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Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

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Pan-Canadian Study of First Year College Students - Report 1 Student Characteristics and the College Experience - August 2007


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2. Overview of the Research Program and Methodology

This study has three fundamental questions:

  • What are the characteristics of students attending Canadian colleges and technical institutes,
  • What is the nature of the college student experience during the first year,
  • What are the key determinants of student academic success and persistence.

The main objectives of this research program are to:

  • Develop a comprehensive profile of students enrolling for the first time in either an apprenticeship, university transfer or career-related program at a Canadian college, technical institute or university-college;
  • Describe the nature of student experiences during the first year of college in terms of their attitudes, perceptions, behaviours and college interactions,
  • Identify and describe any differences in the experiences of specific student groups such as new Canadians, aboriginal students and visible minorities,
  • Identify the characteristics of students, the college experience and possible interaction effects that promote learning and persistence in the first year.

2.1 Project Organization and Management

The project structure included two advisory panels created to provide advice and guidance for the design, development and implementation of this project.

  • The Research Design and Instrumentation Advisory Panel was composed of experienced researchers from each of the six ACCC regions of Canada (British Columbia/ Yukon, Alberta/Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan/ Manitoba/Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic) who were locally involved in similar studies and advised on research methodology and questionnaire construction.
  • The Vice Presidents Academic (VPA) and Vice Presidents Student Services (VPSS) Advisory Panel was also composed of one VPA/VPSS representative from each of the six regions, and constituted an advisory panel to assist with the validation of research methods, survey questionnaires and ensure institutional involvement on a regional basis.

The ACCC would like to acknowledge and thank the members of these two advisory panels for their contribution to this study. The list of members of the advisory panels is provided in Appendix 1.

The project was managed by Peter Dietsche Ph.D., Vice President, Research and Institutional Quality, Mohawk College, and Principal Investigator for this study, in collaboration with the ACCC.

2.2 Data Collection Procedures

A general methodological approach to studying student development in postsecondary institutions and to assess their impact on learning has been described by Pascarella and Terenzini(1991). This research study utilizes the same methodology and involves a longitudinal, repeated-measures survey of first-year postsecondary students registered in college and institute certificate, diploma or four year programs.

Student characteristics and college experience information was collected using two on-line surveys. Significant incentives were offered to encourage student participation.

Participating Canadian institutions identified for inclusion in this project were members of the ACCC. Following ACCC protocol, the Presidents/Chief Executive Officers of each institution were invited to participate via email by Gerry Brown, President of ACCC, in late June 2005. Institutions were also asked to provide the name contact coordinates of an individual who could act as a project liaison.

The timeframe for the Survey at College Entry extended from August 29 — September 30, 2005. The timeframe for the Survey at End of First Term extended from November 7 — December 9, 2005. For both surveys, institutions were invited to promote the survey on campus by whatever means were at their disposal. A generic announcement was provided to all institutions that could be used as an on-campus poster or adapted for newsletters, institutional portals and email messages to first year students.

Diagrammatically, the structure of the data collected in this project is shown in Figure 1

Figure 1 Overall Data Structure

Students who completed the web-based surveys were asked to provide their unique identifier (student number). The vast majority complied with this request so that almost all survey information can be linked to create one merged file of the two data sets.

2.3 Survey Instruments

Two survey instruments were developed based on work conducted between 1992 — 2004 by the Principal Investigator as well as other Canadian researchers in this area. For comparison purposes, where possible, survey items that aligned with questions from national level studies (e.g. Youth in Transition Survey (YITS) were used.

The full survey questionnaires are available on the ACCC website, however, in general terms, each survey instrument collected the following information from new college students enrolled in postsecondary certificate, diploma and post diploma transfer and career preparation programs.

2.3.1 Survey of Student Characteristics (College Entry Survey)

Eight basic dimensions of new student characteristics were measured via the first survey. The modules making up this instrument and the variables contained within each are listed below.

Module 1: College & Respondent Identity and Status

  • 12 items including: enrollment status, program length, program choice level

Module 2: Demographic & Family Background

  • 18 items including: age, gender, Socio-Economic Status (SES), first language, minority status, citizenship status, number of dependents, activity prior to college, residence type

Module 3: Academic Background &Preparation

  • Nine items including: highest level of education, college preparatory workshops, basic skills proficiency

Module 4: Secondary School Variables

  • 12 items including: self-report high school average, attitudes on high school learning, high school academic behaviour

Module 5: Career Preparation, Selection & Certainty

  • Seven items including: high school career guidance experience, career exploration, college program certainty/clarity

Module 6: Expectations of College

  • 46 items including: hours working while studying, support needs and receptivity, college goals

Module 7: Financing College

  • 13 items including: financing postsecondary education (PSE), family support for PSE, use of loans, financial concerns

Module 8: Attitudes

  • 25 items including: confidence in success, perceived value of PSE, preference for job, commitment to graduation, career certainty

Module 9: Open ended Items

  • Two items in this module allowed respondents to write their own comments on what their college could have done better and did to make the beginning of their studies easier

2.3.2 Survey of Student Experiences (End of Term Survey)

The second survey of new students assessed student attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, behaviours and experiences during the first semester of college. Some of these variables will be used to operationally define measures of student integration (Tinto, 1987,1993), involvement (Astin, 1977, 1993) and engagement with the college learning environment. These variables have been consistently shown in the research literature to have an important impact on learner success and persistence. The questionnaire included a total of 141 items clustered in seven modules. The modules making up this instrument and the variables contained within each are listed below.

Module 1: College & Respondent Identity and Status

  • 12 items including enrollment status, program length, program choice level

Module 2: Demographic & Family Background

  • 15 items including: age, gender, SES, first language, minority status, citizenship status, number of dependents, activity prior to college

Module 3: College Finances

  • Four items including: financial concerns, highest level of education, college preparatory workshops

Module 4: Skills Self Assessment and Academic Behaviour

  • 19 items including: self-reported basic skills proficiency, courses dropped, overall college average, study hours, class attendance, homework completion, college prep workshop

Module 5: College Academic Experiences

  • 63 items including: support needs and receptivity, difficulties in college, frequency of group study, perceptions of faculty and institution, frequency of faculty interaction

Module 6: Attitudes re: Confidence, Commitment and Certainty

  • 60 items including: hours financing PSE, confidence in success, perceived value of PSE, preference for job, commitment to graduation, career certainty, perception of program, value of PSE, intent to leave

Module 7: Time Use, Extracurricular Involvement and Service Use

  • 28 items including: use of time on campus, participation in extracurricular activities and frequency of college service use.

Module 8: Open Ended Items

  • This module contained four text-box items allowing students to make extensive comments related to their college experience, including challenges and aspects that went well during the first term.
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Date Modified:
2007-08-29