Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2018 Community College Transitioning Experiences of Dual Enrollment Students Sandra Lucille Fuline Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.edu/dissertations Part of the Higher Education Administration Commons, and the Higher Education and Teaching Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact ScholarWorks@waldenu. Walden University College of Education This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Sandra Lucille Fuline has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made.
Review Committee Dr. Laura Weidner, Committee Chairperson, Education Faculty Dr. Alice Eichholz, Committee Member, Education Faculty Dr. Dimitrios Vlachopoulos, University Reviewer, Education Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.
Walden University 2018 Abstract Community College Transitioning Experiences of Dual Enrollment Students by Sandra Lucille Fuline MBA, Franklin University, 2009 BS, Franklin University, 2008 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Education Walden University April 2018 Abstract Dual enrollment transitioning experiences of students are poorly understood, leaving higher education stakeholders without the proper information to smooth the transitioning process and keep students in college. This basic qualitative study using interviews explored how 10 dual enrollment students described their transitioning experiences from high school to community college by investigating their motivations, ability to acknowledge self-efficacy, and understanding of social interactions using Badura’s self- efficacy model and Keller’s motivational theory and the attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction model. Data were analyzed through an open coding method to categorize themes and patterns as well as discrepant information. Key findings indicated that dual enrollment students embraced the rigor of courses and transitioned their learning skills to their non-dual enrollment college education.
They reported strong self-efficacy and indicated both internal and external motivators and good support systems that contributed to their completion. They did not attribute their completion of the dual enrollment program to school-based relationships or club affiliations. The social change implication is that good transition experiences between high school and college for these students assisted them in staying in college and completing programs. Increased graduation rates and attrition rates could result in better qualified and more marketable graduates, impacting a more educated community and productive economy.
Community College Transitioning Experiences of Dual Enrollment Students by Sandra Lucille Fuline MBA, Franklin University, 2009 BS, Franklin University, 2008 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Education Walden University April 2018 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to the members of my family who have influenced the decisions I have made, making me the person I am today. To my husband, Dr. Daniel Fuline Jr., you were my inspiration to tackle such a grave endeavor. Every day you teach me something new and allow me to grow.
Thank you for always being supportive of my need to constantly better myself and always achieve more. To my sister, Rani, who always made me feel safe and loved. To my sister, Suzi, who taught me I had to throw before I could pitch. To my sister, Amii, who was always more intelligent, but never made me feel anything less.
To my brothers, Karl and Scott, who complete our family with humor, especially, when it is needed most. To my parents, Sandra and Ken, who will never know how my childhood experiences have shaped me. To all of my grandparents, who have taught me hard work and dedication will never go unrewarded. To my girls, Marissa and Rylie, may you reach every goal you set for yourself and overcome any obstacle you might encounter with confidence and poise.
Finally, to Isabella and Giovanni, your smiles kept me both blissfully distracted and motivated during the last 6 years. I love you both dearly, and I hope you both create a life of both purpose and happiness! Acknowledgments I want to acknowledge both Dr. Laura Weidner and Dr. Both of you have been more than supportive and more than patient with the multiple drafts of this important research.
Thank you for your words of encouragement and never-ending belief that I could finish this goal. I know the faculty work just as hard as the students when I get a response to an e-mail after my mentor just had surgery the same day. I also want to acknowledge my dear friend, Melissa Rose, who has impacted my goals and this success in particular through quality friendship and encouragement. Thank you for your dedication to me and always believing in me.
Table of Contents List of Tables. iv Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study.7 Purpose of the Study .10 Nature of the Study .13 Scope and Delimitations .16 Chapter 2: Literature Review .18 Literature Search Strategy.19 Conceptual and Theoretical Framework .20 Bandura: Self-efficacy. 21 Keller: ARCS Model.24 i Modality, Rigor, and Motivation. 34 Dual Enrollment Populations.
45 Critical Stakeholder Considerations .50 Chapter 3: Research Method.52 Research Design and Rationale .52 Role of the Researcher .55 Participation Selection Logic. 60 Procedures for Recruitment, Participation, and Data Collection. 61 Data Analysis Plan. 63 Issues of Trustworthiness .75 Evidence of Trustworthiness.78 RQ1: Transition Experiences.
79 RQ2: Sources of Motivation .96 Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations .98 Summary of Findings .98 Interpretation of Findings .99 Keller: ARCS Model. 100 Bandura: Self Efficacy. 101 Limitations of Study .109 Appendix: Interview Protocol .124 iii List of Tables Table 1. Recruitment Revisions Summarized.
Interview Data: Headings and Codes.77 iv 1 Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study Dual enrollment programs totaling more than 2 million high school students have become an integral part of higher education in the United States (Taylor, 2015). College and high school partnerships form the underlying foundation of dual enrollment programs. These partnerships are responsible for implementing, promoting, sustaining, and evaluating their programs’ effectiveness (Taylor, Borden, & Park, 2015). Dual enrollment provides the opportunity for students to enroll in both high school and college courses at the same time, often at little or no additional cost to the student; however, financial specifics and many other elements of programs vary greatly by state models (Taylor et al.
