Nontraditional College Students Research Articles

‘Swallow your pride and fear’: the educational strategies of high-achieving non-traditional university students

With more graduates, degree outcomes have a renewed significance for high-achieving students to stand out in a graduate crowd. In the United Kingdom, over a quarter of undergraduates now leave university with the highest grade – a ‘first-class’ degree – although students from non-traditional and underprivileged backgrounds are the least likely. This article explores the experiences of high-achieving non-traditional (HANT) university students. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 30 final-year students who are on course to achieve a first-class degree from working-class, minority ethnic and/or mature backgrounds, we examine their pathways to academic success through identity works and negotiations. We argue that early successes are crucial for students to re-evaluate their self-expectations as students who can achieve in higher education, while self-esteem, pride or fear can prevent students from maximising their available resources and opportunities. Implications for practice and policy are discussed, including the reflective advice from HANT students towards academic success.

Adverse childhood experiences, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, and self-reported stress among traditional and nontraditional college students

Objective: To investigate the relationships between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSD-S), and self-reported stress among college students. Participants: A total of 236 undergraduate students enrolled in nursing courses participated. Method: Using a correlational design, participants completed questionnaires online. To examine PTSD moderation between ACE and self-reported stress, multiple regression was employed. Stress outcomes were examined using a 4-group variable. Mean differences in stress response between these four groups were examined. Differences in ACE, PTSD-S, and stress response between traditional and nontraditional students were also examined. Results: PTSD-S moderated the relationship between ACEs, and self-reported stress. This indicates that students who report PTSD-S following childhood adversity perceive higher levels of stress. Nontraditional and traditional students differed in their responses to the ICLRE scale. Conclusion: Individuals who report PTSD-S following childhood adversity perceive higher levels of stress later in life. Stress reduction programs may be beneficial for students.

Using Action Research to Innov8: Facilitating Culture Shifts in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

ABSTRACTThe mission of a community college is distinct from a research one university, where empirical research is valued over investigation of discipline-based teaching and learning. The open-access, affordable, workforce, and transfer emphasis that serves many non-traditional community college students is a rich, meaningful environment for fostering the scholarship of teaching and learning, yet despite an emphasis on best practices and student success outcomes, teaching, and learning in this environment is an underappreciated element of the faculty role. This study explores the use of action research to facilitate engagement in the scholarship of teaching and instructional innovation. The mixed-method action research design incorporated quantitative and qualitative analysis from a wide variety of data sources and triangulated findings through a variation of techniques, including ongoing researcher dialogue and ratings. Action research serves as both the method for this study and the mechanism for faculty research on classroom innovations. This was substantiated as a catalyst for cultivating ongoing inquiry and professional growth. The Innov8 program and integration of action research appears to have a long-term, substantive impact on faculty perspectives, specifically influencing faculty culture, continued educational investigation, and ultimately student learning outcomes.

Interpreting the first-year experience of a non-traditional student: A case study

This article concerns non-traditional students’ involvement in Australian higher education. It aims to deepen understanding of enabling and constraining factors for this group’s retention, through an in-depth case study of a non-traditional student’s university experience. The study is underpinned by principles of phenomenology, hermeneutics and idiography with data analysis involving an inductive coding process and a thematic analysis. Findings draw attention to the need to provide support for non-traditional university students in developing a sense of connectedness and resourcefulness. The study makes an original contribution to knowledge by challenging the assumption that western theories of psychology, which privilege an individualist perspective, adequately explain and predict behaviours of non-traditional students who are members of collective social systems. It emphasises the need for researchers and practitioners to adopt an interpretative stance that accommodates a collectivist perspective. Without this approach, student behaviours may be misinterpreted and their circumstances may be unfairly undervalued.

Continuous usage intention of Internet banking: a commitment-trust model

With the rapid explosion of the online technology, Internet Banking (IB) has been prevalent in recent years and attracts much research attention. Although intensive studies have investigated the determinants of users’ initial acceptance of IB service, much less research has further explored the continuous usage of IB service. This study focuses on the continuous IB service usage intention by examining the role of users’ psychological cognition (e.g., trust and commitment) in improving their continuous usage intention of IB service. Integrating the commitment-trust theory and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, we argue that besides contributive effects to continuous usage intention, psychological cognition mediates the influences of usage experiences (e.g., perceived service value, quality of alternatives, and anxiety) on continuous usage intention. This model was tested using survey data from 173 non-traditional college students who were all full-time employees with several years of working experience. The results confirm the contributive and mediating effects of trust and commitment on continuous IB service usage intention. The study contributes to the literature by highlighting the role of trust and commitment in predicting IB service continuous usage, and the findings provide useful implications for bank management in retaining online customers.

