Examining the academic performance and retention of first-year students in living-learning communities, freshmen interest groups and first year experience courses

Objective: How do learning communities influence academic performance in Introductory Psychology? Method: The present research examines the relationship between participation in first-year students learning communities and academic performance across a variety of course requirements (midterms, finals, papers, and class participation) in introductory psychology and, for comparison, sociology courses. Results: Students who took Introductory Psychology as part of a first-year-student learning community outperformed their peers (who took the same course without a learning community) on the first exam of the semester and were less likely to miss assignments but otherwise showed no significant differences on the other course assignments; introductory sociology students part of these communities showed even greater differences in performance that lasted through the end of the semester. Conclusion: First-year students learning communities offers significant albeit limited benefits for student performance in introductory courses in the social sciences. Teaching Implications: Short of institutional efforts to enact programming for first-year learning communities, introductory psychology instructors can attempt to simulate the experience of such communities by promoting a sense of belonging via extra-curricular service or discipline-related activities.

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Living–Learning Communities Improve First-year Engineering Student Academic Performance and Retention at a Small Private University

10.18260/p.24435 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

William Palm ◽

Charles Thomas

Keyword(s):

Academic Performance ◽

Learning Communities ◽

Private University ◽

First Year ◽

Engineering Student ◽

Student Academic Performance ◽

Living Learning Communities

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Proactive Student Psychosocial Support Intervention Through Life Coaching: A Case Study of a First-Year Chemical Engineering Extended Curriculum Programme

Journal of Student Affairs in Africa ◽

10.24085/jsaa.v9i2.3752 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 217-231

Author(s):

Disaapele Mogashana ◽

Moses Basitere

Keyword(s):

Academic Performance ◽

Chemical Engineering ◽

Psychosocial Support ◽

First Year Experience ◽

Dropping Out ◽

First Year ◽

Life Coaching ◽

Self Awareness ◽

First Year Students ◽

Coaching Intervention

Higher Education Institutions in South Africa continue to experience considerable dropout rates of students during the first year, especially those from previously marginalised population groups. The aim of this research was to evaluate how the use of life coaching interventions providing first year students with psychosocial support, influenced their first-year experience. Both quantitative and qualitative data was collected through a questionnaire at the end of the academic year, approximately four months after the intervention, to evaluate students’ experiences of the intervention. Results indicate that students felt that the intervention helped them avoid dropping out of university prematurely, respond better to failure during the year, and improve their self-awareness and academic performance. In conclusion, the results suggest that the use of life coaching intervention as a proactive means of harnessing student agency, may be beneficial to their academic performance, and in improving their lives in general. The study recommends that further research be conducted to explore the use of small group life coaching for providing students with psychosocial support, and also explore this intervention’s cost-effectiveness in different contexts.

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The Use of Monologue Speaking Tasks to Improve First-Year Students’ English-Speaking Skills

Education Sciences ◽

10.3390/educsci11060298 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 298

Author(s):

Irina Karpovich ◽

Oksana Sheredekina ◽

Tatyana Krepkaia ◽

Larisa Voronova

Keyword(s):

Academic Performance ◽

Quantitative Methods ◽

Qualitative Content Analysis ◽

Peer Assessment ◽

Educational Process ◽

Social Adaptation ◽

First Year ◽

First Year Students ◽

English Speaking ◽

Speaking Skills

A significant number of studies are devoted to the psychological and social adaptation of students to the educational process at university. This research contributes to the solution of the problem of first-year students’ academic performance in the framework of studying a foreign language by working with monologue speaking tasks. The study offers an analysis of the improvement of academic performance in this particular type of language activity. The study took place at Peter the Great Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia, and involved 274 first-year students enrolled in undergraduate programs. Mixed qualitative and quantitative methods were applied to collect and analyse data for the study. The research included the qualitative content analysis of monologue speaking tasks. Results of the study make it possible to conclude that the use of monologue speaking tasks paired with peer interaction and peer assessment can improve first-year students’ English-speaking skills.

