A Sense of Belonging: Improving Student Retention.

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A Sense of Belonging: Improving Student Retention.

Journal Article•

A Sense of Belonging: Improving Student Retention.

01 Dec 2013-College student journal (Project Innovation, Inc.)-Vol. 47, Iss: 4, pp 605-613

TL;DR: The capacity of a student to develop a sense of belonging within the higher education institution is recognized by as discussed by the authors as a being a critical factor determining student retention, which can be achieved by the development of positive student/faculty relationships, the presence of a well resourced counselling centre and the encouragement of diversity and difference.

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Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to explore the causes and potential solutions to, student attrition. With student attrition rates reaching between 30 and 50 per cent in the United States, and over 20 per cent in Australia, the inability of higher education institutions to retain their students is a significant issue. This paper cites key risk factors which place students at risk of non-completion, which include mental health issues, disability, socioeconomic status and ethnicity. Furthermore, first year students and higher degree by research students are susceptible to attrition. The capacity of a student to develop a sense of belonging within the higher education institution is recognised by this paper as a being a critical factor determining student retention. The creation of a caring, supportive and welcoming environment within the university is critical in creating a sense of belonging. This can be achieved by the development of positive student/faculty relationships, the presence of a well resourced counselling centre and the encouragement of diversity and difference.

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Journal Article•DOI•

Using a gamified mobile app to increase student engagement, retention and academic achievement

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Ekaterina Pechenkina¹, Daniel Laurence², Grainne Oates¹, Daniel S. Eldridge¹, Dan Hunter¹ - Show less +1 more•Institutions (2)

Swinburne University of Technology¹, La Trobe University²

01 Dec 2017-International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education

TL;DR: It is suggested that following the app’s introduction, student retention rates and academic performance increased, and there was a positive correlation between students’ scoring highly on the app and achieving higher academic grades.

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Abstract: This study investigated whether the use of a gamified mobile learning app influenced students’ academic performance and boosted their engagement in the subject. Created to better engage students in lecture content, the app was used to deliver multiple-choice content-based quizzes directly to students’ personal mobile devices post-lecture and pre-tutorial. After measuring the relationships between students’ app usage and their engagement, retention and academic achievement in the subject, it is suggested that following the app’s introduction, student retention rates and academic performance increased, and there was a positive correlation between students’ scoring highly on the app and achieving higher academic grades. While the app’s affordances for learning are promising, the causal relationship between the app usage and improved student outcomes requires further investigation. Conclusions made in the context of the wider scholarship of mobile app enhanced learning and applied game principles in HE.

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87 citations

Cites background from "A Sense of Belonging: Improving Stu..."

...This increased retention phenomenon is of interest, considering the expected decrease in first-year university student retention rates (O'Keeffe, 2013)....
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...These considerations are particularly salient where the experiences of first-year HE students are concerned as these students are at higher risk of dropping-out compared to their senior peers (O'Keeffe, 2013; Ryan, 2004)....
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...interest, considering the expected decrease in first-year university student retention rates (O'Keeffe, 2013)....
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...siderations are particularly salient where the experiences of first-year HE students are concerned as these students are at higher risk of dropping-out compared to their senior peers (O'Keeffe, 2013; Ryan, 2004)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Influence of satisfaction and preparedness on online students' feelings of anxiety

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M'hammed Abdous¹•Institutions (1)

Old Dominion University¹

01 Apr 2019-Internet and Higher Education

TL;DR: The need to address factors associated with online students' feelings of anxiety, in order to boost their confidence, motivation, and preparedness to succeed in online courses is reiterated.

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Abstract: As they transition from a face-to-face to an online learning environment, online students are likely to feel anxious about their ability to succeed in what could be an unfamiliar learning environment. To ease this transition, online learning orientations are intended to defuse students' feelings of anxiety by clarifying course expectations and requirements while boosting their self-confidence and preparedness. This study examined how various factors associated with the online learning experience – students' demographics, prior online learning experience, satisfaction, and sense of preparedness for the course after completing an online learning orientation – influence online students' feelings of anxiety. Using a binary logistic regression, our findings confirmed that demographics (i.e., female, full-time, first-year online student), prior online learning experience, and sense of preparedness predicted online students' feelings of anxiety. Student age and student satisfaction were less conclusive. Overall, our study reiterates the need to address factors associated with online students' feelings of anxiety, in order to boost their confidence, motivation, and preparedness to succeed in online courses.

