Academic Skills and Student Success in PSE

The Impact of Language Skills on the
Attitudes, Experiences and
Outcomes of College Students
Keynote
Pearson Canada Stepping it Up Symposium
May 6, 2011
Westin Prince Hotel, Toronto, Ontario
Peter Dietsche Ph.D.
Wm. G. Davis Chair in Community College Leadership
Assistant Professor of Higher Education,
Department of Theory & Policy Studies in Education
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the
University of Toronto

Pan-Canadian and OCSES
Research Design and Data
Structure
College Students

Entry Questionnaire
(data set 1)

End-of-Term
Questionnaire
(data set 2)

Background &
entry variables

Mediating &
engagement
variables

September

November

College average &
Status
(data set 3)

Outcome
variables

February
© Peter Dietsche Ph.D

OCSES Research Design and
Data Structure: Analysis 4
College Students

Entry Questionnaire
(data set 1)

End-of-Term
Questionnaire
(data set 2)

Background &
entry variables

Mediating &
engagement
variables

September

November

College average &
Status
(data set 3)

Outcome
variables

February

The End of Term Questionnaire
Module 1: College & Respondent Identity and Status
Twelve items including enrollment status, program length, program choice level
Module 2: Demographic & Family Background
Fifteen items including age, gender, socio-economic status, first language, minority status, citizenship
status, number of dependents, activity prior to college
Module 3: College Finances
Four items including concerns about paying for college studies, debt accumulation and repayment and
hours working at a part time job
Module 4: Skills Self Assessment and Academic Behaviour
Nineteen items including self-reported basic skills proficiency, courses dropped, overall college
average, study hours, class attendance, homework completion, college prep workshop
Module 5: College Academic Experiences
Sixty three items including student self-perceived support needs and receptivity to college services,
difficulties with college, frequency of group study with peers, perceptions of faculty and their institution
and frequency of faculty interaction.
Module 6: Attitudes re: Confidence, Commitment & Certainty
Sixty items including confidence in success, perceived value of PSE, preference for job, commitment to
graduation, career certainty, perception of program and intent to leave
Module 7: Time Use, Extracurricular Involvement & Service Use
Twenty eight items including use of time on campus, participation in extracurricular activities, frequency
of college service use
Module 8: Open Ended Questions
Four items allowed students to provide full text comments on their college experiences.


Measuring Skill Level:
Q. The next few questions ask you to evaluate your
various skills. Using the scale below, how would you
rate your:











Poor
Fair
Good
Very good

Q29- Ability to comprehend the language of instruction in your
program (language spoken by faculty/instructors and used in
textbooks)
Q30- Writing abilities? (e.g. writing to get across information or
ideas to others, or editing writing to improve it).
Q31- Reading abilities? (e.g. understanding what you read and
identifying the most important issues, or using written material to
find information).

Results 1: Skill Level and
Difficulties with College
Workload
Course Content
Knowing How to Improve Grades
Knowing who to talk to about a problem
Knowing how well I’m doing in my courses
The methods used by faculty to teach

Measuring Difficulty with College
Q How difficult have each of the following been for you
during your studies so far?














0.
1.
2.
3.

Has
Has
Has
Has

not been difficult at all
been a little difficult
been quite difficult
been very difficult

Q73- Dealing with the program workload (# of assignments,
course load, class time)
Q76- The content of college courses
Q77- Knowing how to improve my grades in courses I’m having
trouble with
Q80- Knowing who to talk to when I have a problem
Q81- Knowing how well I’m doing in my courses
Q82- The methods used by faculty/instructors to teach

Percent Citing “Quite or Very
Difficult” by Academic Area

49

43

Good

46

33

23

Very Good

36

19

13

50

40

29

Good

43

28

19

35

19

14

Poor/Fair

Reading

55

Very Good

Writing

Teaching
Methods

Poor/Fair

Language
Comprehension

Course
Content

Poor/Fair

SKILL AREA

Program
Workload

55

44

35

Good

44

30

21

Very Good

35

18

14

Skill
Level


Percent Citing “Quite or
Very Difficult” Knowing How
to….
SKILL AREA

Skill
Level

Improve
Grades

Deal with How well
Problems I’m Doing

Poor/Fair
Good

41

23

22

Very Good

24

15

14

50

30

28

Good

36

20

19

23

14

14

Poor/Fair

Reading

35

Very Good

Writing

38

Poor/Fair

Language
Comprehension

57

54

32

31

Good

38

21

20

Very Good

24

15

14

Results: Skill Level and Attitudes
Confidence in Success
Departure Intention
Affinity With College Studies

Measuring Confidence
Q. The following statements describe certain attitudes that students

may have regarding their college studies and experiences. Please
indicate whether you agree, disagree or are undecided/have no
opinion about each statement according to the following scale:






I am capable of getting a B+ average (78%) or better in my courses
I think I am well prepared to be a successful student in college
I have the ability to succeed in college-level studies
I am very certain that I will obtain a college credential


Respondents who Strongly Agree with
Statements Indicative of Confidence (%)
Skill Type and Level
Lang
Comprehension

Writing

Reading

Poor/
Fair

Good

Very
Good

Poor/
Fair

Good

Very
Good

Poor/
Fair

Good

Very
Good

I think I am well prepared to be
successful student in college

14

23

45

18

29

49

17

26

46

I am very certain that I will
obtain a college credential

35

51

71

44

57

72

42

54

71

I have the ability to succeed in
college-level studies.