In addition, credit is determined by the successful completion of on- level college courses (Karp, 2012). Remedial courses are not included in the program. Through dual enrollment programs, college classes can be offered in a variety of settings (Roach, Gamez Vargas, & David, 2015), as discussed in greater detail in Chapter 2. Regardless of the nature of the program, environment, or instructor, high school students are most likely to incur a different experience in dual enrollment courses with elevated levels of rigor and expectations (Karp, 2012; Stephenson, 2013).
As a result, dual enrollment is not appropriate for all high school students. Many choose another option, such as an Advanced Placement (AP) courses, International Baccalaureate programs, or an extra study hall (Hoffman, 2012). Tinto (2010) indicated that the transition into college must be successful in order for students to be retained. According to Wolf-Wendel, Ward, and Kinzie (2009), 2 students who integrate successfully into college undergo three phases: (a) separation from the past; (b) transition, when the individual begins to interact with the new setting and people; and (c) incorporation, when the individual adopts the norms and expectations of the new environment.
Dual enrollment students are unique in that they do not fully transition to college because they do not need to separate from their past, although they do practice in role rehearsal as they begin to adopt the norms and expectations of a college student (Karp, 2012). The majority of the research that focuses on the transition process addresses different topics, including, but not limited to behavioral risks of the transition process (Fromme, Corbin, & Kruse, 2008), the role of family and emotions (Johnson, Gans, Kerr, & LaValle, 2010), or social norms (Pelletier, Graham, & Laska, 2014). While there might be an abundance of literature that addresses college transition topics, there is little research that concentrates on dual enrollment students and their transition to a community college. Student retention is a viable topic in higher education with Tinto’s (2010) research at the forefront of the conversation, but for the dual enrollment population, there is much to be learned.
Minimal research has addressed community college dual enrollment students’ transitioning experiences to college, leaving not only the student but also those directly involved with the student, such as parents, faculty, and staff, more vulnerable to circumstances where they are not understood. The experiences that students retain from these college bound programs, specifically dual enrollment, are yet to be understood in the community college environment. If these experiences are better 3 understood, then there is greater potential for social impact. Students who participate in the program could possibly improve their college experience and become more successful during the educational journey.
In addition, college faculty and personnel are more informed about this population of students and how to better assist their learning and transition into college, making them more likely to succeed and become more marketable to an employer. There is a need for more in-depth understanding of the dual enrollment student experience in the transition from high school to community college in order for future students to be more likely recruited and retained as well as graduated. This study adds to that literature need. Specific sections for Chapter 1 include the background of dual enrollment approach, a problem statement with researchable problem, purpose, research questions, theoretical and conceptual framework, nature of the study, definitions, assumptions, scope and delimitations, limitations, significance, and an overall summary for this study.
Background In the past two decades, as dual enrollment has grown in visibility and popularity, several studies have emerged addressing dual enrollment (Allen & Dadgar, 2012; Taylor et al. Dual enrollment student motivation and demographics are as diverse as those in general postsecondary education, with one exception: Age. According to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC, 2016), the average age of the community college population is 29 years-old. Those who participate in dual enrollment 4 are more than 10 years younger than the average community college student’s age, and could be considered more inexperienced than the traditional college student (Karp, 2012).
Karp (2012) explained that new dual enrollment students have not yet learned what it means to become a college student. They have not yet adopted more advanced ways of behaving, critically thinking, and producing mature and positive social interactions (Karp, 2012). The development of college ready skills, self-efficacy, and behaviors is a slow process that may or may not have been fully developed in high school (Allen & Lester, 2012). In empirical research conducted in the field of dual enrollment, a number of positive outcomes for the student have been found (Hanson, Prusha, & Iverson, 2015; Hebert, 2001; Hughes & Edwards, 2012).
Positive outcomes of dual enrollment include increased GPA (Allen & Dadgar, 2012; Foster, 2010), role rehearsal (Karp, 2012), increased retention with at-risk populations (An, 2013; Medvide & Bulstein, 2010; Taylor, 2015) and increased time to degree completion (Allen & Dadgar, 2012; Foster, 2010; Wang, Chan, Phelps, & Washbon, 2015). Each advantage is expanded upon in the literature review in Chapter 2. Role rehearsal is the most relevant to the research questions, because it allows for the understanding of the dual enrollment experience. Students in dual enrollment programs experience role rehearsal in practicing the role of a college student through developing a sense of community, belonging, and connection (Foster, 2010; Karp, 2012; Lewis & Overman, 2008; Lukes, 2014).
It is through role rehearsal that students naturally develop confidence approaching instructors, registering 5 for courses, and seeking help to face the challenges of being a college student (Kanny, 2015; Karp, 2012). Wang et al.