Developmental Education Programs Research Articles

Developmental care education in Australian surgical neonatal intensive care units: A cross-sectional study of nurses’ perceptions

BackgroundNurse perceptions of developmental care practices have been researched globally for almost 30 years. Yet, there is a lack of research exploring this subject in the specialised setting of the surgical neonatal intensive care unit (sNICU). This research explores the effect of developmental care education programs on sNICU nurses’ perceptions of developmental care. ObjectiveTo determine perceptions and attitudes towards developmental care in a specialty neonatal setting. DesignCross-sectional study. SettingsTwo surgical neonatal intensive care units in Australia. ParticipantsRegistered nurses permanently employed at the study sites between May 2021 to April 2022. MethodsA modified electronic survey explored sNICU nurse perceptions of developmental care organised around three themes: effects of developmental care on parents and infants, application of developmental care, and unit practices. Associations between site, nurse characteristics, developmental care education and nurses’ perceptions were explored using logistic regression [odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI)]. ResultsOf 295 sNICU nurses, 117 (40 %) participated in the survey. Seventy-five percent of respondents had attended a formal developmental care education program. High levels of agreement (>90 %) were reported regarding the benefits of developmental care for parents and infants. Exposure to developmental care education influenced perceptions of its application. Nurses without formal developmental care education were more likely to agree that it was consistently applied [OR:3.3, 95%CI:1.3–8.6], developmental care skills are valued [OR:2.7, 95%CI:1.1–6.8], and that their nursing peers offered support in its application ([OR:2.5, 95%CI:1.1–6.2]. ConclusionsThe results from our research suggest sNICU nurses have a high level of awareness of developmental care and its positive impacts. Despite differences between the surveyed units' developmental care education programs, the value of developmental care in reducing stress for infants and supporting families was collectively recognised. Future research in this setting should focus on evaluating the application of developmental care in this setting.

Differentiating less-prepared from more-prepared college readers

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to better understand the difficulties faced by underprepared college readers, including those enrolled in Developmental Education (DE) programs. The Reading Systems Framework was used as a theoretical motivation. Participants (n = 258) completed a measure of component reading skills (Study Aid and Reading Assessment, word recognition/decoding, vocabulary, morphology, sentence processing) and a think-aloud measure wherein they produced written responses while reading texts. Responses were scored based on evidence of the use of inference strategies (bridging and elaboration). Cumulative links mixed-effects models were used to assess the extent to which proficiency in component reading skills and DE enrollment were differentially related to the use of inferencing. Results indicated that vocabulary was a positive predictor of bridging and elaboration scores. DE enrollment was a negative predictor of elaboration scores, suggesting that DE readers were less likely to produce elaborations. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Does Developmental Education Reform Help or Hinder the Success of Language Minority Students? An Exploration by Language Minority, ESOL, and Foreign-Born Status

Abstract Community colleges may face challenges supporting the unique needs of language minority (LM) students whose primary language is not English. Florida provides a unique context for examining whether LM students who are considered underprepared for college-level coursework benefit more from traditional developmental education programs in reading and writing, or reformed programs that allow most students to accelerate or even bypass developmental requirements while providing additional support services. Utilizing statewide data from first-time-in-college students at all twenty-eight Florida College System institutions, we use an interrupted time-series design with an analysis of heterogenous effects to compare first year course-taking outcomes in English before and after Florida's developmental education reform for LM versus non-LM students. We also consider the intersecting identities of LM students by further disaggregating results based on whether students took high school courses in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and for native-born versus foreign-born students. The findings suggest that while the reform's benefits are similar for LM and non-LM students overall, there are important differences among LM subgroups indicating that ESOL and foreign-born students may benefit most.

