Nontraditional College Students Research Articles

Cultivating a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) community for two-year college student success and persistence.

Undergraduate students studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) often fail to persist in critical "gateway" courses, resulting in students leaving the STEM pathway. Community college students leave STEM pathways at higher rates than students at universities. Implementation of a program designed to engage community college STEM students and faculty in a community of support was associated with increased persistence in STEM gateway courses and associate degree completion. Program elements included support staff, a STEM study room with peer tutors, faculty advisors, and transfer assistance. Over seven years, 415 students joined this opt-in support program. The majority of students in this program were economically disadvantaged and many were nontraditional college students. Using institutional data we tested the hypothesis that participation in this program was associated with increased student success and persistence in STEM courses and at the college. The mean GPA for students in the program in the ten courses with the highest STEM enrollments was higher (2.89) than that for other students (2.76). Quarter-to-quarter persistence was 87% for program students compared to 67% for non-program students in a matched student population. In STEM gateway courses, program students had between 1.2x to 3.5x greater likelihood than non-program students of progressing to precalculus-2 controlling for first-attempt GPA in precalculus-1. Similar persistence patterns were observed for other gateway STEM courses. Observed persistence for students in the program was higher than comparable groups of students, including persistence for those who experienced early failure in STEM courses. These data suggest students should be supported through early failure to enable persistence in critical STEM sequences, especially in gateway Math and Chemistry courses.

Paraeducators’ Journey to Teacher Licensure: Critical Supports and Challenges

Paraeducators are considered to be a promising pool of future teachers who can help schools address the issues of teacher shortages, attrition and diversification. Paraeducators, known to be highly motivated and familiar with classroom environments, typically have work experience in fields where teacher shortages exist such as bilingual and special education. They are also more likely to share cultural and linguistic similarities with K-12 students. However, as nontraditional college students, paraeducators face academic, social, and financial challenges in their postsecondary education. In this article, we share the experiences of three case study participants who pursued the transition from paraeducator to licensed teacher. Based on a review of relevant literature and the perspectives of participants, we suggest embedded supports that promote success for paraeducators in teacher preparation programs. In addition, we provide suggestions for creating strategic partnerships between teacher preparation programs and school districts to support paraeducators in their career development.

Improving the Academic Performance and Mental Health of Non-Traditional University Students Through a Shorter Delivery Model: Exploring the Impact of the Southern Cross Model

University students are often depicted as carefree young adults; however, many students struggle to manage the “normal” stresses of university life and may experience high rates of psychological distress. This study compared a traditional delivery model to a shorter delivery model (i.e., the Southern Cross Model) in terms of students’ psychological distress, their perceived time pressure, and academic performance. The results indicated a significant difference in academic performance and psychological distress between the shorter delivery model and the traditional delivery model, with students in this shorter delivery model experiencing lower levels of psychological distress and enhanced academic performance. No significant difference in time pressure was found between the delivery models. This study indicates that the Southern Cross Model may enhance students’ academic performance and help them to better manage the normal stresses of university life.

A Comparison of Online and Offline Support Modalities as Predictors of Stress Among Traditional and Non-Traditional College Students

Perceived social support and stress have been extensively examined in the literature. However, changes in online technology and changing student demographics have brought the question of whether online social support has the same benefits or effects as offline support among college students. The present study examined the role of social support modalities (online and offline) in students’ perception of support and stress across gender, age, course load, and the role of students (traditional and non-traditional). A total of 396 college students participated in a survey. The findings revealed that the perceived support through online modality is higher than offline modality. While the perceived support among traditional students remained the same across both online and offline modalities, the support through offline modality reduced significantly among the non-traditional students. In terms of the perceived stress, the traditional females demonstrated higher stress than their male counterparts, whereas it was somewhat the same across genders for non-traditional students. Finally, females who were enrolled in 13 or more credit hours perceived more stress than males with the same course load. The findings indicate that the online support modality is the emerging strategic tool for support and stress-buffering among college students.

Ready, set, work? Career preparations of final-year non-traditional university students

ABSTRACT In higher education, non-traditional students experience a range of challenges, from aspiration and access into university to academic progress and success in their degree. Most students either enter employment or further study after their degree. This paper focuses on the latter stages of the effort to widen student access and participation in higher education, with an exploratory study of the career preparation and readiness of 22 final-year undergraduates from non-traditional backgrounds in the UK. We explore how students prepare themselves and are prepared by their degree for life after university, with the focus on career preparations and employment. In particular, we discuss the challenges for these students to engage in opportunities such as work experiences and extracurricular activities, which have implications for their chances of success and social mobility. We conclude with recommendations for practice, especially for academic and professional staff.