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84 citations

Journal Article•DOI•

The four pillars of tertiary student engagement and success: a holistic measurement approach

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Jana Bowden¹, Leonie Tickle¹, Kay Naumann¹•Institutions (1)

Macquarie University¹

03 Jun 2021-Studies in Higher Education

TL;DR: In this article, the conditions that foster student engagement, success and retention remain a perennial issue within the higher education sector, while traditionally satisfaction has been prioritised in assess- ing.

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Abstract: Creating the conditions that foster student engagement, success and retention remains a perennial issue within the higher education sector. Traditionally satisfaction has been prioritised in assess...

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82 citations

Journal Article•

Connection and Commitment: How Sense of Belonging and Classroom Community Influence Degree Persistence for African American Undergraduate Women.

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Keonya C. Booker

01 Jan 2016-The International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

TL;DR: In this paper, six African American female college students were interviewed to explore perceptions about their college learning environment and the beliefs they have about their own competence and value with regard to others in the college community.

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Abstract: In this study, six African American female college students were interviewed to explore perceptions about their college learning environment and the beliefs they have about their own competence and value with regard to others in the college community. Focus group and individual interviews were conducted over the course of the academic year to examine insights about classroom dynamics and peer interactions. Findings revealed that their decision to persist at the college was based on faculty being accessible, approachable, and providing authentic instruction. While this was encouraging, undergraduate women of color still described challenges such as experiencing microaggressions from professors and classmates and feeling a need to “represent their race” when asked to provide commentary on specific course topics. The results show that African American college women have experiences that are unique and faculty must be aware of the need to create a safe space in which these students can engage and participate fully.

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66 citations

Cites background from "A Sense of Belonging: Improving Stu..."

...Students who report higher levels of belongingness in their educational environment have overall better psychological outcomes than students who demonstrate a lower sense of belonging (O’Keeffe, 2013)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

Building bridges in higher education: Student-faculty relationship quality, student engagement, and student loyalty

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Ingrid Snijders¹, Ingrid Snijders², Lisette Wijnia¹, Lisette Wijnia³, Remy M. J. P. Rikers², Remy M. J. P. Rikers³, Sofie M. M. Loyens², Sofie M. M. Loyens³ - Show less +4 more•Institutions (3)

HZ University of Applied Sciences¹, University College Roosevelt², Erasmus University Rotterdam³

01 Jan 2020-International Journal of Educational Research

TL;DR: In this article, a hypothesized model examined the associations between students' perceptions of the quality of their relationship with their educational faculty and staff (i.e., relationship quality) and students' involvement and concluded that a relationship management approach in higher education is fruitful to achieve positive academic outcomes such as student engagement and student loyalty.

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56 citations

Cites background from "A Sense of Belonging: Improving Stu..."

...In turn, this could be beneficial for HEIs and their educational faculty/staff (e.g., student retention; O’Keeffe, 2013; completion rates; Estermann & Claeys-Kulik, 2016; Jones, 2016; positive reflection on job satisfaction; Kim & Schallert, 2011; Veldman et al., 2013; and sense of belonging; Kim &…...
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...…contribute to students’ involvement and achievement (Umbach & Wawrzynski, 2005); they have been shown to be related to higher student retention rates (O’Keeffe, 2013), better academic performance (Klem & Connell, 2004), sense of school belonging (Wong, Parent, & Konishi, 2019), and decreased…...
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References

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Book•

Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition

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Vincent Tinto¹•Institutions (1)

Indiana University¹

01 Jan 1987

TL;DR: In the second edition of this text, Tinto synthesizes far-ranging research on student attrition and on actions institutions can and should take to reduce student attrition as mentioned in this paper, showing that effective retention is in a strong commitment to quality education and the building of a strong sense of inclusive educational and social community on campus.

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Abstract: As enrollments continue to decline, student retention is increasingly vital to the survival of most colleges and universities. In the second edition of this text, Tinto synthesizes far-ranging research on student attrition and on actions institutions can and should take to reduce it. The key to effective retention, Tinto demonstrates, is in a strong commitment to quality education and the building of a strong sense of inclusive educational and social community on campus. This revised and expanded edition incorporates the explosion of recent research and policy reports on why students leave higher education. Incorporating current data, Tinto applies his theory of student departure to the experiences of minority, adult and graduage students, and to the situation facing commuting institutions and two-year colleges. He has revised his theory, giving new emphasis to the central importance of the classroom experience and to the role of multiple college communities.