Relational mechanisms in the goal pursuit process

AbstractFour studies tested a model for goal pursuit, which proposed three relational mechanisms that yield motives for a goal. These motives, in turn, predict goal outcomes, but the association was expected to be stronger among women than among men. Study 1 (n = 116) tested the model for a short‐term, collaborative project between strangers; Study 2 (n = 186) examined parents being motivated by their children to be healthier; Study 3 (n = 124) examined nontraditional college students' career searches; and Study 4 (n = 181) examined young adults' progress toward a self‐improvement goal. Results showed support for the model in all four studies, with the exception that feeling accountable to others was not a consistent predictor of relational motives.

Procrastinación académica en el alumnado universitario no tradicional

Introducción. La procrastinación es la acción de retrasar la realización de tareas necesarias, hasta el extremo de generar malestar y perjuicios a los individuos que la protagonizan. La presencia de alumnado no tradicional en las universidades se ha incrementado notablemente en las últimas décadas. Este tipo de estudiantes encuentra dificultades en sus estudios, las cuales podrían propiciar una mayor incidencia de las conductas procrastinadoras. Para comprobarlo, comparamos los niveles de procrastinación y motivos para procrastinar entre estudiantes tradicionales y no tradicionales.Método. Utilizamos una muestra de 479 estudiantes colombianos. Los niveles de procrastinación y motivos para procrastinar fueron medidos a partir de la Procrastination Assessment Scale – Students (PASS). En el análisis de datos se utilizaron estadísticos descriptivos, análisis factorial exploratorio, prueba t para muestras independientes y d de Cohen.Resultados. Los estudiantes no tradicionales han presentado niveles de procrastinación superiores (t=4,412; p<0,001; d=0,459), aunque los motivos para procrastinar no difieren de los aportados por estudiantes tradicionales. El carácter de estudiante no tradicional ha resultado ser una variable relevante en la explicación de la procrastinación académica.Discusión y conclusiones. A partir de estos resultados, se deriva la conveniencia de ofrecer una orientación académica al alumnado no tradicional, con el fin de tratar la procrastinación y reducir así posibles riesgos de bajo rendimiento o abandono en este colectivo estudiantil.

Preferences and Experiences of Traditional and Nontraditional University Students

This study compared and contrasted preferences and experiences of traditional and nontraditional students. Students at a midsized state university in the southeast region of the United States were surveyed to determine the number of hours spent working off campus, hours spent studying, their preferred learning format, and current grade point average (GPA). Results of the study revealed that nontraditional students surveyed spent significantly more hours studying and working off campus, and significantly more traditional students than nontraditional students were enrolled in school full-time. No statistically significant differences were observed between groups regarding preferences in learning format and GPAs.

Academic technology confidence levels vs ability in first-year traditional and non-traditional undergraduates

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the technology confidence, skills, and post-skills-test emotions in traditional (younger than 24 years old) and non-traditional (24 and older) first-year college students at three undergraduate campuses in the Northeastern USA. Design/methodology/approach Totally, 39 college freshmen from three college campuses were recruited for the study. An online test environment and screen recording software were used to measure student proficiency in using PDFs, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, Gmail, and Windows. Data were collected in September 2013. Findings The majority of the students struggled with at least one facet of academic software. Traditional students were more confident than non-traditional students in their technology skills, but they did not score any higher on the skills test. Students who placed at the high end and low end of the test results curve most accurately assessed their technology skills, and their post-test feelings were the most appropriate in light of their test results. A large percentage of the traditional aged students were overconfident about their skills and self-identified as “happy” or “wonderful” even after performing poorly on the test. Originality/value Having concrete data about student technology skills, rather than anecdotal data from Reference Desk interactions, can help librarians design improved instruction and tutorials that target areas of student technology weakness. In addition, there have been no studies that examine student immediate emotional response to test performance in this type of testing environment.

Leaving College Prematurely

This qualitative study examines the experiences of former nontraditional-age students with depression and reasons that led them to leave college prematurely. Constant comparative methods were used to illuminate themes within and across participants' stories. The findings showcase eight complex interlocking factors that these former students grapple with in pursuit of a college education. Implications to improve the retention of nontraditional college students with depression are discussed.