Computer says no? Limitations of tech-focused transitions to higher education for Australian LSES students

ABSTRACT This article explores the limitations of technology-focused teaching and online learning in ‘widening participation’ tertiary preparation programs, from the perspective of non-traditional university students, and in their own words. Specifically, the article draws on data derived from the Life Literacies academic preparation and action research project which was designed to enhance the capacity of students from low socioeconomic (LSES) backgrounds to successfully undertake undergraduate study at a regional Australian university. Reflecting on this data, as an action researcher and critically reflective practitioner, I argue for a more human-centred and holistic approach to teaching LSES students in widening participation programs. This approach does not overestimate the potential of computer-mediated learning, but provides embedded digital literacy support through positive, supportive social relationships. What enabling educators need, is not ever more complex communications technologies, but the time, through-care and people skills to be authentically and consistently available and present for their non-traditional students.

Characteristics and Student Engagement of Non-traditional College Students

Characteristics and Student Engagement of Non-traditional College Students

Employability and Inclusion of Non-traditional University Students: Limitations and Challenges

In recent decades employability has become more visible and is part of the agenda of European universities, leading to a closer link between higher education and the labour market. In this context, the objectives of this study are: to analyse the approach to employability developed by the university; to find out the influence of employability policies on non-traditional students; and the alignment of the development of employability with the democratic mission of the university. Qualitative research has been carried out at one public university in Southern Spain, based on 40 in-depth interviews, undertaken with non-traditional students and graduates, employers, and university staff. The main results obtained are: the employability approach is based on the acquisition of key skills, in the framework of neoliberal policies; the opportunities offered to students to improve their employability are unevenly distributed and, therefore, scarcely available to underrepresented students; and the market-oriented concept of employability damages non-traditional students. The development of the democratic and inclusive role to be developed by the universities requires challenging the policies and practices on employability, that are based on neoliberal perspectives. This involves the visibility of the power relations at stake as well as the promotion of critical and reflective pedagogies, with the aim of questioning and reducing the inequalities faced by non-traditional students.

A Real-World Discourse on Intellectual Identity, Thought Leadership, and the Black Woman Academic Chair

A Real-World Discourse on Intellectual Identity, Thought Leadership, and the Black Woman Academic Chair Katherine Bankole-Medina (bio) Introduction: … and I Wrote My Name There Professor Cynara Robinson writes poignantly about the challenges and triumphs of Black women educators in segregated Louisiana before the 1960s. Like Black teachers in the South at that time, this was a group of stalwart women, dedicated to students and their own professional development. An impressive feature of these teachers' lives was that they spent the academic year in the classroom and used the summer months to attend college. It took many years for these women to earn their college degrees, but they succeeded.1 They operated from a strong sense of commitment in order to fulfill the needs of the community. Black women scholars, educators, and academics come out of a historical womanist tradition where scholarly excellence and social responsibility are interchangeable terms. They are in fact mutually supportive concepts essential to our survival and progress. Black women have a particular way of knowing and thinking about the world. Their journey is important as I reflect briefly on my own. As a first generation, older, part-time, non-traditional college student, I worked full-time while attending various universities, appreciating the great legacy we share. Over a twenty-year period, I held the various positions of department chair, academic program director, and chair-equivalent positions (i.e., program coordinator). This work involved direct engagement with more than twenty full-time faculty members and countless part-time adjunct professors. This work also consisted of providing administrative support to interdisciplinary faculty (including graduate teaching assistants), facilitating instruction for general education and upper-level history courses, and assisting with undergraduate and graduate student academic and thesis advising. [End Page 134] This essay is in the spirit of writer, educator, and activist Audre Lorde who understood: "It is not difference which immobilizes us, but silence. And there are so many silences to be broken."2 This piece emphasizes the shattering of silences by reflecting upon some of the real-world challenges, insights, and important lessons of a Black woman faculty-administrator in higher education. This is a role that provided groundwork for advancement in the academy and support for critical social justice activism. However, this is not a theoretical or discursive criticism about the department chair's position. This essay is a counter-narrative that considers the overall administrative role based on my professional experience, an exploration into selected literature, and thoughtful observations of the actual work of department chairs. Several interrelated concepts and themes are briefly explored that focus on Black women academic professionals: double-jeopardy, selfless servant leaders, tropes of dominance, race-sex scripts, double standards, and planning for the chairwomanship. The broad impressions contained here (some disquieting) are derived from meaningful encounters and reveal a small but profound part of the department chair's realm from one Black woman's perspective. Consider that among Black women in academia, there are variations in how we perceive our experience; and there are other factors like differing perspectives on forms of oppression, access to professional development, and opportunities for employment at diversity-driven or prestige institutions. These, and other considerations, would result in a different kind of assessment. However, in moving the conversation forward, this reflection yielded an important artifact for Black women aspiring to gain a seat at the chair's table—that, in times of great challenge and triumph, always remember who you are. The Black Woman's Quandary as "Double Jeopardy"—and Beyond The liberatory movements of the 1960s and 1970s (Civil Rights, Black Power, and Feminist) revealed that Black women's lives were deliberately structured to reinforce the negation of racism and sexism. The major contributions Black women made to the progressive development of the American nation had long been marginalized. And at a time when White women's intellectual manifestos were being recognized as foundational feminist texts,3 the intellectual contributions of Black women were thought to be unimaginable. As Alice Walker noted in 1972, for Black women "the freedom to paint, to sculpt, to expand the mind with action...

