Underprepared Students Research Articles

Social Justice in the Social Work Classroom: Applying a Professional Value to Social Work Education

Social justice is a primary value of social work and therefore has a place in discussions of social work education pedagogy. This is especially true for conversations pertaining to students who are underprepared, due to educational inequalities, for successful completion of writing assignments at the undergraduate level. If underprepared students are treated as equals to prepared students, then the social inequalities that contributed to or caused a student to be underprepared are perpetuated rather than challenged. The authors explore responses to underprepared students that are consistent with social work's professional value of social justice.

The Math You Need, When You Need It (TMYN): Leveling the Playing Field

The Math You Need, When You Need It (TMYN) is a set of online tutorials designed to help students develop and review mathematical skills that are applied in undergraduate geoscience courses. We present results of a three-year study of more than 4000 students in 106 geoscience courses at a variety of post-secondary schools who were assigned TMYN tutorials as supplemental mathematics instruction. Changes in student scores from preto post-test suggest that the support provided by programs such as TMYN can begin to reduce the gap between mathematically well-prepared and underprepared students; in essence, TMYN levels the quantitative playing field for all geoscience students. On average, both highand low-performing students who fully participated in the use of TMYN as a part of their course showed learning gains, although gains were larger for students who performed poorly on the pre-test. Our findings emphasize the conclusion that students who interact with context-specific quantitative problems can potentially improve their mathematical skills, regardless of initial level of mathematical preparation. We suggest that this type of support could generalize to other science courses.

Transformations: The World Religions Survey through an Adjunct Feminist Lens

AbstractThis essay describes a transformation in my experience as an adjunct teaching underprepared students from one of shame toward a desire to assert the value of this work. Insights from my feminist theological training helped me to affirm the importance of encouraging transformative learning in teaching the academically marginalized and prompted my analysis of student writing in an introductory World Religions course, in order to determine whether or not the course was a site of transformative learning. I argue that despite many contextual limitations, the movement toward deepening self‐awareness and increasing openness to religious diversity seen in student writing demonstrates that transformative learning began in this course, and that is valuable for students' lives whether or not they are academically successful.

A Comparison of the Impact of Preparedness of Students Entering College and Students’ Academic Attainment between Selected HBCU and Non-HBCU

Longitudinal data collected from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the period 2003-2009 reveal that among a sample of 2,275 African-American students, there were no significant difference in the preparedness of students entering HBCU and non-HBCUs. However, we find that relative to non-HBCUs, HBCU students are more likely to be placed in remedial courses. We also find that relative to non-HBCUs, HBCUs have a higher retention and attainment rate especially for the bachelor’s degrees. We contend that HBCUs seem to prepare their students better to successfully attain bachelor’s degrees by requiring underprepared students to take remedial courses as deemed necessary after evaluating their credentials. Such intervention enhances the capacities and abilities of underprepared students and equips them with the necessary capacities and abilities to succeed academically and to complete their undergraduate programs timeously.

A Comparison of the Impact of Preparedness of Students Entering College and Students’ Academic Attainment between Selected HBCU and Non-HBCU

Longitudinal data collected from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the period 2003-2009 reveal that among a sample of 2,275 African-American students, there were no significant difference in the preparedness of students entering HBCU and non-HBCUs. However, we find that relative to non-HBCUs, HBCU students are more likely to be placed in remedial courses. We also find that relative to non-HBCUs, HBCUs have a higher retention and attainment rate especially for the bachelor’s degrees. We contend that HBCUs seem to prepare their students better to successfully attain bachelor’s degrees by requiring underprepared students to take remedial courses as deemed necessary after evaluating their credentials. Such intervention enhances the capacities and abilities of underprepared students and equips them with the necessary capacities and abilities to succeed academically and to complete their undergraduate programs timeously.

False hope: underprepared students’ pursuit of postsecondary degrees

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the need for postsecondary education and the gap between students’ academic preparedness and the demands of college-level work. Design/methodology/approach – The authors examined the advantages and disadvantages of different postsecondary institutions, their admission requirements, the cost of attending and the realities of degree attainment for underprepared students. The authors focus specifically on problems faced by students with weak literacy skills who enroll in universities that do not have admission requirements. They consider the importance of early learning and educational experiences that positively affect college readiness and highlight the responsibilities of institutions and faculty in assisting underprepared students who are enrolled in postsecondary programs. Findings – Findings suggest the key to college readiness and postsecondary academic success depend on students’ ability to attain (a) proficiency in literacy at early grade levels, (b) knowledge of expository texts, (c) study strategies, and (d) personal behaviors such as paying attention, completing assignments, persisting in difficult tasks, and self-regulation that contribute to academic success. Originality/value – This paper presents a synthesis of findings from reports on postsecondary students’ preparedness for college-level work. In that the authors draw on their experiences as professors in different types of institutions, this article is highly original and makes a unique contribution. Currently, there is a belief in the USA that everyone needs a college education. The authors demonstrate that this view is neither accurate nor realistic.