Taking Developmental Education Reform to Scale: How Texas Institutions Responded to Statewide Corequisite Implementation

In response to concerns about the additional costs and time-to-degree associated with traditional developmental education programs, several states and postsecondary systems have implemented corequisite reform where academically underprepared students take both a developmental education course and college-level course in the same subject area within a single semester. Texas is one of the first and most diverse states to require all public institutions to scale-up corequisite developmental education. In this study, we use longitudinal survey data from the population of public two-year and four-year colleges and universities in Texas to examine heterogeneity in institutional responses to implementation of a statewide corequisite developmental education reform throughout the 4-year scale-up timeline. We provide insight into how challenges, costs, and data-informed efforts differ for postsecondary institutions that were compliant versus non-compliant with the annual statewide targeted participation rates for corequisite enrollment. We conclude with implications for policy and practice to better support statewide corequisite developmental education reform.

Ways of overcoming academic failures: A review article

Introduction. The article examines the problem of low learning outcomes of schoolchildren in the modern education system. The purpose of the article is to identify and summarize the ways of overcoming students’ academic failure from the standpoint of foreign and Russian studies for their use at schools. Materials and Methods. To achieve the aim of the review, 63 full-text sources were analyzed. The study used general research methods of theoretical knowledge, thematic content analysis, synthesis of theoretical foundations, and comparative method for identifying and summarizing research on ways of overcoming students’ academic failure in foreign and Russian theory and practice and their use at schools. The generalization of the research results was based of the systematic approach. Results. Analysis of the studies has shown that in order to overcome student failure at school, it is necessary to introduce practical methods in schools that will bring about a reduction in the level of unsuccessful students. Schools' work to involve parents in their children's education and school activities (engagement at home, engagement at school, academic socialization) has a positive impact on reducing student failure at school. A special role of the parent community is to develop students’ motivation to learn. The work of schools to integrate formal and non-formal education expands the educational space and contributes to overcoming school failure, developing the emotional, intellectual, communicative sphere, educational motivation and social advancement of students. The use of various forms of mentoring in schools mainly leads to the design of programs for students' personal growth, building their own professional path of self-development and developing motivation for learning. Using international experience in applying developmental programs in Russian schools will ensure equalization of starting opportunities for students with low socio-economic status. Conclusions. The review concludes that the introduction of ways to overcome the academic failure (parental involvement, supplementary education, using various forms of mentoring and international practices of developmental education programs) in the school practice will contribute to reducing the rate of student failure in school.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ РАЗВИТИЯ МАТЕМАТИЧЕСКИХ СПОСОБНОСТЕЙ ПЕРВОКЛАССНИКОВ, ОБУЧАЮЩИХСЯ ПО РАЗНЫМ ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНЫМ ПРОГРАММАМ

Background. Relevance of this study is determined by the increased interest in mathematical education in recent years. Teachers and researchers are concerned about the conditions and means of developing mathematical education. Along with this, there is no consensus on what constitutes mathematical abilities, what is their structure and development. Objective. Th e aim of this study is to compare the development of mathematical skills of fi rst-graders in diff erent educational programs and to identify specifi c to each program features. Sample. Th e study sample consisted of 434 fi rst-graders of Moscow schools (54.8% of boys), among which: 37.1% of fi rst-graders learn programs of increased complexity, 44% — traditional programs, 18.9% — developmental education program. Methods. An author’s set of tasks was developed to diagnose the mathematical skills of fi rst-graders in this study. It included “classical” tasks children must perform regardless of the training program and “specifi c” tasks that test the awareness of meaning of the mathematical actions performed. Results. Th e analysis showed that most of the classical mathematical skills are not related to the character of the program and it developed by all fi rst-graders in the course of training. However, complex arithmetic skills (working with twodigit numbers and searching for an unknown sum component) developed more eff ectively in programs of increased complexity. Specifi c skills related to reasonable action with a number (tasks for a number line or measurement) showed an ambiguous development dynamic. Conclusion. Th is study allows us to form a hypothesis that the selecting students for programs aff ects only the rate of development of a number of classical mathematical skills. Whereas specifi c skills are more dependent on the content of the program. It requires further study.

