Postsecondary Educational Experiences Research Articles

Positive Experiences in Postsecondary Education Among Autistic Youths in Hong Kong

Positive Experiences in Postsecondary Education Among Autistic Youths in Hong Kong

Promoting Success in College: A Scoping Review of Autistic Students’ Postsecondary Education Experiences

Abstract Objective To identify and analyze peer-reviewed qualitative or mixed methods studies published in the last 10 years that examined autistic individuals’ perspectives on their postsecondary experiences. Data Sources A scoping review was conducted in the PsycInfo, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases for studies published between January 2013 and March 2023 in the USA for studies focusing on the experiences of autistic college students. Studies were excluded from consideration if they did not include autistic individuals as participants, were not published in the USA, were case studies, review articles, or experimental designs testing an intervention. Data Synthesis Twenty-two studies were included in this scoping review. The main themes were: availability in services and service gaps, mental and physical health, individual characteristics, strategies for success, identity and disclosure, and social environment/supports. Across numerous studies, many students reported that the services they received were either inappropriate to their needs or inadequate to promote academic and social success in a postsecondary educational environment. However, many participants in the articles reviewed mention college as a fruitful environment for finding special interest clubs and bonding with other students with similar interests, indicating that college can be a conducive environment for expanding social horizons and finding social support. Conclusions Findings from the articles reviewed above indicate that, while many autistic college students have positive experiences with campus life and certain services received through disability supports and other campus resources, there is still much to be desired in the college experiences of many autistic students. Despite the needs of this population, the extant literature is scant and sample sizes are small. With more autistic young adults heading to college than ever before, it is critical to understand the experiences of these students.

Broadening Participation of Teachers in Computing: Examining Postsecondary Educational Experiences and Prospective Educators’ CS Teaching Interests

Teacher shortages in K–12 computer science (CS) education negatively impact students’ access to CS courses, exposure to CS concepts, and interest in CS-related careers. To address CS teacher shortages, this study seeks to understand factors related to expressing a preference to teach CS among prospective teachers. The study team analyzed data from 27,700 prospective teacher applications accepted into the 2016–2020 Teach For America (TFA) corps (cohorts). The TFA corps is an alternative teacher development program that recruits and prepares participants to obtain their teaching certification while they work for at least two years in underserved communities on a temporary teaching license. Study results show that earning at least one postsecondary CS credit and majoring in CS are positively associated with these prospective teachers’ preference to teach CS. Findings indicate that among these accepted TFA applicants, a larger proportion of male applicants and racially minoritized applicants earned a postsecondary CS credit, majored in CS, and preferred to teach CS compared with female applicants and racially non-minoritized applicants. This study lays the foundation for future explorations of whether early exposure to CS could increase prospective teachers’ interest in teaching CS and reduce CS teacher shortages in K-12 settings. Findings from this study can also serve as a precursor to developing policies that result in a CS teacher workforce that is more representative of students enrolled in K-12 public schools.

Academic Pathways for Formerly Incarcerated Students: “If I could do 12 years in prison, why can’t I do 12 years in college.”

This qualitative study examined the experiences of formerly incarcerated students in community colleges. In this study, participants described how they made meaning of their postsecondary education experience through their decision to start college, the college preparation, and faculty interactions that collectively influenced their academic pathways. The students of this study were formerly incarcerated Latino men enrolled in California community colleges located in northern, central, and southern regions. This study specifically sought to challenge the stigma that revolves around the experiences of the carceral system leading to a deficit perspective on this student population. The findings from this study aligns with the academic support services for this student population in higher education.

Exploring the Transition of Health Workers from Students to Professionals

Numerous studies have documented the transition difficulties that health care students experience when they move into paid professional practice. Addressed in this paper are three questions that challenge post-secondary educators. (1) What might a successful transition look like for a “new” health care professional? (2) What individual actions could we, as educators, initiate to promote successful transitions for our students? Should we accept mentoring as an effective strategy to support students’ transition, and if so (3) What might demonstrate effective mentorship? The evidence suggests that the process of transition into professional life for health care workers may be facilitated when post-secondary education experiences include the development of strong professional networks, the provision of supportive learning opportunities, supports for developing self-confidence in their new roles are provided and mentoring continues after graduation.

Identifying and Addressing Basic Needs Insecurity Among Medical Students: A Curriculum for Trainees, Administrators, and Faculty.

IntroductionData from a 2018 United States Government Accountability Office report show that basic needs insecurity undermines the postsecondary educational experiences of many students. In recent years, basic needs insecurity among undergraduate students has gained attention in the literature, but published data regarding medical trainees are extremely limited.MethodsA 60-minute interactive workshop consisting of a PowerPoint presentation and case discussions was created. Our aim was to increase awareness and understanding of basic needs insecurity among medical students. The workshop included a basic needs survey and national and local resource guides. The workshop was evaluated through pre- and postworkshop questionnaires.ResultsThere were a total of 61 participants with diverse identities, including premedical and medical students, faculty, staff, and administrators. A comparison of pre- and postworkshop data showed increases in all knowledge-based questions, two of which were statistically significant. Most learners somewhat or strongly agreed the learning objectives were met. Participants positively commented on the interactive and collaborative nature of the workshop, the perspective the case discussions offered, and the tangible resources provided to them.DiscussionThis single session serves as a starting point to bring awareness that basic needs insecurity exists among medical trainees. It is a step toward a cross-departmental approach to assess the scope of the problem and find solutions to address it. Through the widespread implementation of this session, we hope participants can enact sustainable institutional changes that will support the basic needs of students.

