Student Affairs On Campus The Journal for the Texas Association of College & University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA) Spring 2017 – Volume 3
Utilizing Schlossberg’s Transition Theory for Student Success: A Case Study of Underrepresented Transfer Students in a Predominantly White Teacher Education Program
David A. Byrd, Ph.D. The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio ABSTRACT
The researcher of this study examined the experiences of three African American and four Hispanic community college transfers studying in a predominantly White institution (PWI) teacher education program. Extant literature has demonstrated that there is an increasing shortage of public school teachers of color. To address this pervasive crisis, universities must recruit, retain, and graduate larger numbers of underrepresented students from America’s community colleges to fill the gap. Findings from this case study suggest that the University in this study should improve the marketing of academic support resources and provide narrowly tailored services to meet the needs of underrepresented transfer students. Additionally, a proposed amendment to Schlossberg’s Transition Theory is suggested to better represent the assets and liabilities utilized by these populations in this particular PWI.
Student Affairs On Campus The Journal for the Texas Association of College & University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA) Spring 2017 – Volume 3
Introduction
Americafacesacriticalshortageofteachersofcolor(Tenore,Dunn,Laughter,&Milner,2010).Diverseteachershaveadramaticimpactinincreasingtheculturalcompetenceofourclassroomsandserveasarolemodelforourincreasinglydiverseschoolchildren(NationalEducationAgency,2004).Withourschoolsbecomingincreasinglydiverse,thequestionmustberaised,whoisteachingourchildrenandwhatcanbedonetodiversifyourteachingforce?TheNationalCenterforEducationStatistics(NCES)(2013)foundthatinthe2011-2012academicyear,81.9%ofallteacherswereWhite,6.8%wereBlack,and7.8%wereHispanic.Thedataareshockinglyclearthatteachersrarelylooklikethestudentstheyinstruct.Thisstudysoughttofindapossiblesolutiontothiscatastrophe.Theteacherproductionpipelinecontainsmanyleaks.Collegesofeducationcanstruggletofindqualifiedstudentsandcanlosestudentsduetoattritiononcetheyareinthepre-servicetrainingprogram.Additionally,studentscaneitherfailtogaincertificationaftergraduation,or,moreoften,thesegraduateswillleavetheprofessionratherearlyintheircareer.Researchhasdemonstratedthatthereisashrinkingpoolofqualifiedunderrepresentedstudentsapplyingforadmissionintofour-yearuniversitiesandaremorecommonlyfoundinAmerica’scommunitycolleges(Cohen&Brawer,2008).Ofnotetothisstudyistheresearchthatindicatesthesepopulationscansuffertransfershockoncetheymatriculatetotheuniversitysettingandthiscancauseincreasedattrition(Berger&Malaney,2003).Thestudywasdesignedtoaddressthelackofresearchregardingthesuccessoftransferpre-serviceteachersofcolorwhomatriculatetoapredominantlyWhiteuniversity.Schlossberg’sTransitionTheory(Evans,Forney,Guido,Patton,&Renn,2010;Schlossberg,Waters,&Goodman,1995)providesamechanismtostudyunderrepresentedcommunitycollegestudentsastheymatriculateintoandthroughafour-yearuniversityenvironment.Itisthroughthistheoreticalframeworkthatstudentperceptionsoftheirowntransitionsinto,through,andoutoftheuniversityenvironmentwereanalyzed.ResearchQuestions Theresearchquestionsforthisstudywere:
• HowdounderrepresentedtransferpopulationsattendingapredominantlyWhitepre-serviceteachertrainingprogramperceivetheireducationalenvironmentandwhataretheirperceptionsoftheservicesprovidedbytheuniversitytoensuretheiracademicsuccess?
• WhatarethecriteriathatmustbeinplaceforstudentsofcolortosucceedinapredominantlyWhitepre-serviceteachertrainingprogram?