The Nudge to Finish Up: A National Study of Community College Near-Completion Students

Community college near-completion students are community college starters who have accumulated a considerable number of credits but left college without any postsecondary educational credential. This quantitative study examined a nationally representative sample and intended to reveal significant predictors of becoming a community college near-completion student. We adopted Bean and Metzner’s (1985) framework to focus on characteristics of nontraditional college students and Bahr’s (2013) approach to emphasize students’ course-taking patterns. We conducted a latent class analysis to explore students’ course-taking patterns and examined whether different course-taking patterns would predict the likelihood of being a near-completion student using a logistic regression model. Findings indicated the significant role of course-taking patterns in predicting the likelihood of being a community college near completion student. Community college students who have taken and passed a large number of remedial courses are more likely to leave college without a credential. Additional interaction terms in the regression model further revealed the nuances in terms of the influences of course-taking patterns among various student sub-groups. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Introduction

Introduction

Intimate partner violence among nontraditional Hispanic college students: an exploratory study

Nontraditional and commuter students, including Hispanic minority members and immigrants, are increasing within university enrollment. Although there is a national focus on sexual harassment, the dilemmas faced by these often-older students can include intimate partner violence (IPV). Research on risk and protective factors of IPV is a building block but incomplete for understanding and responding to IPV among Hispanic nontraditional university students. This study fills the gap by examining IPV victimization among a group of Hispanic students. The findings reveal that alcohol and drug use were significant risk factors of IPV victimization and offending, while a good family relationship served as a protective factor.

Noncognitive Predictors of Academic Achievement Among Nontraditional and Traditional Ethnically Diverse College Students

Research examining noncognitive predictors of academic success among ethnic minority, nontraditional college students is scant. The present study examined the degree to which noncognitive variables (conscientiousness, grit, college self-efficacy, time management, and test anxiety) predict achievement (college GPA) among ethnically diverse college students. We also explored the degree to which a student’s nontraditionalness moderated the effects that noncognitive factors had on academic achievement. Participants were 340 undergraduates enrolled in a four-year Hispanic-serving institution. The perseverance facets of grit, conscientiousness, college self-efficacy, and time management were all positive correlates of achievement. Hierarchical linear regression analyses indicated that after controlling for students’ demographics and high school GPA, college self-efficacy and test anxiety were significant predictors of college achievement. Moderation analyses indicated that conscientiousness is positively associated with achievement in traditional college students but is not associated with achievement among nontraditional students.

Using Cloud Tools for Literate Programming to Redesign an AI Course for Non-Traditional College Students

As more open source educational software applications become available, higher educational institutions have the opportunity to utilize these cost efficient tools to deliver the instruction traditionally taught off line with heavy associated costs. Here we introduce a machine learning course that uses a simple, cloud computing approach to creating course materials. We see this type of serverless, cloud-based, literate programming to be the future of computer science education in non-traditional higher educational institutions in particular serving students who will need the basic literacy for computing and computation but will not pursue the traditional computer scientist path.

Protective factors associated with positive mental health in traditional and nontraditional Black students.

