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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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6. Academic Background and Preparation at College Entry

While the majority of respondents (61 percent) reported their highest level of education at entry as high school completion or GED, a substantial percentage (18 percent) had some college/university credits, 11 percent had a certificate or diploma from a college or institute, and six percent had an undergraduate university degree. In addition, three percent had less than a high school diploma and under two percent had an apprenticeship or trades background. This range of educational levels creates a picture of Canadian colleges and institutes as institutions that deliver a wide range of academic programming and catering to the educational needs of a broad range of learners.

6.1 Secondary School Background at College Entry

Three-quarters of the College Entry Survey respondents had been out of high school less than five years and the secondary school profile of the sample was based on this group.

6.1.1 High School Leaving Average

Tinto's (1975) model of student departure emphasizes the importance of academic and social integration typically defined by measures such as grade average, academic behaviour and interaction with peers and faculty. With regard to the first, slightly more than one-third of respondents, the highest percentage, reported their high school leaving average to be between 70 to 75 percent. In terms of the higher ranges, 21 percent of respondents reported high school leaving average of 80 to 84.99 percent, and 17 percent between 85 and 100 percent. As for the lower ranges, more than one in ten respondents had an average of 65 percent or lower.

6.1.2 Academic Behaviours and Student Engagement in High School

Academic behaviours such as frequency of studying, attending class and homework completion are classic indicators of academic involvement and are often cited as key determinants of academic achievement.

Frequency of Studying in High School

Overall, the findings suggest that high school study time for new college/institute students is quite low since almost three-quarters of respondents indicated they spent less than eight hours per week preparing for classes while in high school. The next largest group, 20 percent, reported they studied between eight and 14 hours. Similar results have been obtained in other studies. In a U.S. study (National Center for Education Statistics, 2001), more than one-half reported spending less than four hours per week on homework in high school.

Homework Completion in High School

Despite that students were not spending significant amounts of time studying in high school over 85 percent confirmed that they usually or always completed their high school homework assignments on time.

Skipping Classes in High School

Class absenteeism was fairly prevalent as over one-third of respondents reported they skipped class three times per month or more. One-half, however, said they almost never or never skipped class.

Overall, survey results confirm that college and institute students had a relatively strong sense of academic and social integration during high school.

Sense of Academic Integration in High School

The research literature on retention clearly shows that the academic and social integration of students in the learning environment is critical (Tinto, 1975). It may be that weak integration at the high school level transfers to the college/ institute venue and contributes to student departure.

Students' study habits and class absenteeism rates may give the impression that college/institute students were not engaged during their secondary school career. The college entry survey also explored student attitudes toward their high school experience, and the results suggest otherwise. More than one-half (56 percent) of respondents reported they were often or always interested in what they were learning in high school, and up to 86 percent of students indicated they often or always got along well with teachers. Almost half (49 percent) confirmed that they received extra help from their teachers if they needed it. Similarly, less than one in six reported they did just enough work to get by or thought high school was a waste of time.

Social Integration during High School

In terms of social integration, less than one-tenth felt that they were an outsider and over seven in ten indicated they participated in extracurricular activities during their high school years.

Overall, students who attend colleges and institutes appear to have been both academically and socially integrated during their secondary school years. While this study did not collect similar data on the secondary school habits of those who progress to other postsecondary destinations, the results described here are consistent with those obtained via the Youth in Transition Survey (Lambert. et. al., 2004).

Respondent students clearly identified a need to enhance study and time management skills.

6.2 Self-reported Skill Proficiency at College Entry

Students were asked to evaluate themselves on the skills that are typically associated with academic success in college/institute programs, namely proficiency in the language of instruction, writing, reading and math skills, as well as time management, note taking and study skills. Table 4 shows the how respondents rated their skills proficiencies when they were beginning their college/ institute program.

Respondents' self-assessments suggest that at college entry, only relatively low percentages of first-year students at colleges and institutes see themselves as very proficient in these skills. While more than one-half saw themselves as 'very good' in comprehending the language of instruction, significantly fewer felt the same about their ability level in the "3Rs":

  • only one quarter of respondents reported being very good in math skills;
  • 33 percent reported being very good in writing; and
  • 44 percent reported being very good in reading.
Table 4. Self-Reported Skill Proficiency of Students at College Entry, 2005
Skill Area Self-Reported Proficiency Rating
Poor
%		 Fair
%		 Good
%		 Very Good
%
Comprehend language of instruction 1 6 40 53
Writing ability 2 16 49 33
Reading ability 1 11 44 44
Mathematical ability 8 28 39 25
Time management 4 25 48 24
Note / test taking 3 19 52 26
Study skills 5 29 50 16
Source: College Entry Survey, 2005

The lowest self-reported skill ratings were in the area of study skills and time management skills where only 16 percent and 24 percent of respondents respectively said they were very good. These findings confirm the need for the academic support services offered through college and institute learning centres and peer tutoring.

6.3 College and Institute Preparatory Programs

Many colleges and institutes develop and implement specific programs, courses or workshops designed to help new students make a smooth transition to college learning. The results from this study help to understand the degree to which students participate in college/institute preparatory programs. Survey results confirmed that three in four respondents did not participate in these types of programs. Of those who did, the length of the college/ institute preparatory program varied, however one in ten was in a program for more than ten hours.

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Date Modified:
2007-08-29