Student Affairs On Campus The Journal for the Texas Association of College & University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA) Spring 2017 – Volume 3
ReviewofLiterature
Today’sK-12schoolsarebecomingincreasinglymorediverseandunderrepresentedstudentscanoftenreceiveoutstandingmentorshipandlearningfromteachersfromsimilarbackgrounds.AccordingtotheNationalCenterforEducationStatistics(NCES)(2007),one-thirdofAmerica’sstudentpopulationinpublicschoolsin2005wasaracialorethnicminority.Hispanicsaccountedfor14%while12%ofstudentswereAfricanAmerican.NCESpredictedthatbytheyear2020,theminoritypopulationinschoolswillincreaseto39%ofthetotalpopulation.Shockingly,Lewis,Bonner,Byrd,andJames(2008)reported,“theresearchliteraturereportsthatAfricanAmericanmalescompriseapproximately2%ofthoseenrolledinthe1,300teacherpreparationprogramsacrossthecountry(AmericanAssociationforCollegesofTeacherEducation[AACTE]),and1%oftheUnitedStatesK-12teachingforce”(p.225).Toaddresstheshortageofteachersofcolor,communitycollegesmayserveasthesolutiontoincreasingteacherproduction–especiallyfordiversepopulations–ifthematriculationandgraduationratesoftwo-yeartransferscanbeimproved.TheexponentialgrowthofcommunitycollegeenrollmentinAmericawaswellchronicledbyCohenandBrawer(2008).Theauthorsproposedseveralcausesforthisdramaticincreaseinenrollment:therehasbeenanincreaseincollege-agedpopulations,thereismorefinancialaidavailableforminorityandeconomicallydisadvantagedstudents,andtherearemorestudentswantingtoworkandenrollpart-timethanyearspast.Regardlessofthecause,thefactremainsthatover50%ofallstudentswhocompletedabachelor’sdegreein2014-15previouslyattendedatwo-yearcampus(NationalStudentClearinghouseResearchCenter,2015).Toadequatelyservethesestudents,institutionsmustworkcollaborativelytoenhancethetransferabilityofcourses(Monaghan&Attewell,2015)whileunderstandingthesestudentswilltakelongertocompletethebaccalaureatedegree(NationalStudentClearinghouseResearchCenter,2015).Althoughdiverse,two-yearcampustransferstendtooriginatefromdiversebackgroundswithdifferentlevelsofpreparationcomparedtotheirfour-yearpeers(Eggleston&Laanan,2001).Tolumpalltransferstudentsfromcommunitycollegesintoonecategorywouldbemisguidedforuniversities,however,workmustbedonetoaddresscommonobstaclesfacedbythisuniquesubpopulation.Althoughthesestudentsmatriculatefromadiversebackground,theauthorssuggestedthatinstitutionsmustcontinuetoinnovativelydevelopretentionstrategiesandintentionalprogramstoservetheiruniqueneeds(Eggleston&Laanan,2001).Throughoutthepasthalf-century,researchhasbeenconductedontransfershocktofindthegreatestinfluencesontransferperformance.Forexample,mostlyquantitativestudieshavelookedatstudents’major,(Cejda,Kaylor,&Rewey,1998),theirrace/ethnicity(Berger&Malaney,2003)andtheirsocioeconomicstatus(Melguizo&Dowd,2009).Cuseo(1998)examinedmuchoftheresearchontransfershockandthetransitioncommunitycollegestudentsundergoaftermatriculatingtothefour-year
Student Affairs On Campus The Journal for the Texas Association of College & University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA) Spring 2017 – Volume 3
universityenvironment.HeexaminedtheworksofAstin(1975),RichardsonandBender(1987),andPascarellaandTerenzini(1991)anddiscoveredthattransferstudentswerereportedtosuffertransfershockand“haveanattritionratethatis10-15%higherthannativestudents”(Cuseo,1998,p.8).HealsohighlightedPascarellaandTerenzini’s(1991)findingsthatAfricanAmericanmaletransfersaremoreinhibitedfromobtainingabachelor’sdegreeaftertransfertoafour-yearuniversity.Laanan(2001)providedaconciseoverviewofresearchrelatedtothetransitionofcommunitycollegetransfersaftertheygainedadmissiontofour-yearcollegesanduniversities.HespecificallyreviewedtheresearchofTinto(1975),BeanandMetzner(1985),Pascarella,Smart,andEthington(1986),BennettandOkinaka(1990),Hurtado(1992),andHurtado,Carter,andSpuler(1996)toresolvethat“transferstudentsarelikelytoexperienceacomplexadjustmentprocess–academically,socially,andpsychologically–becauseoftheenvironmentaldifferencesbetweentwo-andfour-yearinstitutions”(Laanan,2001,p.11).Itwastheseacademic,social,andpsychologicaltransitionsthatthisstudysoughttoinvestigatefromthestudents’pointsofview.
TheoreticalFramework
ThisstudyinvestigatedthetransitionprocessasviewedthroughSchlossberg’sTransitionTheory(Schlossberg,1981;1987;Schlossbergetal.,1989;Schlossbergetal.,1995).Throughthistheoreticalframework,“anexaminationofwhatconstitutesatransition,thedifferentformsoftransitions,thetransitionprocess,andfactorsthatinfluencetransitions”(Evansetal.,2010,p.214)canbededuced.Initssimplestform,transitiontheoryisamodelthatallowsresearcherstobetterunderstandtheprocessindividualsundergoastheymovefromreactiontoanevent(transition)toincorporatingtheeventintotheirlife(adaptation).Schlossbergindicatedthattransitioncancomeinthreedifferentforms;anticipatedpredictablechanges,unanticipatednon-predictedorscheduledchanges,andnon-eventtransitionsthatareexpectedbutneveroccur(Schlossbergetal.,1995).Lifetransitionscanhaveprofoundeffectsonhowoneperceivestheirsituationinlifeanddifferentpeoplewillexperiencethetransitionsindifferentways.Schlossberg’smodelalsoprovidedawayofappraisingtheindividual’scopingresourceswhicharecategorizedbytheFourS’s–Situation,Support,Self,andStrategies(Schlossbergetal.,1995).TheFourSVariablescanbeutilizedtoanswerthequestionsofwhatishappening,towhomitishappening,whathelpisavailable,andhowdoesthepersoncope.EachSdeterminestheresourcesanddeficitsstudentswillexperiencethatwillimpacttheirperceptionofthetransition.
Student Affairs On Campus The Journal for the Texas Association of College & University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA) Spring 2017 – Volume 3
Figure1.Schlossberg’sCopingResources–TheFourS’s,(Schlossbergetal.,1995,p.48)Eachofthephases(movingin,movingthrough,andmovingout)ofthetransitionprocessforcollegestudentsdemandseparateresponsesfromhighereducationadministratorsandfaculty.ThistheoreticalframeworkprovidedtheopportunitytoshapetheresearchprotocolaroundthethreephasesoftransitionandtheFourS’sofsupport(seeFigure1andFigure2).
