Abstract # 0000
Predictors that affect drop out rates between two year community colleges and four year universities.
Patti Childers
ABSTRACT
In this current economic climate many adult learners are
returning or entering for the first time a college or university.
Technology in the past 50 years has reduced the importance
of high school education degrees and companies now require
a college degree as the basic minimum. This forces older
individuals to return to school to help support families. There
are many predictors that can influence drop out rates among
two year community college students and four year university
students. Many of these factors include but are not limited to:
emotional competence, family influence, academic failure, and
curricula that are not adjusted to all learning styles. Emotional
competence affects traditional and nontraditional students in
many ways. Emotions have the power to render intellectual
endeavor as futile, which can result in withdrawal from a task
(or indeed course), or at the other extreme, to motivate and
enthuse learners to progress (Ellison, 2001). Finical issues can
cause a student to drop out of an institution because of a lack
of funds. This can be especially hard for nontraditional
students with families or other responsibilities. Academic
failure is a factor that can cause drop out rates between two
year colleges and four year universities. Academic failure is
also a threat to high school students causing them to not even
enroll in a higher education institution. One of the biggest
issues for college and universities is the failure to adjust
curricula to nontraditional students. Non traditional students
are defined as those who did not attend college right after high
school graduation, works 35 + hours a week, is finically
independent, is a part-time student for part of the year, and
has family responsibilities (Philibert, Allen, & Elleven, 2008).
The predictors stated above do not encompass all issues that
nontraditional and traditional students face today. Many other
predictors include but are not limited to: death of a loved one,
divorce, caretaking of a child or elderly adult, and loss of a job.
Since these predictors are as individual and diverse as the
students in the research, this study will rely mainly on a
qualitative approach. The need for a study of this nature is
important to addressing the needs of students in the area of
higher education.
PURPOSE/RATIONALE
The research study method will be quantitative/qualitative. The
initial gathering of data will be quantitative in design in order to
identify the top 20 students that are experiencing the most
stress. The qualitative methodology was chosen for the second
part of the study because of the many variables in drop out rates
among nontraditional students.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What are some of the predictors of drop out rates
between two year community colleges and
four year universities?
2. Are major life events predictors in drop out rates of
nontraditional students at two year
community colleges?
Social Work Department
University of TN at Chattanooga
Kane, M., &
DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLING FRAME
Chattanooga State’s student population is 10,000. The population I
will be administering the initial survey to is the students in the HR 101
Introduction to Social Work and the HR 205 Interviewing and
Interpersonal skills classes. These two classes have 45 students.
From the result of the survey I will interview 20 of these students
using a qualitative approach. These 20 nontraditional students will be
chosen based off of the amount of major life event factors.
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DESCRIPTION OF METHODS TO www.drtimpugh.com/StressTestFormPicture2.gif
SELECT STUDY SAMPLE
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1. The populations that the study will research are students
18 or older, male and female. These students will be BIBLIOGRAPHY/SOURCES CITED
selected from the HR 101 Introduction to Social Work and
Cronje, J., Adendorff, D
HR 205 interviewing and Interpersonal Skills class
courses from Chattanooga State Technical Community
College or CSTCC.
2. Life Stressors Test administered to the initial 45 students from HR
101 and HR 205 classes. The 20 students with the
& Pra
highest number will take a qualitative study designed by
student.
3. The Life Stress Test measure, the responses will be summed to
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create a total score. The 20 students with the highest
score will continue on to the Predictors of Drop out
Questionnaire.
STUDY PROCEDURES FOR
IMPLEMENTATION AND DATA
ANALYSIS STEPS
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1. Data will be collected for the Life Stress Test and
entered into SPSS.
2. Descriptive statistics will be run to check for data
distribution and skewness.
Kingston, E
3. For the second research question, the Life Stress Test
measure, the responses will be summed to
create a total score. The 20 students with the
highest score will continue on to the Predictors
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of Drop out Questionnaire.
4. For the first research question the reminding 20 students
will complete the Predictors of Drop out
Questionnaire. These responses will be
higher
compiled into a table and coded for reoccurring
themes.
All findings will be reported in aggregate form. Findings will
be utilized in an electronic poster format and in
a formal research paper/report.
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