An online tutor for astronomy: The GEAS self-review library

We introduce an interactive online resource for use by students and college instructors in introductory astronomy courses. The General Education Astronomy Source (GEAS) online tutor guides students developing mastery of core astronomical concepts and mathematical applications of general astronomy material. It contains over 12,000 questions, with linked hints and solutions. Students who master the material quickly can advance through the topics, while under-prepared or hesitant students can focus on questions on a certain topic for as long as needed, with minimal repetition. Students receive individual accounts for study and course instructors are provided with overview tracking information, by time and by topic, for entire cohorts of students. Diagnostic tools support self-evaluation and close collaboration between instructor and student, even for distance learners. An initial usage study shows clear trends in performance which increase with study time, and indicates that distance learners using these materials perform as well as or better than a comparison cohort of on-campus astronomy students. We are actively seeking new collaborators to use this resource in astronomy courses and other educational venues.

Overcoming Barriers to Engaging in College Academics

Underprepared college students face transition issues that prevent full academic engagement. The written responses of 176 students in a learning-strategies course were used to develop a grounded model of overcoming barriers to academic engagement. Findings revealed contexts in which academic engagement involved high costs (i.e., effort, trade-off, or psychological burden). Students also demonstrated resilience in coping with academic costs. Implications include guiding principles student-affairs practitioners can apply to their work with underprepared college students.

Pushing a stone up a hill: A case study of the working environment of South African academics

South African higher education has been experiencing profound and vigorous transformations in the post-apartheid era. At the same time, global trends toward competition and employment equity contribute to the complexities of the country’s higher education environment. These global and local developments combine to impact the working environment of South African academics. This qualitative study employed a phenomenological approach to explore the ‘lived’ experiences of 20 South African academics operating within this changing academic workplace at a case study institution. Although the findings pointed to several ‘pull’ factors representing positive aspects of the university’s working environment, six ‘push’ factors emerged as the study’s most salient and robust research findings: (1) lack of induction/training, (2) working with underprepared students, (3) unmanageable workloads, (4) issues of race and power, (5) challenges for female academics, and (6) frustrations regarding slow institutional change. An additional key theme centered on findings related to potential decisions to depart from the institution or academia. When combined with prior research, the findings suggest an imperative for South African higher education institutions to focus on improving the environment in which academic staff conduct their work, particularly given the post-apartheid impetus to transform institutions for both equity and global competition purposes.

Book Review: What Excellent Community Colleges Do: Preparing All Students for Success

In What Excellent Community Colleges Do: Preparing All Students for Success, Joshua Wyner offers atypical response to the problems that tend to plague community colleges; insufficient state support and underprepared students. Reviewer discusses Wyner's case studies, suggestions, and ethical impacts of the innovative ideas offered in the book.

The Contours of Rich and Poor: Student Socioeconomic Stratification and Academic Progress at a University in South Africa

One of the major debates in South African higher education is whether or not certain universities have lowered their academic standards by admitting academically underprepared students. However, these debates reflect the official voice of higher education institutions and there is little analytical work on students’ perceptions and experiences of their academic progress, particularly those of low-income students. Taking a cue from Merleau-Ponty on the salience of perceptions in his phenomenology of perception, this study analyses students’ perceptions and the quality of the undergraduate experience in one faculty at a South African university using the institution’s Student Profile Questionnaire Survey dataset and linking this to their academic progress from 2008 to 2013. The analysis points to the deleterious effects of race and class on the academic progress of low-income students. The study employs the capability approach, which is premised on enabling wellbeing, social justice and the development of a conducive environment for human prosperity, and ascertaining the capabilities and constraints of individual students in relation to their academic progress at university.

We Should Not Rely on Commercial Bar Reviews to Do Our Job: Why Labor-Intensive Comprehensive Bar Examination Preparation Can and Should Be a Part of the Law School Mission

