Category
Poster - Applied
Description
Student retention is a persistent dilemma in higher education because it is how student success is measured. Universities invest resources in retaining vulnerable populations, providing additional support measures because they are most at risk of dropping out. The premise of this study is that students who enter college without a major are considered vulnerable, as they are highly prone to drop out. Numerous studies have found that entering college with an “unknown/undecided” status negatively impacts not only retention but also well-being and motivation due to a lack of clearly defined educational goals. However, students and families often lack adequate information about the importance of declaring before entering college, as well as the costs, difficulties, and benefits of each major. Finding the right fit major is a proactive and intentional process; therefore, early intervention for undecided students is critical. There is a lack of consensus among researchers with respect to this topic: There is both opposition and support for starting the higher education journey with a major. This study investigates whether pre-major coaching in the form of motivational interviewing, which is a solution-focused brief therapy technique, can positively influence a freshman student’s ability to persist by shortening their time to declaration of a major and graduation. This study will use a quantitative design to analyze archival data to determine the impact of pre-major coaching on retention. The aim is to compare students who have received pre-major coaching with those who did not on the following variables: time to declaration of a major, number of major changes, and progress toward graduation.
From Doom to Bloom: The Effects of Pre-Major Coaching on Undecided Student Persistence
Poster - Applied
Student retention is a persistent dilemma in higher education because it is how student success is measured. Universities invest resources in retaining vulnerable populations, providing additional support measures because they are most at risk of dropping out. The premise of this study is that students who enter college without a major are considered vulnerable, as they are highly prone to drop out. Numerous studies have found that entering college with an “unknown/undecided” status negatively impacts not only retention but also well-being and motivation due to a lack of clearly defined educational goals. However, students and families often lack adequate information about the importance of declaring before entering college, as well as the costs, difficulties, and benefits of each major. Finding the right fit major is a proactive and intentional process; therefore, early intervention for undecided students is critical. There is a lack of consensus among researchers with respect to this topic: There is both opposition and support for starting the higher education journey with a major. This study investigates whether pre-major coaching in the form of motivational interviewing, which is a solution-focused brief therapy technique, can positively influence a freshman student’s ability to persist by shortening their time to declaration of a major and graduation. This study will use a quantitative design to analyze archival data to determine the impact of pre-major coaching on retention. The aim is to compare students who have received pre-major coaching with those who did not on the following variables: time to declaration of a major, number of major changes, and progress toward graduation.
Comments
Doctorate