Understanding College Preparedness of First-Semester College Stud

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones 5-1-2017 Understanding College Preparedness of First-Semester College Students Kimberly Marie Florence University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the Higher Education Administration Commons Repository Citation Florence, Kimberly Marie, "Understanding College Preparedness of First-Semester College Students" (2017) UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones 2972 http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/10985884 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s) You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV For more information, please contact digitalscholarship@unlv.edu UNDERSTANDING COLLEGE PREPAREDNESS OF FIRST-SEMESTER COLLEGE STUDENTS By Kimberly M Florence Bachelor of Arts – Psychology University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2007 Master of Education – Higher Education University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2013 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy – Higher Education Department of Educational Psychology and Higher Education College of Education The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 2017 Copyright © 2017 by Kimberly M Florence All Rights Reserved Dissertation Approval The Graduate College The University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 8, 2017 This dissertation prepared by Kimberly M Florence entitled Understanding College Preparedness of First-Semester College Students is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy – Higher Education Department of Educational Psychology and Higher Education Vicki J Rosser, Ph.D Kathryn Hausbeck Korgan, Ph.D Examination Committee Chair Graduate College Interim Dean CarolAnne Kardash, Ph.D Examination Committee Member Stefani Relles, Ph.D Examination Committee Member Helen Neill, Ph.D Graduate College Faculty Representative ii Abstract Understanding College Preparedness of First-Semester College Students By Kimberly M Florence Dr Vicki J Rosser, Examination Committee Chair Professor of Higher Education University of Nevada, Las Vegas The college preparedness of first-year, first-semester, undergraduate students was researched and analyzed in this study The research entailed a purposeful selection of 10 first-year, firstsemester, undergraduate student participants that transitioned into a four-year public university, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), from a Nevada public high school Participants who graduated from a Nevada public high school were chosen because Nevada exhibits lowperforming K-12 public education trends Using qualitative methods (i.e., a phenomenological approach), students were interviewed using semi-structured and open-ended interview questions The interviews were used to ascertain student participants’ perceptions of their academic lived experiences transitioning from high school to college The research presents two key findings The transition from high school to college is a dichotomous experience comprising of both selfefficacy and autonomy and emerging as positive and negative Keywords: college preparedness, first-semester, transition, sociocultural iii Acknowledgments It is an absolute delight to express my gratitude to the many individuals who have constructively influenced my academic career at UNLV I thank you all for your time, commitment, and support A special acknowledgment to my dissertation committee members Dr Vicki J Rosser, Dr Stefani Relles, Dr CarolAnne Kardash, and Dr Helen Neill I am forever appreciative of your advisement and support throughout the dissertation process Especially, thank you to Dr Vicki J Rosser, my academic advisor and Examination Committee Chair As you know, a series of unexpected events brought us together As Charles Dickens wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” ~Tale of Two Cities You are representative of the best of times, the wisdom, the belief, the light, and the hope You guided me through the darkness and uplifted me when I needed it the most Thank you for exhibiting to me what it means to be a mentor, advisor, and scholar iv Dedication I dedicate this dissertation to my mother, Regina M Florence; my father, William E Florence III; my brother, William E Florence IV, and my precious dogs Thumper, Bambi, Bella, Blossom Amalia, and Butterfly Jasmine I thank you all for your love and support I too love you beyond the measure of space and time Because of you, “I remembered that the real world was wide and that a varied field of hopes and fears, of sensations and excitements, awaited those who had the courage to go forth into the expanse, to seek real knowledge of life amidst its perils.” ~ Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre As a final dedication, here is to you Grandma Mary Lou! Although we never met, I can’t help but feel that you have been my guardian angel throughout this process and in life We (you, momma, and I) walk this journey called life together, three spirits, two worlds, and one love that forever endures v Table of Contents Abstract iii Acknowledgements iv Dedication v Table of Contents vi Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study Chapter 2: Literature Review 11 Chapter 3: Methodology 39 Chapter 4: Data Presentation 55 Chapter 5: Discussion of the Findings 74 Appendix A: Short Response Form 91 Appendix B: Linked Image 92 Appendix C: Interview Instrument 93 References 94 Curriculum Vitae 119 vi Chapter Introduction to the Study Higher education institutions have a vested interest in student success; “retention and completion are important for an institution, since benefit can accrue from positive public perceptions of their success levels” (Yorke & Longden, 2004, p 9) As a result, it is essential to explore how best to retain and complete students One manner of exploration is to understand first-year, first-semester, undergraduate students’ perceptions of their academic lived experiences transitioning from high school to college The rationale for concentrating on first-semester undergraduate students is their propensity to leave college before completing a degree (Kuh, Cruce, Shoup, Kinzie, & Gonyea, 2008) Thus, making the student population vulnerable to an early departure and resulting in adverse outcomes for higher education institutions Students starting college after the transition from high school may perceive their academic preparedness with feelings of confusion and insecurity (Boden, 2011) This sense of uncertainty is because undergraduate students enter the first-year of college at different levels of college readiness (DeAngelo & Franke, 2016) For instance, some students begin needing developmental education designed to minimize the gap in student learning from high school to college (Jeffcoat et al., 2014) Others enter feeling overwhelmed and susceptible to the pressures of newfound responsibilities and academic demands (Taylor, Doane, & Eisenberg, 2014) With an array of possible setbacks, it is imperative to conduct research designed to understand the complexities and nuances associated with the academic lived experiences of first-semester undergraduate students transitioning from high school to college This chapter will provide a general review composed of eight sections: (a) overview of the literature, (b) theoretical perspective, (c) purpose statement and research question, (d) overview of the method, (e) limitations and delimitations, (f) definitions, and (e) significance of the study Overview of the Literature An overview of the literature consists of four primary areas regarding first-year undergraduate students The areas include (a) college preparedness, (b) first-year students’ transition to college (c) first-year student success and (d) sociocultural theory A more developed and thorough literature review is presented in chapter two College Preparedness A student’s experience of college preparedness is considered a complex developmental process that commences before high school (Cabrera, Deli-Amen, Terenzini, Lee, & Franklin, 2006) The complexity derives from a multifarious set of factors that inform a student’s readiness for college; 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Cases in Educational Leadership Oxford: Peter Lang Publishers Florence, K (2015) Unprepared first generation students: Developing autonomous learning strategies through academic coaching, ACPA Development, 13(4), 20-25 RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION Florence, K (2013, April) Unprepared first generation students: Developing autonomous learning strategies through academic coaching Poster presentation at University of Nevada, Las Vegas Graduate Professional Student Association Research Forum, Las Vegas, NV 119 .. .UNDERSTANDING COLLEGE PREPAREDNESS OF FIRST-SEMESTER COLLEGE STUDENTS By Kimberly M Florence Bachelor of Arts – Psychology University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2007 Master of Education... Abstract Understanding College Preparedness of First-Semester College Students By Kimberly M Florence Dr Vicki J Rosser, Examination Committee Chair Professor of Higher Education University of Nevada,... literature to understand college preparedness and the factors associated with persistence beyond the first year of college College Preparedness The history of college preparedness began with the