Increasingly, law school bar passage rates are an important concern for faculty and administration, as well as students. The July 2014 bar exam saw a precipitous drop nationally in bar passage rates, including declines ranging from four to over twenty percentage points. At the same time, there have been declines in applications to law schools, declines in admissions statistics (LSAT and undergraduate GPA), and an empirically demonstrable decline in student preparedness for law school. The confluence of these events portends even greater declines in bar passage if law schools do not rethink how they prepare students for the bar exam. This Article examines developments in academic support and bar preparation programs with an eye toward suggesting models for effective in-house bar preparation programs. Specifically, this Article examines: (1) the evolution of academic support programs in law schools to include bar passage programs, with a brief description of the types of programs that traditionally have been available; (2) the particular difficulty posed by the California Bar Exam; (3) the existing types of supplemental programs, and concerns posed by programs that are limited to “bar tips” or even limited practice exams or substantive lectures, given the increased numbers of “at risk” students due to the increase in underpreparedness; (4) the supplemental program at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law, including the intensity of effort required of both faculty and students in a comprehensive program applicable to all students; and finally, (5) the bar passage results at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law since adoption of a comprehensive supplemental bar passage program, that have been significantly better than would be expected by some commentators, given its ranking and relative youth as a law school. This Article suggests that the traditional focus of academic support programs, including bar preparation programs, that focus largely on perceived “at risk” students, is insufficient in light of the increased numbers of underprepared students. In order to avoid further calamitous declines in bar passage rates, law schools will have to move from traditional academic support models to models that encourage the entire cohort of students to work together, cooperatively, and that apply extensive time and effort to ensure that all students receive the benefit of these programs.

Faculty Expectations for Student Success in Community College Developmental Math

Community college faculty involved in developmental math instruction play a unique and leveraging role in helping large numbers of underprepared students navigate college success (Cejda & Murray, 2010). Based on a case study in a mainstreamed math department at one community college, this paper highlights how academic policy implementation can influence faculty expectations in developmental math classes and interact with the learning environment to enhance or dissuade student success. Theories of social perception and concepts of academic press provided the framework for analysis. Qualitative inquiry and grounded theory techniques were used to explore the foundational perceptions that shaped developmental math instructors’ expectations for student success. Contrary to previous findings, faculty participants viewed developmental math instruction as a teaching challenge, not a burden. Participants’ expectations were rooted in academic policy and tempered by perceptions of student motivation. Implications for student instruction and the role of faculty expectations are reported.

Getting into the Pipeline: Summer Bridge as a Pathway to College Success

INTRODUCTIONLeading thinkers and most everyone else agree that education beyond high school is a necessity for today's youth, which translates into a duty to ensure not only a passageway to college but one that leads to success upon arrival. As Hoffman, Vargas, and Santos (2008) asserted, If everyone needs an education through two years of college or the equivalent, then the nation has an obligation to provide a far more certain pathway for postsecondary success than it does now. While all postsecondary institutions should assume this charge, Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) face more specifically challenging circumstances. HBCUs face increasing challenges to one of their core missions of serving a population of students that includes a significant number who are underprepared-academically and otherwise-for the challenges of college life and academic success. Concomitant with the reality that an ever-changing society has dismantled what one university describes as the HBCU's monopoly on Black talent exists the realization that students will enter the university at various stages of preparedness. This same university suggests that the prevailing notion of academic under-preparedness as an obstacle to success should be re-focused as strategic interventions that will diminish impediments to academic achievement (Winston-Salem State University, 2010). The comprehensive summer bridge concept is one of those interventions.Transition programs in their various forms are nothing new to higher education and are recognized as one of the oldest forms of channeling at-risk, under-prepared, and under-represented students toward college success. Also referred to as pipeline summer bridge programs range in form from early intervention models to comprehensive summer programs designed to bridge the high school to college gap (Strayhorn, 2011). While strengthening academic success is nearly always a primary goal with bridge programs, especially programs offered the summer prior to the freshman year, comprehensive programs also focus heavily on affective factors and development of soft skills such as time management often associated with college success (Zhang & Smith, 2011). Whether such initiatives take the form of the brief pre-matriculation activity aimed at introducing students to the college environment or the comprehensive, residential program with college courses as the center, the summer bridge program is gaining much attention as a tool to address college readiness. As an illustration of this heightened focus, in its strategic plan through 2018, the University of North Carolina General Administration (UNCGA, 2013a) lists the expansion of summer bridge programs among its strategies to increase its percentage of college-educated citizens in the state. Specifically, the plan acknowledges the effectiveness of well-designed and implemented summer bridge programs as a retention strategy. Proposed additional program investments would increase annual participation from 300 to 1,600 participants with a projected 3,000 additional graduates over 10 years (UNCGA, 2013b).North Carolina's university system specifically points to the success of long-standing bridge programs, such as the one operated at Fayetteville State University, a University of North Carolina (UNC) constituent institution, for its track record of improving retention from 6 to 13 percentage points in the at-risk population it serves (UNCGA, 2013b). In 2008, UNCGA launched an initiative referred to as the UNC Academic Summer Bridge and Retention Program, with the summer of 2012 marking the fifth consecutive year of the program. The overall goal of Summer Bridge is to provide an intensive and rigorous summer residential program specifically designed for first-generation students and students requiring additional academic preparation in order to successfully transition from high school to the university setting. The program design and guidelines were established at the UNC system level. …

Does Failing a Placement Exam Discourage Underprepared Students from Going to College?