Figure2.Schlossberg’sIntegrativeModeloftheTransitionProcess,(Schlossbergetal.,1995,p.44)
MOVING IN New Roles, Relationships, Routines, Assumptions Learning the Ropes; Socialization Hang-over identity
MOVING OUT Separation or Endings Role Exit Disengagement from Roles, Relationships, Routines, Assumptions
MOVING THROUGH: BETWIXT OR BETWEEN Period of Liminality Groping for new: Roles, Relationships, Routines, Assumptions Neutral Zone: Period of Emptiness and Confusion
Student Affairs On Campus The Journal for the Texas Association of College & University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA) Spring 2017 – Volume 3
Methods
Thisstudyutilizedqualitativeresearchmethodsfordatacollectionandanalysisallowingforthesocialreconstructionoftheparticipant’sviewsofreality(DenzinandLincoln,2005).TheresearchstrategiesemployedforthisstudycreatesathickdescriptionofstudentsofcolorwhohadtransferredintoapredominantlyWhiteteachereducationprogram.Phenomenology(Holstein&Gubrium,2005)wasutilizedtocomprehendtheexperiencesofsevencommunitycollegetransferswhohadmatriculatedintoapredominantlyWhitepre-serviceteachereducationprogram.Thephenomenoninvestigatedwasthestudents’relationshipwiththeuniversitytogainanappreciationforhowthatrelationshiphashelpedorhinderedthestudents’transitioninto,through,andoutoftheuniversityenvironment–inotherwords,didtherelationshipwiththeinstitutionassistthestudentsastheyadaptedtotheirnewenvironment? StudyDesignEmbeddedsingle-casestudydesign(Yin,2009)helpeddevelopathickdescriptionthatdetailedthepastexperiencesofthestudentswhohadmatriculatedintoapre-serviceteachereducationprogram.Thecasestudyapproachfacilitatedtheemergenceofstudents’perceptionsofthephenomenonwithintheirenvironmentthroughparticipant-observation.WithinthecontextofPWIteachereducationprograms,multipleunitsofanalysis–theparticipantsofthestudy–werechosenwithinasinglecase–identifiedinthisstudywiththepseudonymSouthwestUniversity.Thestudywasnotdesignedtoberepresentativeofallinstitutionsandtheresponsibilityofdeterminingthetransferabilityofthefindingsisleftsolelytothereader.SiteofStudyandParticipantPopulationSouthwestUniversityisalargeresearchuniversityintheAmericanSouthwestthatpossessesarobustpredominantlyWhitepre-serviceteachereducationprogramwithanunderrepresentedHispanicandAfricanAmericansubpopulationandservedasarepresentativecaseasdefinedbyYin(2009).Theinstitutionenrolledatotalstudentpopulationofapproximately48,000–81%ofwhomidentifyasWhiteatthetimeofthestudy.Purposefulsamplingwasutilizedtoidentifytheinstitutionandthestudentstoselectforthestudy.TheselectioncriteriafortheparticipantsandtheUniversitywerebasedonpredeterminedcriteria:studentparticipants(seeTable1)wereingoodacademicstanding(minimumofa2.75GPAona4.0scale),identifiedasAfricanAmericanorHispanic,andwereintheirsenioryearofateachereducationcurriculum.ThesecriteriawereprovidedtogatekeepersattheUniversityastheywereaskedtopre-identifyeligiblestudentstobeinterviewed.
Student Affairs On Campus The Journal for the Texas Association of College & University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA) Spring 2017 – Volume 3
Table1ParticipantBiographicalBackgroundSummary
Student Race/Ethnicity Age Gender Major
Amy Hispanic 22 Female EarlyChildhood
Cindy Hispanic 21 Female EarlyChildhood
Hope AfricanAmerican 29 Female EarlyChildhood
Julie AfricanAmerican 22 Female MiddleGrades
Mathematics/Science
Lulu Hispanic 24 Female BilingualEducation
Mario Hispanic 22 Male BilingualEducation
Rae AfricanAmerican 33 Female SpecialEducation
Academiclevelofthestudentswasimportanttohaveabetterfitintothetheoreticalframework.Studentswereneededwhowerenearingthegraduationstagesotheycouldreflectontheirexperiencesofthemovingoutstageaswellasthemovinginandmovingthroughstages.Additionally,studentswhowerenotacademicallyqualifiedtopursueteachercertificationduetoacademicslikelywouldnotbeavailableduetoprobationanddismissalpoliciesoftheuniversity.Informationaboutthestudentswasgatheredfromthestudents’advisorsandprofessorsandinstitutionalrecordsmadeavailabletotheresearcher.Allbutoneparticipantwerefemaleandgenderoftheresearchparticipantsisalimitationtothisstudy.ThepseudonymsandcharacteristicsoftheparticipantsarelistedinTable1.DataAnalysisDocumentspertinenttothestudents’transferexperience(e.g.,catalog,degreeplans,andcollegepublications)wereanalyzedtoprovideathickerdescriptionofstudentexperiences.Additionally,datacollectedthroughparticipantjournals,interviews,andstudentbackgroundsweretriangulatedaftercollection.Theinterviewdatacontributedthestudent’sdescriptionoftheirpastexperiencesastheyadaptedtotheUniversityenvironment.Finally,studentjournalsprovidedtheirabilitytoreflectontheirexperiencesaftertheinitialinterviewtocontributetheirnarrativeastheymoveoutoftheUniversityenvironment.Thesepromptsforthejournalsincludedweeklypromptsthatoriginatedfromtheparticipantresponsestotheinformalconversationalinterviewquestionsandsoughtinformationwhereadditionaldatawasrequiredorfurtherexplanationsregardingthethemesthatemerged.Standardizedopen-endedinterviewquestionswerecreatedtoensuretheyfitwithinthetheoreticalframeworkand