22

37

65

31

44

68

28

41

66

I am capable of getting a B+
average (78%) or better in my
courses

20

37

63

30

44

66

26

41

64

Likert Statement


Measuring Departure










I may try to transfer into another program at the end of
this semester
I may quit my studies before I finish my program
I'm beginning to think the program I'm taking is not what I
want
I may not continue with my studies next semester
I considered dropping out of my program at least once
this semester

Respondents who Strongly Disagree with
Statements Indicative of Departure (%)
Lang
Comprehension

Writing

Reading

Likert Statement

Poor/
Fair

Good

Very
Good

Poor/
Fair

Good

Very
Good

Poor/
Fair

Good

Very
Good

I may try to transfer into
another program this
semester

30

40

55

37

45

55

35

43

55

I may quit my studies
before I finish my
program

39

55

69

49

60

70

47

57

69

I'm beginning to think
my program is not what
I want

25

39

55

35

45

55

33

42

55

I may not continue with
my studies next
semester.

36

50

65

46

55

65

44

52

65

30

45

62

41

51

61

38

48

61

I considered dropping
out at least once this
semester


Measuring Affinity








I find it hard to pay attention in most of my classes
I feel that I’m making progress toward achieving my
college goals
I find my program interesting
At this time I feel like I "fit in" at this college


Respondents who Strongly Agree* with
Statements Indicative of Affinity (%)
Lang
Comprehension

Writing

Reading

Poor/
Fair

Good

Very
Good

Poor/
Fair

Good

Very
Good

Poor/
Fair

Good

Very
Good

6

11

23

10

15

24

8

13

24

I feel that I'm making
progress toward
achieving my college
goals

16

26

45

22

31

47

21

28

45

I find my program
interesting

19

29

46

28

35

46

26

32

46

At this time I feel like I
'fit in' at this college

14

22

35

14

47

38

17

23

35

Likert Statement
I find it hard to pay
attention in most of my
classes *

* % Disagree


Results 3: Skill Level and
Term Final Average
Language Comprehension
Writing
Reading
Time Management
Note and Test Taking
Study Skills

Language Comprehension
Final Term Average by Ability to Comprehend Language of
Instruction
100%
90%
80%
70%
80% or more

60%

70-79%

50%

60-69%

40%

Less than 60%

30%
20%
10%
0%
Poor

Fair

Good
Ability Level

Very good

Writing Ability
Final Term Average by Writing Ability
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

80% or more
70-79%
60-69%
Less than 60%

Poor

Fair

Good

Very good

Ability Level

Reading Ability
Final Term Average by Reading Ability
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

80% or more
70-79%
60-69%
Less than 60%

Poor

Fair

Good

Very good

Ability Level

Time Management
Final Term Average by Time Management
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

80% or more
70-79%
60-69%
Less than 60%

Poor

Fair

Good

Very good

Ability Level

Note and Test Taking
Final Average by Note and Test Taking Ability
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

80% or more
70-79%
60-69%
Less than 60%

Poor

Fair

Good

Very good

Ability Level

Study Skills
Final Average by Study Skills
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

80% or more
70-79%
60-69%
Less than 60%

Poor

Fair

Good

Very good

Ability Level

Mean Term Average by Skill Type and Level
80.0
75.0
70.0

Good

65.0

%

Poor/Fair
Very Good

60.0
Lang Comp

Writing

Reading

Manage
Time

Poor/Fair

69.5

71.5

70.7

70.9

70.7

Good

72.7

73.8

73.5

75.4

75.3

Very Good

76.4

76.8

76.3

78.0

79.0

Study Skill

Skill Type

Model Predicting Term Final Average: OCSES 2006-08

Questions?
Peter Dietsche Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Higher Education
Wm. G. Davis Chair in Community College
Leadership
Department of Theory and Policy Studies in
Education
OISE/UT
Peter.Dietsche@utoronto.ca
416.978.1217

Academic Skills and Student Success in PSE

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (19)

Similar to Academic Skills and Student Success in PSE

Similar to Academic Skills and Student Success in PSE (20)

Academic Skills and Student Success in PSE