Research and Enlightenment of American Community College Curriculum System

The relatively perfect curriculum system of American community colleges has laid a solid foundation for the technical talents and the smooth connection of general vocational integration. It has also trained a large number of highly skilled technical personnel for various communities in the United States. In order to promote the construction of an integrated curriculum system of vocational education in China, based on the analysis of the logic structure of the curriculum system of American community colleges, this paper summarizes the three characteristics of the system, which are "unity of freedom and flexibility, compatibility of academic and professional, and combination of cohesion and development". Analyze the dilemma of "loose architecture," "out of focus" and "low relevance of vocational and technical courses". Based on this, from the perspective of innovation and development, this paper explores the three trends of American community college curriculum system “adjust and update the course content; enhancing the effectiveness of developmental education programs; establish a unified certificate system and curriculum system” and some enlightenment of “pay attention to the effective connection of the curriculum system; strengthen the development of education and training courses; pay attention to the evaluation of course teaching quality;” for the construction of vocational education curriculum system in China.

Школьное благополучие младших школьников: мотивационные и образовательные предикторы

The goals of modern education go beyond mastering cognitive skills, competencies and knowledge. An equally important result of education is the child's school well-being, his/her positive attitude towards school, learning, teachers, and his/her own potential. This study is dedicated to the exploration of internal and external predictors of well-being in Russian elementary schoolchildren (N=1006).It assesses the impact of the learning system (developmental/traditional), satisfaction with relationships with teachers, and intrinsic and extrinsic types of academic motivation on school well-being and academic self-esteem. The results of the study show that the well-being of elementary schoolchildren is based on the positive impact of intrinsic and autonomous motivation and the negative impact of external motivation based on control and demands of teachers and parents. The results also show that the child’s relationship with the teacher and perception of him/her as an interesting person, ready to help and support in the learning process, play an important role in the child’s school well-being and intrinsic motivation. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) confirm that developmental education programs, in comparison with traditional ones, also contribute to school well-being and academic self-esteem of elementary schoolchildren. The practical significance of the study is to take into account the role of both pedagogical (the role of the teacher’s personality and the teaching system) and psychological factors (intrinsic and extrinsic motivation) in maintaining the well-being of elementary schoolchildren.

(Mis)Measuring Developmental Math Success: Classroom Participants’ Perspectives on Learning

ABSTRACTPoor completion outcomes in community colleges’ developmental education programs have spurred reforms in developmental education policies and practices in order to increase students’ chances of success. In the case of developmental math, the focus of this article, such changes include revisions to testing and placement policies, amendments to the intended curriculum, and restructuring of the format and sequencing of courses. However, the measures that have highlighted the inadequacies of developmental math are, in themselves, insufficient for assessing the effectiveness of reforms to developmental math. Drawing on interview data from a classroom-level study of a community college’s pilot reform initiative in developmental math, we explore the learning goals articulated by the instructors and a sample of students across four pre-algebra classrooms. Through our analysis of their goals, as well as the extent to which students reported accomplishing those goals, our research underscores the important distinction between course completion and learning. This study highlights the need to assess the effectiveness of developmental math coursework in ways that extend beyond completion rates.

子どもへのナーチュランス(養護性)を育む発達教育プログラムが中学生の学校生活,地域関係に与える効果

子どもへのナーチュランス(養護性)を育む発達教育プログラムが中学生の学校生活,地域関係に与える効果

Developing a sense of belonging in the classroom: community college students taking courses on a four-year college campus

In 2005, Louisiana implemented the Master Plan for Public Postsecondary Education: 2001 (Board of Regents, State of Louisiana, 2001) to restructure its higher education system in an effort to provide its citizens with high quality postsecondary educational choices. This restructuring forced its two-year and four-year institutions to redesign their developmental education programs. Subsequently, several two-year institutions partnered with four-year institutions to offer developmental courses on the four-year college campuses. However, little is known about the experiences of the two-year students in these settings, especially as they relate to classroom experiences. Thus, this phenomenological study explored the academic-social experiences of 20 students enrolled at the two-year college and taking classes at a four-year institution. The study was done in hopes of garnering a better understanding of factors that impact integration and persistence. This article focuses on how the students developed a sense of belonging in the classroom, and it makes connections as to how these students’ experiences may impact integration and persistence and/or transferability to four-year institutions. Additionally, recommendations for research and practice are presented.