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9,733 citations

"A Sense of Belonging: Improving Stu..." refers background in this paper

...The quality of the interaction between students and faculty is also emphasised by Tinto (1993) who argued that simply developing a connection with others is not sufficient, “students need to feel connected in ways that do not marginalise or ghettoize...they need to feel welcomed not threatened.” However, for many students, developing a relationship with a faculty member may be a difficult step. Kelly, Keaten and Finch (2004) found that the anxiety created by face to face contact with a faculty member caused reticent students to communicate with faculty almost exclusively using computer channels of communication. This suggests that for the more reticent students within the student body, developing a personal relationship with the tertiary institution may be more difficult than for non-reticent students. However, these challenges also exist for international students and students from ethnic backgrounds, who may be less confident approaching faculty members for support. As stated by Komarrju (2010, p.340), the increasing diversity of student bodies requires faculty members to “consciously reach out to ethnic minority students who may not find it easy to approach them.” An interesting finding from Jaasma and Koper (1999) suggests that a breakdown in trust can arise between students and faculty members, following disclosure of personal problems from students. As found by Jaasma and Koper (1999, p.45), “trust was negatively correlated to the discussion of personal problems during informal contact.” Jaasma and Koper (1999, p.46) offer a potential explanation, mentioning that “the student who is having a problem may be reluctant to speak with the instructor because either the instructor has identified a problem the student is having or the student senses a problem related to his/ her work. In either case, interacting with the instructor about this problem (and perhaps about personal problems that might be related) may diminish trust in the instructor and motivation in the student.” This raises a key challenge for students, in deciding whether or not to disclose sensitive personal information to faculty members. Furthermore, this underscores fears (which are either justifiable or not) that disclosure of personal issues to faculty members will impact negatively upon the students progression through university. For example, Schwenk (2010, p.1181) referred to Givens and Tjia (2002), Chew-Graham, Rogers and Yassin (2003) and Rosal et al....
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...…of a caring environment where students are well supported and have access to counselling is important for student retention, others argue that the onus is on the student to adjust to the expectations of the higher education institution (Collier and Morgan 2008; Wolf-Wendel et al. 2009; Tinto 1993)....
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...6), state that “the single most important factor in advising students who are at-risk is helping them to feel that they are cared for by the institution (Bray 1985; Braxton et al. 1995; Holmes 2000; Tinto 1993)....
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...Wolf-Wendel et al. (2009, p.424) refer to Tinto (1993), who contended that for students from ethnic backgrounds, playing the role of the tertiary student may lead to a compromising situation: “Hispanic students have to know how to play by the rules of the institution, what values exist and how to…...
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...The quality of the interaction between students and faculty is also emphasised by Tinto (1993) who argued that simply developing a connection with others is not sufficient, “students need to feel connected in ways that do not marginalise or ghettoize…they need to feel welcomed not threatened.”...
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Journal Article•DOI•

The other Curriculum: Out-of-Class Experiences Associated with Student Learning and Personal Development

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George D. Kuh

01 Mar 1995-The Journal of Higher Education

TL;DR: In this article, the other curriculum has been studied in the context of higher education, and the authors propose a new curriculum for higher education: The Other Curriculum (OC).

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Abstract: (1995). The other Curriculum. The Journal of Higher Education: Vol. 66, No. 2, pp. 123-155.

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1,003 citations

"A Sense of Belonging: Improving Stu..." refers background in this paper

...…and cognitive development (Terenzini, Pascarella, & Blimling, 1996), higher educational aspirations (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991), greater levels of academic integration into the university (Milem & Berger, 1997), and increased feelings of affirmation, confidence, and self-worth (Kuh, 1995)....
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...For example, students who engage in OCC with faculty showed greater academic and cognitive development (Terenzini, Pascarella, & Blimling, 1996), higher educational aspirations (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991), greater levels of academic integration into the university (Milem & Berger, 1997), and increased feelings of affirmation, confidence, and self-worth (Kuh, 1995)....
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Journal Article•

Students' Out-of-Class Experiences and Their Influence on Learning and Cognitive Development: A Literature Review.

