Improving undergraduate retention at Texas A&M University : impact of participation in selected study skills courses /
Dropping out of school before graduation has long been a concern to the American education system. Dropout rates range from less than 20% in some of the state institutions to 80% in some Ivy League schools. Research indicates that departure during the first year of college accounts for almost half...
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
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[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
1998.
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| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=737691151&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | Dropping out of school before graduation has long been a concern to the American education system. Dropout rates range from less than 20% in some of the state institutions to 80% in some Ivy League schools. Research indicates that departure during the first year of college accounts for almost half of all attrition. To deal with this phenomenon, by 1987 almost half of all four year state institutions offered some sort of college study skills and adjustment course to improve basic study skills and control student anxiety. Research indicates that such courses often have a positive impact on both grades and retention. Texas A&M University has two courses which are aimed at providing new students with assistance in improving study skills and information concerning campus resources. This study looks at both courses to identify the grade point average and retention rates for first semester freshmen in each course and then to compare them to the university's average as represented by a stratified random sample. While the grade point average range between the lowest of the two treated groups and the random sample group was only 0. 168, the difference was significantly different for the course with the lower grade point average but not for the other course. Both of the courses had retention rates that were within two percentage points of the university average. The significance of this relationship is not obvious until it is noted that the students in the two courses had admissions test scores that were significantly lower than the university average. Additionally, their retention rate was comparable with the mean for the entire freshman class. Likewise, the grade point average for this group was close to that achieved by the stratified random sample. The implication is that both courses enhance retention and grades among new students. This study found that female students as a group had higher grades than did their males in the treated and control groups. There was no significant difference in retention rates based on gender. Analysis by ethnic category indicated significant differences between ethnic groups but the relative rankings varied within groups so no single conclusion concerning ethnicity seems to be substantiated by the data in this study. |
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| Item Description: | Vita. "Major Subject: Educational Administration". |
| Physical Description: | xii, 211 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilms Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references: pages 152-157. |