The Scope and Design of Structured Group Learning Experiences at Community Colleges

This study explores through descriptive analysis the similarities of structured group learning experiences such as first-year seminars, learning communities, orientation, success courses, and accelerated developmental education programs, in terms of their design features and implementation at community colleges. The study takes as its conceptual starting point the hypothesis put forth by Hatch and Bohlig (2013) that such cohort- or group-structured programs designed to equip students with skills, knowledge, and support networks for successful college-going, and which often go by different names, may be in fact better characterized as variations or instances of a more general type of program due to the similarities of their programmatic and curricular structure. This article explores program features beyond curricular design to consider target audience, mandatory status, reported participation rates, program duration, credit-bearing status, and the roles of involved personnel, among other features. Using data from the 2012 national administration of the Community College Institutional Survey (CCIS) and the Community College Survey of Student Engagement ([CCSSE], Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2013), we provide evidence that all five programs are indeed similar in important ways, even while revealing important dissimilarities that corroborate the need for more detailed accounting of program features noted in the literature. The findings provide baseline data for practitioners and researchers alike in their efforts to further understand why these high-impact practices work, for whom, and under what circumstances, so as to know how to deploy scarce resources.

Making meaning about educational experiences through participatory action research: a project conducted with adults enrolled in a community college mathematics course

This paper discusses the findings of a group of co-researchers involved in a participatory action research (PAR) project conducted with adults in a developmental education program. The co-researchers were mostly individuals of Hispanic descent, who had struggled in the past with schooling. Because the educational experiences of Hispanics often involve marginalizing events, the experiences of the co-researchers are contextualized by explaining how Hispanics and other persons of color experience schooling, and the lasting impact of those experiences on their psyche. The study was based on principles of PAR especially tied to the notion of vivencia (genuine human experiences), and on examples of the use of PAR in educational environments. In order to understand the meaning of the co-researchers’ experiences conveyed during dialogue sessions, the author/researcher used thematic analysis of dialogue and journals that was guided by ‘hermeneutic phenomenological reflection’. Those themes were then critically analyzed by the co-researchers in subsequent sessions. The initial dialogue session gave group members a chance to see commonalities in their educational experiences, contradictions between their experiences in and out of school, and differences in their purpose for being in school. In the second dialogue session, co-researchers discovered through critical dialogue that for people of color, educational experiences involve alienating racism encountered in various forms.

Three Accelerated Developmental Education Programs

To support the long-term success of underprepared students, many community colleges are experimenting with accelerated developmental education models, which allow students to complete remediation and enroll in college-level math and English within a shorter time frame. This study examines three developmental acceleration programs, including two in English and one in math. Overall, students on accelerated pathways were more likely than a set of matched peers to successfully complete the relevant college-level course within 3 years. However, to help maintain strong student performance within subsequent college-level courses, accelerated pathways may need to incorporate rigorous content, systematic faculty development, and targeted student supports.

The Impact of Generational Status on Instructors’ Reported Technology Usage

Although the majority of colleges and universities are equipped with the latest instructional technologies, an appreciable integration of technology has not been observed in instructional practices (Flavin, 2013; Garrison & Akyol, 2009; Salinas, 2008). The purpose of this research is to understand the impact that generational differences can have on developmental education faculty members’ self-reported familiarity, use, and challenges with instructional technology as measured by the Developmental Education Technology Survey (DETS; Skidmore, Saxon, Zientek, & Edmonson, 2012). The DETS was developed to examine the level of technology integration in developmental education programs across Texas higher education institutions. Responses from 753 developmental education faculty members from 68 institutions (69% institutional response rate) are the focus of this study. Findings suggest that generational classification serves as a statistically significant predictor of familiarity with instructional technology. A statistically significantly larger proportion of the faculty of the Silent generation also identified their own skill level as a challenge compared to other generations. Developing an understanding of faculty members’ proclivity to use instructional technology through the lens of generational classification can lead to more targeted professional development, which can help faculty members move towards using instructional technology as a resource to improve teaching and learning.