Survey of Nunavut Post-Secondary Students: Determinants of School Completion, Post-Secondary Education, and Education Success

Little is known about Nunavut students’ experiences in high school and post-secondary education, in particular their self-defined determinants of success. This study aimed to understand factors that influence secondary school completion, post-secondary education, and education success for students from Nunavut. An online survey was conducted with 91 current post-secondary students in 2018–19. Results found that students articulated complex support needs that influence their success, with roles for parents, teachers, and the community. Students identified support needs gaps, primarily in the form of funding distribution and delivery. Recommendations include increased financial, counselling, and mental health support for Nunavut students.
 Keywords: Inuit education, Nunavut education, Indigenous post-secondary students

Impact of Video Modeling and Scenario-Based Learning on Work Readiness for Transition-Age Students With Disabilities

Abstract Date Presented 04/7/21 The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of video modeling and scenario-based learning to develop interpersonal skills necessary for competitive gainful employment and postsecondary educational experiences among transition-age students with disabilities in a public school setting. Goal Attainment Scaling and the Becker Work Adjustment Profile–2 were used as outcome measures. OT's role and significance in the area of transition will be highlighted. Primary Author and Speaker: Katherine Landsiedel

The SEAAster Scholars Collective: A Story of Homemaking in Academia

How do we make a home in spaces not built for us? What does an academic home for Southeast Asian American (SEAA) women look and feel like? This is the story of how a collective of SEAA women came together to create an alternative space in higher education. Continuing the radical act of resistance modeled by other Black, Indigenous, and women of color scholars, the SEAAster Scholars Collective uses a feminist epistemological approach to further their mission—to advance knowledge and understanding of the postsecondary educational experiences of SEAA students, staff, and faculty.

Educating the Next Generation of Remote Sensing Specialists: Skills and Industry Needs in a Changing World

The landscape of post-secondary education has experienced a dramatic change in student outcomes over the past 20 years. The expectation for students in advanced education was a career in research and toward gaining employment in either academia or in government science. From our survey of university students and early career professionals, it was clear that there is an expectation gap between desired and probable post-secondary education outcomes. Our survey indicated that the majority of trainees, regardless of level of education, undervalue the importance of written and oral communication skills and overvalue specific methodological understanding relative to those employed in the field. While some of these dichotomies can be explained by the relative lack of experience of students, it also points to the nature of the foci of our training. While we are concerned with the production of the next leaders in remote sensing science, most will have careers that are different from their training. There is an opportunity to optimize the post-secondary education experience (student and faculty) with the inclusion of a broader view toward career outcomes.

SHORT FICTIVE REFLECTIONS ON THE PERCEPTION OF A POSTSECONDARY EXPERIENCE OF LONG-TERM INCARCERATED JUVENILES

There is a gap in the literature regarding postsecondary opportunities for incarcerated youth. Research and curriculum design are rarely available for the purpose of improving juvenile postsecondary correctional education thereby not improving recidivism rates of formerly incarcerated students. The pilot program in this study attempted to provide a comprehensive university program for long-term incarcerated juveniles to get them on track to obtain a bachelor’s degree. This study addressed the academic experiences, including the School to Prison Pipeline and the academic experience to provide information, justifying the importance of creating postsecondary academic opportunities for incarcerated juveniles. Then, the study analyzed interviews with recently released students of the program to give insight to correctional education experiences vis-à-vis artistic representations, in this case, short fiction. This article presents fictive artistic representations that give a closer look at the secondary and postsecondary educational experiences of two of the cohort participants.

Different Worlds Same Province: Blended Learning Design to Promote Transcultural Understanding in Teacher Education

The history of Canada’s educational offerings for Indigenous students was based in colonial and assimilative practice. As such culturally responsive pre-service teacher education needs to respond not only by moving away from historical practice but with a moral and social imperative through programming that aids reconciliation. Current literature outlines the challenges that both Indigenous and mainstream teacher candidates have in developing efficacy towards transcultural skills development. In an effort to respond to both types of students, during the design and development of a 16-month community-based Bachelor of Education program, that was offered in parallel to a campus based program, a model of blended-education for cultural understanding was developed. Using the “elementary science methods” course as design case, this paper will outline the development of the blended model which paired campus- and community-based students. The challenges and successes of the design were determined through a thematic analysis of instructor observations of the pilot during the 2014-15 academic year. Four key themes emerged as important in fostering transcultural understandings within blended learning practice: student efficacy, relationship building, recognition of cultural bias, and legitimizing traditional ecological knowledge. Each of these will be discussed in the context of the course as well as transformative post-secondary educational experiences.

