#CSAM Day 7: First Gen College Students & Cognitive Development
I tend to use the research by Terenzini, P. T., Springer, L., Pascarella, E. T., & Nora, A. in my research/theory/whatever on student veterans. Something like 66% of student veterans are first-generation students, so it’s pretty applicable. I also really like that they studied co- and extra-curricular activities, such as reading books not assigned (extra) and visiting the library (co). It’s one of the theories or bits of research I also like to pull out when people talk about engagement off campus. Students who have families or other community connections *are* still engaged, just not in the way we like to count.
Title of theory: First-Generation College Students: Characteristics, Experiences, and Cognitive Development
Year theory was published: 1996
Students originally studied: They studied 210 students who volunteered and participated in an original data collection and a follow up data collection, throughout their first year in college. Each student was in at least 6 credit hours at a large, urban, Research I Midwest university. Basically, they found that student's out-of-class experiences are just as important as their in-class experiences, when it comes to critical thinking and success. They also found that students who have parents with more college experience succeeded at higher rates. An odd finding was that increased interaction with their college peers led to less critical thinking development.
Background of the authors: Patrick Terenzini has been involved in higher education for a long time and was the President of ASHE in 1994-1995 and is currently a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Education at Penn State.
I can't find much on Leonard Springer.
Dr. Ernest Pascarella is the Mary Louise Petersen Professor of Higher Education at The University of Iowa and was the President of ASHE 1989-1990. He is a Marine veteran who served in Vietnam 1967-1968 and earned three Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star.
Dr. Amaury Nora is Professor of Higher Education, Co-Director of the Center for Research and Policy in Education, and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He has a pretty extensive resume and works closely with the federal government.
How theory can be used now: When we think about engagement, when we try to limit Astin to extra-curricular, and when we judge what we think we know about first-generation students, we can lean on this research. This lays out a pretty clear path between first-gen status, participation on campus, and critical thinking skills/success.
Words of warning: While the authors do acknowledge that the participants were more academically engaged and white than the student representation as a whole at the university. There were some uncontrolled variables in the study, such as where the students lived. As with any study, we should be critical of it and look for further research.
https://www.ashe.ws/files/Past%20Presidents/President%20Bios/1994-1995%20Terenzini.pdf
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED387004
Terenzini, P. T., Springer, L., Yaeger, P. M., Pascarella, E. T., & Nora, A. (1996). First-generation college students: Characteristics, experiences, and cognitive development. Research in Higher education, 37(1), 1-22.
http://www2.education.uiowa.edu/html/iae/Pages/bio-pascarella.html
https://www.ashe.ws/files/Past%20Presidents/President%20Bios/1989-1990%20Pascarella.pdf
https://www.aahhe.org/dissertation/bios/anora.aspx
Title of theory: First-Generation College Students: Characteristics, Experiences, and Cognitive Development
Year theory was published: 1996
Students originally studied: They studied 210 students who volunteered and participated in an original data collection and a follow up data collection, throughout their first year in college. Each student was in at least 6 credit hours at a large, urban, Research I Midwest university. Basically, they found that student's out-of-class experiences are just as important as their in-class experiences, when it comes to critical thinking and success. They also found that students who have parents with more college experience succeeded at higher rates. An odd finding was that increased interaction with their college peers led to less critical thinking development.
Background of the authors: Patrick Terenzini has been involved in higher education for a long time and was the President of ASHE in 1994-1995 and is currently a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Education at Penn State.
I can't find much on Leonard Springer.
Dr. Ernest Pascarella is the Mary Louise Petersen Professor of Higher Education at The University of Iowa and was the President of ASHE 1989-1990. He is a Marine veteran who served in Vietnam 1967-1968 and earned three Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star.
Dr. Amaury Nora is Professor of Higher Education, Co-Director of the Center for Research and Policy in Education, and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He has a pretty extensive resume and works closely with the federal government.
How theory can be used now: When we think about engagement, when we try to limit Astin to extra-curricular, and when we judge what we think we know about first-generation students, we can lean on this research. This lays out a pretty clear path between first-gen status, participation on campus, and critical thinking skills/success.
Words of warning: While the authors do acknowledge that the participants were more academically engaged and white than the student representation as a whole at the university. There were some uncontrolled variables in the study, such as where the students lived. As with any study, we should be critical of it and look for further research.
https://www.ashe.ws/files/Past%20Presidents/President%20Bios/1994-1995%20Terenzini.pdf
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED387004
Terenzini, P. T., Springer, L., Yaeger, P. M., Pascarella, E. T., & Nora, A. (1996). First-generation college students: Characteristics, experiences, and cognitive development. Research in Higher education, 37(1), 1-22.
http://www2.education.uiowa.edu/html/iae/Pages/bio-pascarella.html
https://www.ashe.ws/files/Past%20Presidents/President%20Bios/1989-1990%20Pascarella.pdf
https://www.aahhe.org/dissertation/bios/anora.aspx
Comments
Post a Comment