ERIC Number: EJ1121487
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1542-3077
EISSN: N/A
Challenge and Support for the 21st Century: A Mixed-Methods Study of College Student Success
Longerbeam, Susan
Journal of The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, v28 n2 p33-51 2016
This study used Sanford's (1966) theory of challenge and support to explore the stories of successful college students in transition. Using a mixed-methods design, 709 first-year and senior students and 8 upper-division nontraditional students were interviewed about their college experiences. Quantitative results indicated that supportive campus environments and academic challenge were predictive of learning and that enriching educational experiences were related to graduation. Qualitative data generated four themes, suggesting how supportive campus environments and academic challenge contributed to learning while enriching educational experiences supported graduation outcomes. Taken together, the results suggest that college environments facilitative of academic success are those conducive to increasing opportunities to find support and engage challenge.
Descriptors: Mixed Methods Research, Academic Achievement, Educational Experience, College Freshmen, College Seniors, Nontraditional Students, Interviews, Higher Education, College Environment, National Surveys, Learner Engagement, Student Surveys, Regression (Statistics)
National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. University of South Carolina, 1728 College Street, Columbia, SC 29208. Tel: 803-777-6229; Fax: 803-777-4699; e-mail: fye@sc.edu; Web site: http://sc.edu/fye/journal/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: National Survey of Student Engagement
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A