Faculty Perceptions of Administrator Influence on Academic Quality in For-Profit Vocational Higher Education

Academic quality in for-profit vocational college programs is a concern for all stakeholders, especially nontraditional college students. The purpose of this study was to expand understanding of how administrators and owners of for-profit (proprietary) colleges influence academic quality in on-ground vocational college programs. A phenomenological method was used to gather the lived experiences of 10 faculty members who taught in these programs at two for-profit vocational colleges in a large metropolitan area in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The study was organized using a systems-thinking framework. Participants were aware that the primary purpose of their for-profit institutions was to generate a profit. Most of the faculty interviewed for this study thought the administrators and owner of both institutions focused too much on profits and too little on education.

The effects of sex and gender role identity on perceived stress and coping among traditional and nontraditional students

ABSTRACTObjective: This study examined differences in perceived stress and coping strategies based on gender role identity (GRI) and sex among traditional and nontraditional college students. Participants and Methods: Online surveys that assessed demographic information, GRI, and perceived stress were completed between October 2013 and March 2014 by 197 students. Results: Nontraditional masculine male students reported higher levels of perceived stress compared with nontraditional androgynous male students. Traditional androgynous female students showed significantly lower levels of perceived stress compared with their masculine counterparts. Nontraditional female students reported using more approach coping strategies than their traditional male students, but there were no differences in coping strategies among traditional students. Conclusions: These results suggest traditional and nontraditional students have different levels of perceived stress based on sex and GRI. Thus, colleges and universities should consider designing workshops, programs, and seminars to address the needs of students based on their sex, GRI, and student type.

Motivations of Traditional and Nontraditional College Students: From Self-Determination and Attributions, to Expectancy and Values

We surveyed 139 (88 traditional, 51 nontraditional) students on various motivational measures of self-determination, attribution, and expectancy-value to (a) investigate motivational differences by student status and (b) identify the motivational variables that best predict academic achievement by student status. Results of a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicated that nontraditional students report significantly higher levels of interest and teacher influence, just to name two. Results of two stepwise regression analyses suggest that ability-attribution and cost-value variables predict traditional students’ academic achievement, and self-efficacy and peer-personal support variables predict nontraditional students’ academic achievement. Implications are further discussed, along with avenues for future research.

Determinants of Nontraditional Student Status: A Methodological Review of the Research

This article presents a review of 21 years (1990 to 2011) of multidisciplinary research on nontraditional college students that focuses on determinants of nontraditional student status and research methodology. The purpose is to address the methodological hindrances that have contributed to deficit-based views of nontraditional students in scholarly research. Specifically, the goals of the study are (a) to identify determinants used to classify nontraditional student status beyond older age, and (b) to provide a systematic analysis of methodological and theoretical approaches used to interpret findings on nontraditional students. Study findings are used to draw updated conclusions about conceptualizing nontraditional students and ways that scholars can promote a more accurate depiction of nontraditional students in the research.

A Comparison of Factors Related to University Students’ Learning: College-Transfer and Direct-Entry from High School Students

Articulation agreements between colleges and universities, whereby students with two-year college diplomas can receive advancement toward a four-year university degree, are provincially mandated in some Canadian provinces and highly encouraged in others. In this study, we compared learning in college-transfer and direct-entry from high school (DEHS) students at the University of Guelph–Humber in Ontario, using eight factors related to learning: age, gender, years of prior postsecondary experience, learning approach, academic performance, use of available learning resources, subjective course experience, and career goals. Our results show that while college-transfer students tend to be older than DEHS students, they do not significantly differ in either learning approach or academic performance. This is an important finding, suggesting that college-transfer programs are a viable option for non-traditional university students. We conclude that the academic success of college-transfer students is attainable with careful consideration of policies, such as admissions criteria, and the drafting of formal articulation agreements between institutions.