Student Affairs On Campus The Journal for the Texas Association of College & University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA) Spring 2017 – Volume 3
reflectedthetheoriesfoundtoberelevantduringthereviewofliterature.Followingtheformalinterviews,informalconversationalinterviewswereconductedtocontinuedatacollection.Standardizedethnographicinterviewswereconductedbecauseitallowedthequestionstobemorepersonalandallowedthequestionstobetailoredtotheimmediatesurroundingsandcontextinwhichtheparticipantfindshisorherself(Patton,2002).Triangulateddataprovidedtheopportunityforconstantcomparisonofthefindingstohelpdevelopmyfindingsintoatheory.Theuseofemergentdesignprovidedtheflexibilitytochangethedesignofthestudyastheresearcheridentifiesnewperspectivesoftheparticipantsthatshouldberesearchedfurther.Thisstudywasdesignedtoallowthedatatoinformandanswertheposedresearchquestions.ThisstudyutilizedtheconstantcomparativemethodofanalysisasdescribedbyLincolnandGuba(1985)becauseitprovidedtheopportunityforthemestodevelopasincidentsarecomparedandcontrastedandconnections–betheyattributes,cause-effect,orspecial–canbemadebetweenandacrossthereportedincidents.Datawerecollectedandanalyzedusingstandardqualitativeanalysistechniquesandfindingswereorganizedintoaconceptuallyclusteredmatrix(Miles&Huberman,1994)todemonstratestudentexperie4ncesnavigatingthroughthetransitionprocess.
FindingsAnalysisofthedatacollectedledtotheemergenceoffivekeythemes.Thethemesandcorrespondingsub-themesfromthisstudythatwereparticularlyinstructiveforthismanuscriptareincludedinTable2.IntimateSupportStructuresEachstudentclearlydemonstratedthedifferentformsofsupporttheyutilizedwhilestudyinginthecommunitycollegeenvironment.Often,thesesupportmechanismsonwhichtheyrelieddidnotchangeaftertheymatriculatedtotheuniversityenvironment.SimilartotheintimatesupportstructuresmentionedbySchlossbergetal.(1995),thestudentstypicallyindicatedthattheirsupportcamefromthreesourceswhicharediscussedassub-themes(friends,family,andfaith)andeachwereperceivedtohaveprofoundeffectontheirengagementandpersistence.Fornontraditionalstudentswithchildren,thefamilycouldserveasaninfluenceontheirundergraduateexperience.Thesestudentsalsofeltthepressureofsucceedingsotheycouldserveasanexamplefortheirchildrenanddemonstratethatcollegewasaccessibleandattainable–amessagethatwasnotalwaysconveyedtothemastheyweregrowingup.Interestingtonoteisthatintimatesupportstructuresservedadualpurposeofbeingasupportmechanism,butsimultaneouslyincreasedthepressuresstudentsfelttonotdisappointfriendsandfamily:
• Itwasdefinitelythefriendships[thathelpedwiththetransitiontoSouthwestUniversity].Peoplehadalwaystoldme,“you’regonnamakeit,youcandoit,”becausewhenIwasinhighschool,Imadegoodgrades,Ididprettywell.That
Student Affairs On Campus The Journal for the Texas Association of College & University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA) Spring 2017 – Volume 3
kindaaddedalittlepressuretoo,butitwasstillkindof...IknowpeopleknewthatIwasgonnabeabletomakeit–thatwasactuallyahelp.
• Andsoit’slikeIwannabreakthatgenerational[cycle]....Yes,andsoIdon’tknow,it’slikeIneedmychildrentoseethatgoingtocollegeisattainable.It’snotsomethingthatyoujustseeorreadaboutontelevision.
Table2EmergentThemesandSubthemes
Themes
TheRoleofIntimateSupportStructures
TheRoleofInstitutionalizedSupportStructures
TheSituationalFactorsFacedbyStudents
ThePerceptionoftheTransition
TheStrategiesStudentsUtilizedtobeSuccessful
Sub-Them
es
TheRoleofFriends
TheReluctancetoUtilizeInstitutionalSupport
ThePerceptionsoftheEducationalEnvironment
TheRoleofFacultyandStaffAdvisors
StudentResponsetoSetbacks
TheRoleofFamily
TheExperiencewithinthePre-serviceTeacherEducationProgram
RecommendationsforInstitutionalStrategiestoAssistStudentsinTransition
TheImportanceofPursuingManageableGoals
TheRoleofFaith
ChallengesAssociatedwithUpper-divisionMathematics
Thesearchforafaithcommunityservedasbothaconnectiontosupportresourcesandasasourceofinspirationforsomestudents.StudentsheldtheperceptionthatprayerandahigherpowerplayedanintricateroleinguidingthemthroughtheUniversityandultimatelytoacareerfield.Theroleoffaithasbothaspiritualguideandaconnectiontosupportresourceswasacommonthemeforthestudentswhowereinterviewed:
• Idon’tknow,God’smercyreally[isthereasonformysuccess].Ifitwasn’tforGod,Iwouldn’tbeinthisschool,that’sforsure.Becauseofthatandjustmy
Student Affairs On Campus The Journal for the Texas Association of College & University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA) Spring 2017 – Volume 3
mindset,it’sjusttopersevere.IfIdidn’thavefaith,Idon’tknowwhereI’dberightnow.
