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


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.


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).


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


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


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


Reading



Percent Citing “Quite or Very Difficult” Knowing How to….

SKILL AREASkillLevel

ImproveGrades

Deal withProblems

How wellI’m Doing

LanguageComprehension


Writing


Reading



Results: Skill Level and Attitudes

Confidence in SuccessDeparture Intention

Affinity With College Studies


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


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 (%)


Measuring Departure


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 (%)


Measuring Affinity


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


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 (%)


Results 3: Skill Level and Term Final Average

Language ComprehensionWritingReading

Time ManagementNote and Test Taking

Study Skills


Language ComprehensionFinal Term Average by Ability to Comprehend Language of

Instruction

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%


Ability Level

80% or more

70-79%

60-69%

Less than 60%


Writing Ability

Final Term Average by Writing Ability

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%


Ability Level

80% or more

70-79%

60-69%

Less than 60%


Reading Ability

Final Term Average by Reading Ability

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%


Ability Level

80% or more

70-79%

60-69%

Less than 60%


Time Management

Final Term Average by Time Management

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%


Ability Level

80% or more

70-79%

60-69%

Less than 60%


Note and Test Taking

Final Average by Note and Test Taking Ability

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%


Ability Level

80% or more

70-79%

60-69%

Less than 60%


Study Skills

Final Average by Study Skills

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%


Ability Level

80% or more

70-79%

60-69%

Less than 60%


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


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

[email protected]

416.978.1217

academic skills and student success in pse

Documents

college module

college experiences

college services

college finances

college q

college academic experiences

overall college average

college prep workshop