Educating a diverse nation: lessons from minority-serving institutions

In an increasingly diverse United States, minority and low-income students of all ages struggle to fit into mainstream colleges and universities that cater predominantly to middle-income and affluent white students fresh out of high school. Anchored in a study conducted at twelve minority-serving institutions (MSIs), Educating a Diverse turns a spotlight on the challenges facing nontraditional college students and highlights innovative programs and practices that are advancing students persistence and learning.Clifton Conrad and Marybeth Gasman offer an on-the-ground perspective of life at MSIs. Speaking for themselves, some students describe the stress of balancing tuition with the need to support families. Others express their concerns about not being adequately prepared for college-level work. And more than a few reveal doubts about the relevance of college for their future. The authors visited the four main types of MSIs historically black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander serving institutions to identify strategies for empowering nontraditional students to succeed in college despite these obstacles.Educating a Diverse Nation illuminates such initiatives as collaborative learning, culturally relevant educational programs, blurring the roles of faculty, staff, and students, peer-led team learning, and real-world problem solving. It shows how these innovations engage students and foster the knowledge, skills, and habits they need to become self-sustaining in college and beyond, as well as valuable contributors to society.

Factors Influencing Persistence Among Nontraditional University Students

One third of undergraduate students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities are considered nontraditional as defined by the single criterion of being aged 25 years and older. Nontraditional students have significantly lower graduation rates than traditional students. Using a role theory perspective this mixed-methods study examines the factors influencing persistence among a sample of 494 nontraditional men and women undergraduates attending a large public university in the southeastern United States. In this study, persistence rates did not differ between men and women although the factors influencing persistence did. Grade point average and confidence in graduating positively influenced persistence for both men and women. Women enrolled part-time were more likely to persist than those enrolled full-time. Although interrole conflict leads many women to consider withdrawing from school, most do not. Instead they exhibit a will to persist that enables them to overcome obstacles and ultimately graduate.

Online education and its operational attractions to traditional and non-traditional college students

With global recessionary pressures still applying pressures to reduce costs and make educational services more convenient, many people previously employed found unemployment more the norm. Part of this problem may be due to lacking skills to find professional employment jobs. In an effort to promote improved marketability and enhance employment skills, many people return to college to further their education. To study the needs of students and professionals, a 54–question survey was developed and used to statistically test certain assumptions concerning information technological sophistication, preferences of educational delivery systems, personal motivational factors associated with their instructional preference at two large universities open house. It was found that traditional and non–traditional students felt that they were able to do well in an online environment, but the non–traditional group felt more on–task and focused on objectives. Interestingly, students with mobile technologies (i.e., laptop...

Utilizing Videoconferencing Technology to Instruct Remote Non-Traditional Teacher Education Students

The purpose of this study was to determine if non-traditional early childhood college students in 2 satellite locations that were assigned to the same course could benefit from the instruction provided by 2 sites' faculty who are co-teaching during a televised instruction. Data analysis through student and instructor surveys and instructors' weekly logs revealed the following: 1) students from different locations of the college were able to connect with other non-traditional students who were in the same position in their college via videoconferencing technology; 2) instructors participating and instructing the same course in different sites had a chance to connect with a colleague in another site, share different pedagogical approaches to teaching non-traditional college students, and form collegiality; and 3) problems (e.g., inadequate audio and relay of pictures, slow network speed) in videoconferencing equipment and connections made communicating through videoconferencing technology very hard for the participants and the confidence level to be instructed through videoconferencing technology remained low among students. Implications to improve the dissemination of this type of technology among university remote locations have been discussed.

Impact of Student Engagement on Academic Performance and Quality of Relationships of Traditional and Nontraditional Students

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the level of student engagement on academic performance and the quality of relationships with students, faculty, and administrative personnel of traditional and nontraditional students. This study sought to determine if there was a significant difference in academic performance of traditional and nontraditional college students based on the level of student engagement. The researcher examined data from both traditional and nontraditional students to consider the impact the level of student engagement had upon the quality of relationships with other students, faculty, and administrative personnel. Furthermore, the study sought to determine if there was a significant difference in the quality of relationships with other students, faculty, and administrative personnel between traditional and nontraditional college students. There was a significant difference between traditional and nontraditional students based on academic performance and level of student engagement. Traditional students had higher levels of student engagement; however, nontraditional students had higher levels of academic performance. Level of student engagement had a significant impact on the quality of relationships with other students, faculty, and administrative personnel for both traditional and nontraditional students. Specifically, level of student engagement had the greatest impact upon quality of relationships with faculty for both traditional and nontraditional students. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the quality of relationships with other students, faculty, and administrative personnel. Nontraditional students had the highest quality of relationships with faculty and administrative personnel, and traditional students had the highest quality of relationships with other students.