• OnceIgotintotheBiblestudyhereoncampusandactuallymadeitmychurchaswell,definitelytheyhelpedoutaswelltoowithprayer.Andtheytoowereactuallystudentshereorhadbeenstudentshere.Sotheyactuallyhelpedaswell.
InstitutionalSupportStructuresStudentsinterviewedtypicallydemonstratedthattheyrarelyutilizedtheacademicsupportresourcesofferedbytheUniversity.Itisplausiblethatstudentsfailedtousetheseservicesbecausetheywereacademicallysuccessfully–bothatthecommunitycollegeandattheUniversity-anddidnotdeemthemnecessary.However,studentnarrativesalsoindicatedthatstudentswerenotfamiliarwithmanyoftheservicesandwereconcernedabouthowtheywouldbeperceivediftheytookadvantageoftheinstitutionalsupport:
• Idon'tthinkit[amountofservicesprovided]isoverwhelming.Ilikethattherearesomanyresourcesavailable,butIdothinkitisintimidatingandIfeelself-consciouswhenIneedtousethem,soIdon'tusethem.
• IthinkasfarastheUniversityacademicresources,becauseit’sdefinitelyanintimidationfactor whereIfeeldumbgoinginthere,orthatIthinksometimestoo,theysaytheycandoallthisstuff,butwhatifIgointhere,andIreallydon’tfeelhelpedafterwards,anditwasawasteoftime?.
Tosummarize,studentreluctancetoutilizeservicescanstemfromavarietyofsources,somestudentssimplydonotfeeltheservicesmatchtheirscheduleswell,whileothershavefamilialresponsibilitieswhichpreventtheirparticipation.Asseveralstudentsindicated,askingforhelpcanbeanoverwhelming,humbling,andoftenintimidatingtask.Forthisstudy,aresearchquestionguidinginquirywaswhatadditionalservicesdoestheUniversityneedtoprovidefortransferstudentsofcolortobesuccessful?Fromtheanalysisofthestudents’commentsandjournals,itisclearthattheservicesarelikelybeingprovided,butarenotbeingpresentedinaneffectivemannerthatfacilitatestheirbestusage.SituationalFactorsAmajorfactorinhowstudentsexperiencetheUniversityenvironmentisshapedbysituationstheyconfrontthroughouttheundergraduateyears.ThestudentsofcolorinterviewedexpressedtheyenteredthePWIwithexpectationsthatwereoftenunmet.Studentsexpectedtoencounterahostilecampusclimateandpleasantlysurprisedatthefriendlyatmospheretheyentered.However,thepositionalityoftheresearcherdictatesthattheparticipantsmayhavefeltresistanttosharenegativeexperiences.Thestudentsalsofaceduniqueexperiencesthatwereshapedbybeinginateachereducationtrainingprogram.Acrossthespectrumoftheinterviews,studentspointedtoseveralaspectsoftheirteachereducationprogramaschallenging,butrewardinginits
Student Affairs On Campus The Journal for the Texas Association of College & University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA) Spring 2017 – Volume 3
abilitytopreparethemfortheircareerfield.Althoughthestudentshaveanarrayofultimatecareerdestinations,theyeachfelttheprogramwasadequatelypreparingthemfortheirfutureandcitedthefield-basedcomponentoftheprogramasthekeytotheirstrongpreparation.
• I’velearnedsomuchabouteducation,andit’sstillsomethingIwannabeapartof.AndImeantheeducationprofessors,they’reallamazingthatI’vehad,andhavejusttaughtushowtoapplythethingsinreallife,andlikehadjustdifferentdiscussionstoopenoureyes.
• Whenpeopleaskteacherswhatitistheydoforaliving,themajorityofthemwillsay,"Oh,I'm'just'ateacher"butIdon'tthinkadoctor,lawyer,orevenaprofessionalfootballplayerwoulddownplaytheircareersinsayingthattheyare'just'adoctor,lawyer,etc.Also,asIstartedstudentteachinglastweek,Ibegantothinkhowwhileitshouldnot,racedoesplayafactorinhowstudentsrespondtoeducationandIdon'twanttojustreachthestudentswhosharethesamecultureorethnicityasIdo,butIwonderhowIcouldreachthosewhodon't.
• Youknow,[Ifeel]nervous,butIfeelconfidentthatthissemesterandthensometeachingwillreallypreparemeforallthat’sgonnacome.Itwon’tpreparemeforeverything,butitwillpreparemealotforit.