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Motor skills as a predictor of academic performance | La aptitud motriz como predictor del rendimiento académico

ESPIRAL CUADERNOS DEL PROFESORADO ◽

10.25115/ecp.v14i28.4013 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (28) ◽

pp. 57-64

Author(s):

José Eduardo Molina Arriola ◽

Victor Osiris Rodriguez Cervantes ◽

Julio Cesar Lozano Flores ◽

Luis Quintana Rivera ◽

José Moncada Jimenez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Academic Performance ◽

Physical Education ◽

University Students ◽

Motor Skills ◽

Weighted Average ◽

First Year ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

First Year Students ◽

First Year University ◽

Estudiantes Universitarios

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar la asociación entre la aptitud motriz de estudiantes universitarios de primer ingreso y su desempeño académico en los dos periodos lectivos de inicio de la carrera de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación. Participaron 83 voluntarios (Hombres = 60, Mujeres = 23) de la Universidad Veracruzana, México. La aptitud motriz se evaluó con ocho pruebas y el rendimiento académico se midió con el promedio ponderado de dos periodos consecutivos. Los análisis de regresión múltiple mostraron que el salto sin carrera (modelo 1), y gimnasia y encestes de baloncesto (modelo 2) predicen el rendimiento académico. En conclusión, la aptitud motriz predice parcialmente el rendimiento académico en estudiantes de primer ingreso.AbstractThe purpose of this study was to determine the association between the motor skills of first-year university students and their academic performance in the two initial academic terms of the Physical Education, Sports and Recreation degree. Eighty-three volunteers participated (Men = 60, Women = 23) from the Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico. Motor skills were evaluated with eight tests and academic performance was measured with the weighted average of two consecutive terms. Multiple regression analyses showed that standing jumping (model 1), and gymnastics and effective basketball throws (model 2) predicted academic performance. In conclusion, motor skills partially predict academic performance in first-year students

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Connecting First Year Students to Formal and Informal Learning Experiences

Cases on Formal and Informal E-Learning Environments - Advances in Mobile and Distance Learning ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-1930-2.ch003 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 51-67 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Melissa L. Johnson ◽

Laura Pasquini ◽

Michelle R. Rodems

Keyword(s):

Learning Communities ◽

First Year ◽

First Year Students ◽

University Of Florida ◽

Online Learning Communities ◽

Formal And Informal Learning ◽

Definition Of ◽

The University ◽

First Year Seminar

This case study, an honors first year seminar from the University of Florida, USA, demonstrates the benefits and challenges of these developments in education. The case expands the definition of formal, informal, and online learning communities in the context of a first year seminar.

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Selective Planning of the First Year Experience in Higher Education: A Sweden-Australia Comparative Study of Support

International Journal of Higher Education ◽

10.5430/ijhe.v7n2p128 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 128

Author(s):

Michael Christie ◽

Sorrel Penn-Edwards ◽

Sharn Donnison ◽

Ruth Greenaway

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

First Year Experience ◽

Fourth Generation ◽

First Year ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

First Year Students ◽

Satellite Campus ◽

First Case ◽

Research Findings ◽

The University

Literature on the support of the First Year Experience (FYE) in institutions of Higher Education provides a range of modelled approaches. However, we argue that institutions still need to selectively plan which approach/es and attendant strategies are best suited to their particular contexts and institutional policy and practice frameworks and how their FYE is to be presented for their particular student cohort. This paper compares different ways of supporting students in their first year in two contrasting universities. The first case study focuses on a first year course at Stockholm University (SU), Sweden, a large, metropolitan, single campus institution, while the second investigates a strategy for supporting first year students using a community of practice at a satellite campus of the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), a small regional university in South-East Queensland, Australia. The research contrasts a formal, first generation support approach versus a fourth generation support approach which seeks to involve a wider range of stakeholders in supporting first year students. The research findings draw conclusions about how effective the interventions were for the students and provide clear illustrations that selective planning in considering the institution’s strategic priorities and human, physical, and resource contexts was instrumental in providing a distinctive experience which complemented the institute and the student cohort. (212 words)

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