Date
8-20-2026
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Melinda Carver
Keywords
developmental education, college persistence, institutional integration, self-efficacy, motivation
Disciplines
Educational Leadership | Higher Education
Recommended Citation
Mobley, Tosha J., "A Causal-Comparative Study of the Effect of Developmental Education Courses on College Persistence in Higher Education among First-Year College Students" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8827.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8827
Abstract
The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine differences in institutional integration scores among first-year college students based on enrollment status and gender assigned at birth at a public southern university. This study was important because previous reform efforts intended to improve college persistence and graduation rates have not eliminated the need for developmental education or learning support courses within higher education. The independent variables included enrollment status and gender assigned at birth. Institutional integration was measured using the Institutional Integration Scale–Revised (IIS-R). The sample was composed of 107 first-year college students enrolled in developmental (support) and traditional college-level courses at a public southern university, including 41 students enrolled in developmental (support) courses and 66 students enrolled in traditional college-level courses. Data were collected electronically through the Qualtrics online survey platform using the IIS-R instrument. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to determine whether statistically significant differences existed in institutional integration scores based on enrollment status, gender assigned at birth, and the interaction between the two variables. The findings indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in institutional integration scores based on enrollment status, gender assigned at birth, or the interaction between the two variables. These findings suggested that institutional integration outcomes were relatively consistent across groups within this sample. Recommendations for future research include examining additional factors that may influence institutional integration outcomes among first-year college students.