Aftertransferintotheprogram,studentsfacedchallengesinvolvingthecompletionofupper-levelmathematicscourseswhichservedasamajorsetbackformostofthoseresearched.Eachofthesesituationalfactorsprovidedadescriptionofboththeeducationalexperienceasawholeandservedaschallengestowhichstudentslearnedtoadaptandovercome.Perhapsmostrelevanttothisarticlearethestudent’sthoughtsregardingtheupper-levelmathematicscoursestheyfacedaftermatriculation–oftendescribedasweed-outcourses:
• Forthemostpart,IhavefeltpreparedtohandleSU'scurriculum,however,mybiggeststrugglehasbeenandcontinuestobethemathematicscoursesrequiredofearlychildhoodeducationmajors.
• Yeah,whenIwasinthose[Mathematics]classes,IwaslikeamIreallygoingintotheright,youknow,shouldIchangetolanguageartsandsocialstudies.
ThesecommentsareparticularlysalientbecausetheydemonstratehowfailuresinmathematicscanshaketheconfidenceofastudentsstudyinginaSTEMeducationfield.Ifconfidencecontinuestobeshakenandstudentsfeeltheycannotgrasptheconceptsofupper-levelmathematicsandscience,theymaychoosetochangecertificationareastoaprogramthatislessindemand.Addressingmathematicsconfidenceiscriticaltokeepunderrepresentedstudentsinthishigh-needteachingfield.
Student Affairs On Campus The Journal for the Texas Association of College & University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA) Spring 2017 – Volume 3
PerceptionoftheTransitionItbecameclearasstudentswereinterviewedthattheirperceptionsofthetransferprocesswereshapedbytheprocessitself.Forstudentswhohaddifficultyinobtaininginformationtobesuccessful,thetransferprocesswasseenasapainfulandintimidatingordeal.However,forthosestudentswhohadtheforethoughttoseekoutresourcesattheUniversityearly,thecommentsregardingthetransferprocessaremuchmorepositive.Themostsalientpointregardingpre-universityadvisingwasthatstudentsperceivedtheadvisingtobemuchmorepositiveifitwasprovidedthrough“specialadvising”suchasVeteransAffairs(VA)orDisabilityServices.However,studentswhowereadvisedthroughtheorthodoxacademicadvisingformattendedtobefrustratedwiththeprocessandtheservicestheyreceived:
• It[VAAdvising]wasprettygood.IhadaladybythenameofRebeccaoverthere,andshe'sgonenow,butshewasreallygood.IwasabletogetclosetohertowhereIcouldtalktoherone-on-one.AndwhateverIneeded,ifIwenttoher,shecalledWacoandcoordinated.
• It’s[communitycollegeadvising]awful–itwasridiculous.Ijustremembergoingin,andthey’relike,‘Yeah,you’regonnadothis,this,andthat’andthenIleftlikefeelingIdon’treallyknowwhatI’mdoing.
• Asfarasadvisingwent,theydidn’thelpatall.IwentandsawanadvisorandtoldthemthatIwantedtoultimatelyendupatSouthwestUniversity,andIwastoldtotakethewrongclasses.SothenIfoundanadvisoratSU,andthenItalkedtothemeversincethen.
Apossiblerivalexplanationfortheperceptionofthenegativeadvisingisthatcommunitycollegeadvisorsareplacedinadifficultsituationwheretheymustadvisestudentsformanydifferentmajorsatcountlessnumbersofuniversities.Thisarduoustaskmaybeanexplanationforthe“bad”advicethatisprovided.Thesestudentsalsodevelopedtheirnegativeperceptionsoftheadvisingexperienceratherearlyintheirundergraduatecareersandsubsequentlymaynothavearticulatedtheirgoalsordesirestotheadvisor.Regardlessofthecauseofthenegativeperception,itisclearthatasstudentsfeeltheyarebeinggivenbadinformation,theyarepursuingalternativemethodstobecomeinformedofthetransferrequirements,courseselections,andothernecessaryinformation.Participantsalsoprovidedinsightfulcommentsthatserveasrecommendationsforfuturestudentshopingtotransfertoalargeresearchuniversity.Thecommentsarebestsummarizedasstartingwiththeenddestinationinmind.Thesecommentsindicatedthatoncetheysettledontheirintendedmajorandtheirtransferdestination,theywereabletoconstructaplanfortransferandmakedecisionsthatultimatelysavedthemmoneyandtime:
• Itwasn’tuntilIrealizedwhatIwantedtodoatSUthatIcouldfigureout,okay,thisiswhatIneedtotakebeforeIcangettoSU.Itwasn’tuntilIwasadvisedbySUthatIrealizedthisiswhatIneedtostartfocusingoverhere.Itmademoresense.Which[usingcommunitycollegeadvisors]isalsokindofhardbecausein
Student Affairs On Campus The Journal for the Texas Association of College & University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA) Spring 2017 – Volume 3
thebeginning,Ididn’treallyknowwhatIwantedtodo.Andonceyoudothat[informadvisorstowhichuniversityyouwishtotransfer],youunderstandwhatclassyouneedtotake.
• MyadvicetoaprospectivestudentthathastheultimategoalofattendingSUtobecomeacertifiedteacherwouldbetokeepthatgoalalwaysinmind.Havingagoalsetinmindalwayshelpsformotivation.Thingsmightgettough,butalwaysthinkpositiveandthateverythingispossible.