Examining Complexities in the Education-Work Relationship in Youth Transitions in Argentina

The expansion in secondary and tertiary education participation and the persistent precarity of the labour market inform current debates on young people transitions in Argentina. Against this backdrop, this article examines the post-secondary school education and labour choices and experiences of a group of young people in the city and province of Buenos Aires. We draw on data from a mixed-methods longitudinal research study to analyse how young people from different socioeconomic backgrounds build their biographies in the first 5 years after leaving secondary school. This includes examining the variegated opportunities for participants of different socioeconomic status to draw from personal material and emotional resources. This socioeconomic background also accounts for the different expectations that young people and their parents have about tertiary education and labour pathways. In other words, parental and other types of support matter in the choices and opportunities of young people’s education and labour pathways. Ultimately, the analysis from our longitudinal project confirms the increasing complexity of the relationship between education and work in contemporary youth transitions.

Predicting Postsecondary Pathways: The Effect of Social Background and Academic Factors on Routes through School

Access to institutions of higher education has increased in recent decades; however, increased access has not led to parallel increases in degree completion among all types of students. In this article, I examine the associations between individual-level factors and the particular paths through educational institutions that students follow as they navigate their educational careers. Research on educational pathways has typically examined individual educational “transitions” but failed to examine the full “trajectories” that students experience. Applying optimal matching sequence analysis techniques to the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002, I capture the long-term postsecondary educational experiences of respondents across 107 months in early adulthood. Examining how social background factors affect the extent and ordering of postsecondary experiences over this extended period of the life course contributes to our understanding of the ways these factors may influence whole educational careers and provides a holistic counterpart to the more traditional transitions-focused literature.

Engaging Student Veterans in Meaningful Service-Learning Experiences: A Practical Guide

Student veterans face some barriers to fully engaging in the postsecondary education experience, in addition to sometimes struggling to complete their degrees. This article highlights a university program that annually engages groups of student veterans in meaningful service-learning experiences through a partnership with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The theoretical foundation, program structure, and lessons learned are shared so that other institutions or organizations may similarly engage their veteran population.

Later-Generation Mexican-American Undergraduate Stages of Passage and the Development of a Transformational Impetus

Race and immigrant generation are among the most important factors that shape educational opportunities and outcomes in U.S. society. While sociological researchers point to downward mobility after the second generation among Mexican-Americans, there is limited empirical attention to the role that generational status may play in shaping post-secondary educational experiences and outcomes. Drawing on the under-utilized Undergraduate States of Passage Model advanced by Yosso (2006), this study qualitatively examines the experiences of later-generation Mexican-American students. Findings indicate that later-generation Mexican-American college students experienced unique challenges to building counter spaces with other Latinos on campus. Yet, participants consistently described a desire to transform, which I call a “transformational impetus.” Implications for post-secondary persistence among Mexican-American collegians are discussed, as are implications for advancing racial justice for the Latina/o/x population more broadly.

Create a physical accessibility partnership with your Registrar's Office

Students with mobility impairments became aware of accessibility needs at the age they were diagnosed. Their postsecondary education experience is no different with regard to accessibility needs than what they have experienced previously. Students with mobility impairments often use power or manual wheelchairs, crutches, or knee‐walker scooters to help them navigate campus.

Create a physical accessibility partnership to support students with disabilities

Students with mobility impairments became aware of accessibility needs at the age they were diagnosed. Their postsecondary education experience is no different with regard to accessibility needs than what they have experienced previously. Students with mobility impairments often use power or manual wheelchairs, crutches, or knee‐walker scooters to help them navigate campus.

The lived experience of people with intellectual disabilities in post-secondary or higher education

The transformational role education plays in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities has not been fully examined. The purpose of this study was to explore and investigate the meanings people with intellectual disabilities construct of their experiences in post-secondary and higher education. Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology was the qualitative methodology adopted for the study. Individual interviews were conducted with 27 people with intellectual disabilities and analysed in stages. These stages included the creation of I-Poems offering a unique opportunity for individual participant voices to be heard. Three core themes emerged to describe living an authentic life: learning (with the emphasis on increased skills, independence and opportunities); relationships (in particular, the importance of friendships), and perceptions including the existing realities of life for those with intellectual disabilities. The findings advance previous work highlighting the link between living a more authentic life and how education transforms how people with intellectual disabilities view themselves.

The Future of American Undergraduate Education

For all of the doubts raised about the benefits of a college education, it delivers on its promises of greater individual and social prosperity. This article provides an overview of work by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ Commission on the Future of Undergraduate Education Progress, which offers a national strategy to improve the college student experience. It argues that teaching and learning need to be prioritized so that all students have high-quality postsecondary educational experiences that incorporate a blend of liberal arts and vocational skills. Efforts around improving completion rates and making college more affordable need additional action and there are promising practices to lead the way.