanding theoretical constructs...
Show moreAs of 2007, approximately 73% of the 18 million college students in this country could be identified as nontraditional (Ross-Gordon, 2011). A key characteristic distinguishing this group from the traditional college student is the influence of multiple roles of the adult learner on the learning and engagement process (Keith, Byerly, Floerchinger, Pence, & Thornberg, 2006). Ross-Gordon remarks on some roles that may provide life experience, an asset to understanding theoretical constructs otherwise immaterial to younger, traditional learners. However, it is important to recognize the complex dynamic of conflicting roles as challenges to the academic competence of nontraditional college students. This research examined the vague definition of the nontraditional student and the factors that influence the learning and engagement processes. Through the lens of Hermans and Gieser's (2012) dialogical self-theory and higher education discourse, a novel examination of group role identity salience is proposed as a useful model for improving the educational and social realities of the adult learner.
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Date Issued
2013
Identifier
CFH0004345, ucf:44982
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004345
The unheard voices of nontraditional students in Higher Education: Learning to become a student.
Title
The unheard voices of nontraditional students in Higher Education: Learning to become a student.
Creator
Julio Maturana, Marcelo, Cintron Delgado, Rosa, Boote, David, Owens, J. Thomas, Guzman-Valenzuela, Carolina, Rivera, Fernando, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This study explores the lived experiences of older students who work and have family responsibilities while attending an undergraduate program full-time. Research indicates that this segment of the student population is the only one that is growing today and is projected to grow in the future; this also is the largest the group of students thatdoes not finish their studies in spite of the many services aimed at supporting students' academic success.This study critically investigated the...
Show moreThis study explores the lived experiences of older students who work and have family responsibilities while attending an undergraduate program full-time. Research indicates that this segment of the student population is the only one that is growing today and is projected to grow in the future; this also is the largest the group of students thatdoes not finish their studies in spite of the many services aimed at supporting students' academic success.This study critically investigated the category of the nontraditional student and reviewed the literature about students' college experiences, including the limitations of its theoretical assumptions to describe and explain the nature of the college journey of olderstudents with substantive life experiences. From the notion that learning is lifelong and holistic (Jarvis, 2006), this study combined a student-centered approach with a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology to respond to the following research questions: What is the lifeworld of undergraduate nontraditional students with significantlife experience as they encounter college life? What resources sustain the college experience of undergraduate nontraditional students of and allow navigating the space of college life? What are the changes undergraduate nontraditional students live, the meaning they construct while encountering, and navigating college life?Themes that resulted from the analysis included the participants' experiences as essentially different from that of traditional students. These nontraditional college students bring skills and knowledge that they deploy on behalf of their specific academic goals. The pace of their lives is fundamentally different from the traditional universitystudent's sense of time; they are self-sufficient, making decisions and navigate obstacles.Their new identity as students is re-negotiated with the identities they live outside of campus and they establish ad hoc relationships with members of the universitycommunity.
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Date Issued
2018
Identifier
CFE0007201, ucf:52255
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007201
The Social Function of For-Profit Higher Education in the United States
Title
The Social Function of For-Profit Higher Education in the United States.
Creator
Baird, Andrew, Carter, J. Scott, Carter, Shannon, Gay, David, Roos, J., University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This study uses the competing Burton Clark's (")Cooling Out Theory(") and Daniel Bell's (")Theory of the Postindustrial Economy(") to examine the function that for-profit colleges and universities (FPCUs) play in American higher education and how it is different from non-profit traditional colleges and universities (TCUs). This was done through three sections of analysis. The first examined if students who enroll at these FPCUs are less academically prepared than those attending non-profit...
Show moreThis study uses the competing Burton Clark's (")Cooling Out Theory(") and Daniel Bell's (")Theory of the Postindustrial Economy(") to examine the function that for-profit colleges and universities (FPCUs) play in American higher education and how it is different from non-profit traditional colleges and universities (TCUs). This was done through three sections of analysis. The first examined if students who enroll at these FPCUs are less academically prepared than those attending non-profit traditional colleges or universities. The second tested if academic preparedness is associated with postsecondary performance at FPCUs to the same degree it is at TCUs. The final section of analysis looked at FPCU graduates to see if they have different short-term job outcomes when compared to traditional college graduates. This research utilizes The Beginning Postsecondary Survey 2009- a restricted-use longitudinal data set produced by the National Center for Education Statistics that followed 16,700 first-time college enrollees from 2003 until 2009. This data set includes information on student demographics, academic performance, enrollment history, and job outcomes. The results of this study indicated that when compared to traditional college students, FPCU students are less likely to be academically prepared for college and are more frequently characterized by risk factors that previous research has shown makes it less likely they will complete their degree. This research also found that unlike TCUs, high school academic performance is not associated with post-secondary performance or likelihood of degree attainment at FPCUs. Finally, it was observed that FPCU graduates were less likely to have jobs related to their degree and earned less income than TCU graduates, but had about the same degree of job satisfaction.
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Date Issued
2015
Identifier
CFE0005761, ucf:50096
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005761