WhendescribingthetransitionfromthecommunitycollegetotheUniversity,manyofthestudentsdescribedasenseofbeinglost.Whencommentswereexamineddeeper,participantsexpressedtheywereoftencomfortablewiththecurriculum,theacademicrequirements,andthedegreeplansoftheUniversity.However,theymentionedtheywereoftenphysicallylostoncampusandadjustingtothelogisticsandnavigationfromonebuildingtothenextwasdifficult.Onestudentcommentedthatithelpedto“walkherschedule”beforeclassesstartedtobecomemoreacclimatedtothecampus.Mostparticipantsfeltmoreattentionshouldhavebeenpaidbytheuniversitytoassistingwithcampusnavigationandthatacampustourshouldhavebeenapartoftheirnewstudentconference.ItwasclearafteranalyzingtheinterviewsthatthestudentswereinitiallyintimidatedbythesizeoftheUniversityandexpectedmorefromtheinstitutiontoeasetheiranxiety:
• I’mgonnagooutonalimbandsaythatmosttransferstudentsareolderanyway,soit’slikeIwouldliketoseesomeclubsformedwhere,youknow,perhapstherecouldbeaclubwherethere’smommies.OrsinceI’mnotthetypicalcollegestudent,it’sliketherearen’tanyclubsthatI’mjustreallyinterestedinjoining,youknow,duetotimeconstraints.Andsoit’slikethat’swhatsetsmeapart–it’slikewhenIcometocampus,I’mnotinterestedinmakingfriendsorexchangingphonenumbers.AndonlybecauseI’mnot…it’slikeIcan’tplugintothosepeople.Ineedtoknowwherethesepeopleare.Iknowthatthereareotherpeoplelikemeoncampusthatyouknow.
EmployedStrategiesTheprimarystrategiesemployedbythesuccessfulunderrepresentedtransfersinterviewedweretodevelopasenseofpersistencewheretheywouldrespondtosetbackswithrenewedgritanddetermination:
• Istruggledmyfirstsemester,andthenlateronIpickedupalittlebitmoreandmoreandrealizedittakesmoretimeandcommitmenttothematerial.
• Youjusthavetokeeptrying.Anotherstrategyemployedbyunderrepresentedtransferstudentsisbreakingtheprocessofpursuingtheundergraduatedegreeintosmallermanageableandattainablegoals.AdescriptionofthisapproachinSpanishis,pocoapoco,sevalejos.Thisphrasetranslatestolittlebylittle,yougofar.Thisphraseisdescriptivebecauseitdescribeshowstudentsintheteachereducationprogramapproachedtheirprogresstowardscompletion.Ratherthanbecomingboggeddowninthemireofthenumerousupper-
Student Affairs On Campus The Journal for the Texas Association of College & University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA) Spring 2017 – Volume 3
levelcoursesoftheirprofessionalphaseandtherequirementsforcertification,thesuccessfulstudentsinsteadapproachedeachcourseandeachsemesterasaseparatechallengethatwastheirmostimmediateconcern:
• Right,andI’mjustsohappywheneverIfinish.Likelastsemester,Itook18hoursagain,whichwasdifficult.AndIhadtodolikeallmyupper-levelSpanish–thatwas15hoursofupper-levelSpanishandthestatisticsclass.AndIwasjustreallyhappythatIgotdonewithallthatSpanish,becauselikeIhadtotaketheseclassessothatIcanteachproperly.
• [DisabilityServicestaughtmeto]makeoutwhatevertheygiveus,thelittlecoursepacketorwhatever,what’sgonnahappen,orwhat’ssupposedtohappen.Theyalwayschangeit,soImakeoutalittlescheduleofwhatIneedtodoonthisdayandthatday.
Discussion
Theanalysisofthesethemesledtothefollowingconclusions:
• Participantsperceivedtheretobealackofinstitutionalsupportthatpreventsthemfromthrivingintheprogram,butenoughtoallowthemtomerelysurvive.Theyfeeltheareasofmathematicstutoringandchildcarethatisprovidedcanbeimproved,butthisiscausedmorebypoormarketingbytheCollegeofwhatisavailablethanalackofservices.
• Althoughfamilyisoftenseenasasupportmechanism,theresponsibilitiesfacedbyoldernontraditionalstudentswithchildrencanimpedeprogressincoursework,andultimately,thedegreeitself.
• Thetransitionfacedbystudentsaftertransferforcesthemtoadoptnewstrategiesforacademicsuccessthattheymaydevelopatvaryingratesandinnumerouswaysandthesestrategiesultimatelyinfluencethewaysinwhichthestudentchangesbothpersonallyandacademicallythroughouttheirundergraduatecareer.
Theinteractionofthefivethemes(seeFigure3)andtheirimpactonthetransferstudent’sprogressionthroughtheacademiccareerledtotheamendingofSchlossberg’sTransitionTheory(Schlossbergetal.,1995).Withinthismodel,thereisadeviationfromSchlossberg’sFourSModelbyseparatingtheintimatesupportandtheinstitutionalsupport.Analysisdemonstratedthatinstitutionalsupporthasaverydifferentimpactinsupportingstudentsacademically.Studentrelationshipswithfacultymembersandadvisorswereoftencitedasamajorreasonforstudentsuccessintheprogram.Althoughintimatesupportmechanismscanserveasanassettodegreecompletionbyboostingstudentmoraleandfinancialstability,familycanalsoserveasalimitationduetotheaddedresponsibilitiesandcommitmentstheydemand.Anexampleofthisliabilityisthecostofchildcareforsinglemothersstudyingintheprogram.Whileparticipantsdemonstratedtheywantedtosucceedtobeanexamplefortheirchildren,theyalsoindicatedthatthefinancialcommitmentofpayingfordaycarewasadrainonlimitedfinancialresources.
