Abstract
Utilizing a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental research design, this study investigated the impacts of participation in a First-Year Seminar (FYS) course on student learning attitudes and behaviors. Using the sample of 1,231 freshmen students in a large, public, research university in the Southeast, the study examined if FYS participation promoted students learning attitudes and behaviors in the following ten areas: responsibility, competition, task-planning, expectation, wellness, time-management, college involvement, family involvement, precision, and persistence. Additionally, the study tested for the differences in changes of students learning attitudes and behaviors among five student populations enrolled in the seminar: first-time in college, summer bridge, international, out-of-state, and teacher pre-professionals. Hotelling's T2 test revealed statistically significant differences in learning attitudes and behaviors between pre and posttests for each of the 10 measured factors, while a two-way mixed design MANOVA indicated that changes in students’ learning attitudes and behaviors were not significantly different for any of the factors depending on the subgroup. The lack of between-group differences demonstrated that the FYS course participation was equally beneficial for students from all populations examined in the study.
Highlights
Due to the growing student diversity on American college campuses, it is safe to say that a traditional undergraduate is a concept of the past
In an attempt to overcome such limitation, this study examined the following two research questions: 1. Does participation in the first-year seminar (FYS) course change students learning attitudes and behaviors for any of the 10 factors measured by the College Success Factor Index (CSFI): Responsibility, Competition, Task-planning, Expectation, Wellness, Time-management, College Involvement, Family Involvement, Precision, and Persistence?
In an effort to improve student learning outcomes, the First-Year Seminar (FYS) program examined in this study introduced the College Success Factor Index (CSFI) assessment in summer 2013
Summary
Due to the growing student diversity on American college campuses, it is safe to say that a traditional undergraduate is a concept of the past. Traditional teaching methods and learning strategies are giving way to innovative approaches that would better help higher education institutions (HEIs) meet the needs and expectations of their incoming student population. Past empirical evidence provides abundant support for the assertion that, compared to previous generations of college students, modern undergraduates embrace a plethora of learning attitudes that can only be supported through innovative teaching strategies and learning environments (Pardue & Morgan, 2008; Shaw & Fairhurst, 2008; Sternberg, 2012)
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