Black students have higher levels of psychological distress compared with other students, in part to racism and discrimination; however, help-seeking remains low. As a result, most research has been deficit-based focusing on mental illness, which provides an incomplete state of their mental health. Therefore, very little is known about positive mental health (PMH), which is composed of social, emotional, and psychological well-being. To better understand their complete state of mental health, this study examined variations in levels of PMH among 235 Black traditional (ages 18 to 25) and nontraditional (ages 26+) college students attending historically Black colleges and universities and predominantly White institutions, in addition to identifying protective mechanisms promoting flourishing within these subgroups. The sample included 156 traditional college students (Mage = 20.88, SD = 2.12; 83% female) and 79 nontraditional college students (Mage = 36.06, SD = 36.1; 80% female). Approximately 54.4% of nontraditional students were flourishing compared with 43.6% of traditional students who were moderately mentally healthy. No significant differences were found in PMH among Black students attending historically Black colleges and universities and predominantly White institutions. Results indicate spirituality, social support, self-esteem, and racial identity (low centrality and high public regard) are associated with PMH in Black traditional students; however, spirituality, self-esteem, and racial identity (high public regard) were associated with PMH in nontraditional students. Our findings emphasize the importance of integrating identified protective mechanisms into existing programs and services to increase levels of flourishing among Black students within the college setting. Implications and recommendations for future research are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

EXPERIENCES AND BARRIERS TO SUCCESS FOR MID- AND LATER-LIFE COLLEGE STUDENTS: APPLYING A GERONTOLOGICAL LENS

Adult students have emerged as a key population of interest within higher education as states and institutions strategize to meet postsecondary attainment goals. However, much of the previous research on non-traditional age college students has collapsed all students age 25 and older into a single category, glossing over important age and life stage differences. Using a gerontological lens, this paper examines experiences and barriers encountered by mid-and later-life (MLL) students (age 40 and older) attending community colleges. We report qualitative findings from a mixed-methods study of MLL students in Ohio community colleges, funded by the Institute of Education Sciences. Based on thematic analysis of interviews and focus groups with students, faculty, staff, and administrators at 23 colleges, we identify multiple dimensions of age and aging that each play a meaningful role in shaping MLL students’ community college experiences and outcomes. Additionally, we provide an in-depth profile of MLL students—including their educational and work trajectories, reasons for enrolling, and experiences in community colleges—that can help colleges better recruit and serve this segment of the adult student population. MLL students face both unique and common barriers that colleges can address at the classroom, program, and institution levels. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.

Exploring Nontraditional Community College Students’ Motivational Experiences for Goal Achievement in a Blended Technology Course

ABSTRACT In this case study, we explored how nontraditional community college students regulate their motivational efforts to achieve their goals in a blended technology course. Specifically, we investigated nontraditional community college students’ perception of their participation goals in a blended learning course, their use of motivational regulation strategies to achieve the goals, and the perception of goals accomplished at the end of the course. We used the mixed-methods exploratory case study approach to collect data from five nontraditional community college learners who voluntarily participated in the study. Quantitative data were collected from a demographics/goal survey and the motivational regulation strategy (MRS) survey. We also gathered qualitative data using participants’ electronic journals, semi-structured interviews, and researchers’ reflective journals. The results show that nontraditional community college students set specifically focused goals on enrollment and modify their uses of MRSs for their learning experience enhancement and goal accomplishment. This study offers practical suggestions on the design of effective blended courses to enhance motivational support for nontraditional community college students.

Exploring the dark side of exposure to peer excellence among traditional and nontraditional college students

Educators sometimes extol the works produced by exemplary students as examples for other students to strive toward. Although the principle behind this technique is to elevate the motivation of underperforming students, previous research shows that it may produce the opposite effect and cause students to disengage from the task, resulting in a discouragement-by-exposure-to-peer-excellence effect. The current study's goals were to examine this effect among traditional and nontraditional college students. Participants were first asked to write a short essay responding to a quote. They then read either poorly-written or exemplary essays purportedly written by their peers. Participants were then asked to evaluate the quality of those essays and to compare their essay to that of their peers. They were then offered the opportunity to write a second essay. The results showed that traditional college students were less likely to write another essay if they had previously evaluated exemplary essays relative to poorly-written essays, replicating the discouragement-by-exposure-to-peer-excellence effect. However, the effect was absent among nontraditional college students. These results suggest that educators should be mindful of the potential consequences of using peer assessment when trying to motivate traditional college students.

‘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.