Student Affairs On Campus The Journal for the Texas Association of College & University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA) Spring 2017 – Volume 3
Figure3.AmendedTransitionModelforUnderrepresentedTransfersRecommendationsforPracticeBasedontheseconclusions,thefollowingrecommendationsforpracticeatSouthwestUniversitycouldbeimplementedtoaddresssomeofthemajorobstaclesexpressedbystudents.Theserecommendationsarepresentedinthreestages:improvingthepreadmissionprocessfortransfers,improvingtheorientationtocampus,andincreasinggraduationrates.ThesefindingsaresummarizedinFigure4.
Student Affairs On Campus The Journal for the Texas Association of College & University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA) Spring 2017 – Volume 3
Figure4.RecommendationsforImprovedTransferStudentRetentionStudentsdemonstratedthattheyperceivedthetransferadvisingtheyreceivedfromthecommunitycollegeasinadequate.Asindicatedpreviously,thisperceptionislikelyinfluencedbythetimelinebywhichstudentsselecttheiracademicmajorandultimatetransferdestination.Workingwithacademicadvisorswheneitherofthesegoalsisunclearwillleadtoinconsistentadvicewhichmaynothelpstudentsachievetheirultimatecareergoal.However,increasedoutreachfromtheUniversityandimprovingrelationshipswithfeedercommunitycollegesthatultimatelyassistinthetrainingoftheadvisorsonthetwo-yearcampuscanservetobenefitprospectivetransferstudents.ParticipantsperceivedthatalltheresourcestheyneededtoacademicallysurvivetheprogramwerebeingprovidedbytheUniversity,buttheywerebeingpresentedinsuchawaythatwasconfusingandoverwhelmingandthispreventedstudentsfromthriving.Thisinformationoverloadthestudentsmentioncanberedefinedasinformationcamouflage.Whenconsideringhowcamouflageworks,onecolormixesinwithagroupofsimilarcolorstohelphideanobjectinthelargerenvironmentalcontext.Inasense,thisiswhatinstitutionsaredoingtotheirundergraduatestudents–studentsarereceivingmultipleandsometimesmixedmessagesfromvariousUniversityofficesthroughemailandsocialmediaplatforms.Studentsexpressedthattheyarehavingdifficultydecipheringwhichcommunicationsfromtheinstitutionarehelpfulandimportant.TheUniversitymustbecarefulthatitdoesnotinundateandoverwhelmstudentswithmessagesthatcauseconfusionasstudentsseekoutinstitutionalsupport.Thefollowingrecommendationsareprofferedtoimprovethetransitionprocessfortwo-yeartransferstudentsofcolorseekingmatriculationtoauniversity:
• Implementacollegeadvisingworkshopforcommunitycollegeadvisorstointeractwithprofessors,administrators,andadvisorsonthefour-yearcampusthatcoincideswithscheduledtrainingsduringoff-peakadvisingperiods.
Pre-Admission - Increased Outreach - Improved Community College Partnerships - Re-train Community College Advisors
Orientation - Improve representation of Academic Resources at New Student Orientation -Create a Transfer Student Organization
Pre-Graduation - Improve advertisement of tutoring - Develop Academic Resource Ambassadors - Increase financial aid for pre-service teachers
Student Affairs On Campus The Journal for the Texas Association of College & University Student Personnel Administrators (TACUSPA) Spring 2017 – Volume 3
• Developanambassadorprograminwhichacademicsupportservicescanberepresentedatorientationprogramsbystudentswhohavereceivedtheirbenefitpreviously.
• Createaclearinghouseformarketingprogramsandcommunicationswithstudents.Emailcommunicationswithstudentsshouldbeevaluatedfortheirnecessityandimportancetominimizeunnecessaryinformationthatonlyservestoclutterstudentinboxesanddetractfromtheimportanceofothermessages.
Conclusion
AmericamustremainvigilantinaddressingtheshortageofdiverseteachersinK-12educationtoensurethesuccessofourmostvulnerablestudents.Therecruitmentandretentionofdiversetransferstudentscanserveasasolutiontothiscriticalproblem.Althoughthereisnomonolithicexperiencefortransferstudentsofcolor,emergentthemesfromthisstudysuggestcommonalitiesthatcontributetoourknowledgeofthetransferexperienceforstudentsinpre-serviceteachereducationprograms.Theunderrepresentedtransferstudentswhoparticipatedinthisstudyindicatedthattheyrelieduponbothinstitutionalsupportmechanismssuchasadvisorsandfaculty,butwerereluctanttoutilizetheformalacademicresourceservicesoncampus.Toimprovestudentperformance,theuniversitiesmustaddressthestudentperceptionsassociatedwithseekinghelpthroughimprovedmarketingandadvertisingoftheprovidedprograms.Anambassadorgroupwhichallowsstudentstorelatetotheexperiencesofthosewhohavepreviouslyusedtheservicescouldaddresstheanxietythatwasmentionedinthefindings.Additionally,improvedcommunicationthroughaninformationclearinghousethatmitigatesinformationcamouflagemayincreasethelikelihoodofstudentengagementwithacademicresources.
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