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Patrick T. Terenzini, Ernest T. Pascarella, Gregory S. Blimling

01 Mar 1996-Journal of College Student Development

582 citations

Journal Article•

A Modified Model of College Student Persistence: Exploring the Relationship Between Astin's Theory of Involvement and Tinto's Theory of Student Departure

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Jeffrey F. Milem¹, Joseph Berger•Institutions (1)

Vanderbilt University¹

01 Jul 1997-Journal of College Student Development

539 citations

"A Sense of Belonging: Improving Stu..." refers background in this paper

...…and cognitive development (Terenzini, Pascarella, & Blimling, 1996), higher educational aspirations (Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991), greater levels of academic integration into the university (Milem & Berger, 1997), and increased feelings of affirmation, confidence, and self-worth (Kuh, 1995)....
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Journal Article•DOI•

“Is that paper really due today?”: differences in first-generation and traditional college students’ understandings of faculty expectations

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Peter J. Collier¹, David L. Morgan¹•Institutions (1)

Portland State University¹

01 Apr 2008-Higher Education

TL;DR: This article examined the fit between university faculty members' expectations and students' understanding of those expectations and found definite incongruities between faculty and student perspectives and identify differences between traditional and first-generation college students.

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Abstract: Success in college is not simply a matter of students demonstrating academic ability. In addition, students must master the “college student” role in order to understand instructors’ expectations and apply their academic skills effectively to those expectations. This article uses data from focus groups to examine the fit between university faculty members’ expectations and students’ understanding of those expectations. Parallel discussions among groups of faculty and groups of students highlight important differences regarding issues of time management and specific aspects of coursework. We find definite incongruities between faculty and student perspectives and identify differences between traditional and first-generation college students. We argue that variations in cultural capital, based on parents’ educational experiences, correspond to important differences in each group’s mastery of the student role and, thus, their ability to respond to faculty expectations. The conclusion discusses the theoretical and practical implications of considering role mastery a form of cultural capital.

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531 citations

"A Sense of Belonging: Improving Stu..." refers background in this paper

...…of a caring environment where students are well supported and have access to counselling is important for student retention, others argue that the onus is on the student to adjust to the expectations of the higher education institution (Collier and Morgan 2008; Wolf-Wendel et al. 2009; Tinto 1993)....
[...]
...While this paper contends that the creation of a caring environment where students are well supported and have access to counselling is important for student retention, others argue that the onus is on the student to adjust to the expectations of the higher education institution (Collier and Morgan 2008; Wolf-Wendel et al. 2009; Tinto 1993). According to Collier and Morgan (2008, p.426), for students who are at risk of non-completion, whether they be first generation students, students from an ethnic background or students with disabilities, learning to play the role of the higher education student is essential to academic success. Collier and Morgan (2008, p.426) contend that implicit to this role, is the capacity to understand the expectations of the institution and faculty, and how to “apply their academic skills effectively to those expectations.” For ‘traditional students’ (i.e. students from a family with a history of higher education completion), becoming ‘role experts’ is relatively easy as they have the resources at their disposal which enable them to comply with these expectations (Collier and Morgan 2008, p.439). For first generation students, mastery of this role is more challenging; though remains critical in ensuring that they are able to remain in their program beyond first year. Wolf-Wendel et al. (2009, p.425) consider that for students to develop a ‘sense of belonging’, they “must learn and adopt the norms of the campus culture.” Wolf-Wendel et al. (2009, p.424) refer to Tinto (1993), who contended that for students from ethnic backgrounds, playing the role of the tertiary student may lead to a compromising situation:...
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...…college students’ also should be considered as a student group which is at high risk of withdrawing from tertiary study; with the term ‘first generation’ referring to college students for whom neither parent has completed a four year higher education course (Collier and Morgan 2008, p.426)....
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...While this paper contends that the creation of a caring environment where students are well supported and have access to counselling is important for student retention, others argue that the onus is on the student to adjust to the expectations of the higher education institution (Collier and Morgan 2008; Wolf-Wendel et al. 2009; Tinto 1993)....
[...]
...For ‘traditional students’ (i.e. students from a family with a history of higher education completion), becoming ‘role experts’ is relatively easy as they have the resources at their disposal which enable them to comply with these expectations (Collier and Morgan 2008, p.439)....
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