Evaluating Effects of Developmental Education for College Students Using a Regression Discontinuity Design

Annually, American colleges and universities provide developmental education (DE) to millions of underprepared students; however, evaluation estimates of DE benefits have been mixed. Using a prototypic exemplar of DE, our primary objective was to investigate the utility of a replicative evaluative framework for assessing program effectiveness. Within the context of the regression discontinuity (RD) design, this research examined the effectiveness of a DE program for five, sequential cohorts of first-time college students. Discontinuity estimates were generated for individual terms and cumulatively, across terms. Participants were 3,589 first-time community college students. DE program effects were measured by contrasting both college-level English grades and a dichotomous measure of pass/fail, for DE and non-DE students. Parametric and nonparametric estimates of overall effect were positive for continuous and dichotomous measures of achievement (grade and pass/fail). The variability of program effects over time was determined by tracking results within individual terms and cumulatively, across terms. Applying this replication strategy, DE's overall impact was modest (an effect size of approximately .20) but quite consistent, based on parametric and nonparametric estimation approaches. A meta-analysis of five RD results yielded virtually the same estimate as the overall, parametric findings. Subset analysis, though tentative, suggested that males benefited more than females, while academic gains were comparable for different ethnicities. The cumulative, within-study comparison, replication approach offers considerable potential for the evaluation of new and existing policies, particularly when effects are relatively small, as is often the case in applied settings.

Student supports: developmental education and other academic programs.

Low rates of college completion are a major problem in the United States. Less than 60 percent of students at four-year colleges graduate within six years, and at some colleges, the graduation rate is less than 10 percent. Additionally, many students enter higher education ill-prepared to comprehend college-level course material. Some estimates suggest that only one-third of high school graduates finish ready for college work; the proportion is even lower among older students. Colleges have responded to the poor preparation of incoming students by placing approximately 35 to 40 percent of entering freshmen into remedial or developmental courses, along with providing academic supports such as summer bridge programs, learning communities, academic counseling, and tutoring, as well as student supports such as financial aid and child care. Eric Bettinger, Angela Boatman, and Bridget Terry Long describe the role, costs, and impact of these college remediation and academic support programs. According to a growing body of research, the effects of remedial courses are considerably nuanced. The courses appear to help or hinder students differently by state, institution, background, and academic preparedness. The mixed findings from earlier research have raised questions ranging from whether remedial programs, on average, improve student academic outcomes to which types of programs are most effective. Administrators, practitioners, and policy makers are responding by redesigning developmental courses and searching for ways to implement effective remediation programs more broadly. In addition, recent research suggests that colleges may be placing too many students into remedial courses unnecessarily, suggesting the need for further examining the placement processes used to assign students to remedial courses. The authors expand the scope of remediation research by discussing other promising areas of academic support commonly offered by colleges, including advising, tutoring, and mentoring programs, as well as supports that target the competing responsibilities of students, namely caring for dependents and balancing employment with schoolwork. They conclude that the limited resources of institutions and equally limited funds of students make it imperative for postsecondary institutions to improve student academic supports and other services.

Student-Centered Learning and an Emergent Developmental Student Taxonomy

This qualitative case study conducted at a community college examined links between student learning and faculty instruction within developmental education. The analysis of interviews, observations, student inventories, and institutional data identified faculty perceptions and responses to the challenges associated with teaching academically and developmentally underprepared students. One key finding was the emergence of a student taxonomy based on a holistic view of students’ learning characteristics rather than traditional demographic identifiers. Drawing from the research, this article advocates for a developmental education program structure that capitalizes on diverse learning styles and individual needs by encouraging active participation and effective instructional practices to maximize student learning outcomes.

Data drives success: Defining a metric for developmental studies

AbstractThis chapter discusses indices and other measures to gauge student success in developmental education programs.

Predictors of First-Year Student Retention in the Community College

This study analyzed predictors of fall-to-spring and fall-to-fall retention for 9,200 first-time-in-college students who enrolled in a community college over a four-year period. Findings highlight the impact of developmental education programs and internet-based courses on student persistence. Additional predictors include financial aid, parents' education, the number of semester hours enrolled in and dropped during the first fall semester, and participation in the Student Support Services program.