About one third of college students are required to take remedial courses. Assignment to remediation is generally made on the basis of performance on a placement exam. When students are required to take a placement exam prior to enrolling in college-level courses, assignment to remediation may dissuade students from actually going to college. This is because remediation could increase the time required to complete a degree (because remedial courses do not count toward academic degrees), and also because being identified as needing remediation might have stigma effects or provide students with new information about their unsuitability for college. This paper examines this issue empirically using administrative data from Texas. Using regression discontinuity methods, we find that students whose placement exam scores would require them to be in remediation are no less likely to enroll in college than are students who score just above the remediation placement cutoff.

Examining faculty questions to facilitate instructional improvement in higher education

Many of the innovations that show promise for improving outcomes for underprepared community college students require instructors to make changes to their teaching practice. Little research explores the experiences of faculty teaching in reformed courses as related to their professional learning needs. Drawing on a multi-year qualitative study, this paper uses data from 100 faculty interviews to explore the questions they ask when teaching a new course. A key outcome of the analysis is a typology of questions that mirrors the stage of implementation. Through analysis of 20 observations of implementation activities, this paper also documents the learning opportunities made available to instructors and examines the extent to which these activities addressed their questions.

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.

Identifying Key Performance Indicators for Academic Departments in a Comprehensive University through a Consensus-based Approach: A South African Case Study

The main objectives of this paper were to formulate consensus-based Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for academic departments in a university and to identify the concerns in achieving them. The research involved both a quantitative (questionnaires) and a qualitative design (interviews). The sample consisted of 243 academics and 12 members of the university management from one South African public higher education institution. The analysed data served as pointers to optimum KPIs for departments. They included graduation rates recommended for certificates, diplomas and degrees, throughput rates; departmental evaluations and programme reviews; and minimum levels of staff qualifications per programme (one qualification higher than what he/she is teaching). However, the following concerns need to be addressed if the KPIs suggested could be realised: under-qualified staff, underprepared students, too lax entrance requirements, lack of quality tutorials, lack of resources and high workloads. Recommendations include short- medium- and long-term measures to achieve the KPIs.

The Impact of Remedial English on the Improvement of English Proficiency: The Case of the United States International University-Africa

This study probes the effect of a remedial English course in raising the level of English proficiency of freshmen at the United States International University. Using a quasi-experimental design, it tracks 46 underprepared students, admitted to the USIU in the Summer Semester of 2011 who failed to make the threshold for university course in a placement test (pretest) and went through a remedial English course for 14 weeks. On completion of the course, they were given the same placement test (posttest). Comparisons between the scores in the pretest and those on the post-test are used to determine the significance of the change the treatment gives the students. Further comparisons are made between the scores in composition and in the grammar sections of the pretest and posttest and variation between the scores of students. T-tests establish a significant and positive difference at p value of p=0.00 between overall performance between the pretest and posttest and between grammar and composition aspects of the tests. The conclusion is therefore that the remedial class raises the English proficiency of the students.

Fostering Disciplinary Literacy? South African Physics Lecturers' Educational Responses to their Students' Lack of Representational Competence

Recently, the South African Institute of Physics undertook a major review of university physics education. The report highlighted the necessity for further transformation of the teaching of physics, particularly in relation to the teaching of under-prepared students. In this article we examine how physics lecturers in South Africa reported how they respond to the teaching challenges that they face in terms of representational competence. We argue that the goal of any undergraduate degree is the production of disciplinary literate graduates, where disciplinary literacy refers to the ability to competently deal with the various representational formats used within the discipline. For physics the development of disciplinary literacy involves competence in a wide range of representations, such as written and oral languages, diagrams, graphs, mathematics, apparatus and simulations. Our interest in this study was the way in which individual physics lecturers described how they deal with their students' lack of representational competence. To this end, we interviewed 20 physics lecturers from five purposefully selected representative South African universities about their students' lack of representational competence and the educational strategies they use for dealing with this problem. These interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed for potential patterns. Iterative, interpretive analysis resulted in the identification of six qualitatively different response strategies that South African physics lecturers indicate they invoke to deal with their students' lack of representational competence. We suggest that an understanding of this range of possible response strategies will allow physics lecturers to better understand their own responses and those of their peers, and that this, in turn, may lead to changes in educational practice. Based on the differences in individual response strategies that we find, we further argue that inter- and intra-faculty discussions about undergraduate disciplinary literacy goals have the distinct potential for reforming South African undergraduate physics. Here, we suggest that the disciplinary literacy discussion matrix that we used to initiate dialogue in our interviews may also double as a useful starting point for such faculty discussions.