Transcript Slide 1

Bonds and bridges:
The relative importance of relations
with peers and faculty for college
student achievement
Sandra Dika, PhD
Assistant Research Professor
Office of Institutional Research and Planning
University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
2008 Association for Institutional Research Forum, Seattle, WA
May 28, 2008
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Background and Framework
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Influences on student achievement in college
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What students bring with them (background)
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What students do while in college (effort and
engagement)
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Importance of relationships with institutional agents,
especially faculty
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Relationships as Social Capital
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Bonding social capital – relationships with people
in similar situations or of similar status to build
solidarity
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Bridging social capital – looser relationships that
provide access to external assets and information
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Research Questions
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Are there differences in bonding and bridging
social capital based on membership in different
student groups: first year, senior, male, female,
first generation, continuing generation?
What is the relative importance of bonding and
bridging social capital for college student
achievement, taking into account previous
achievement factors and student study efforts,
and does this differ by student group?
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
University of Puerto Rico
Mayaguez
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Part of UPR system (11 campuses)
Over 12,000 students
Bilingual Hispanic Serving Institution
STEM focused (60% of undergraduates)
High female participation in STEM
71% receive financial aid
35% first generation
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Sample and Instrumentation
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First year and senior UPRM students participating
in the 2005 and 2007 administrations of the
Spanish web-based NSSE (N=961)
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61% women
62% first year
28% first generation
Little reliability and validity evidence for Spanish
NSSE but assumed to be similar to English
version; more research necessary
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Variables
Background
Study Effort
Social Capital
High school GPA
Hours/wk preparing for
class
Academically focused interaction with
peers
English achievement
Quality of relationships with other
students
Math achievement
Interaction with faculty members
Spanish achievement
Quality of academic advising
Parental education level
Quality of relationships with faculty
members
Quality of relationships with
administrative personnel/offices
Dependent variable: college GPA
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Data Analysis
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Hierarchical multiple linear regression in three
blocks
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Block 1: Five background variables
Block 2: Study effort
Block 3: Six social capital variables
All statistical tests evaluated at the α=.05 level
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Results – Frequency and Quality of
Bonding with Other Students
Bonding Social
Capital
Highest Levels
Lowest Levels
Academically
• Seniors
focused interaction
• First year students
• First generation students
• Seniors
• First year students
• First generation students
• Men
Quality of
relationships
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Results – Frequency and Quality of
Bridging with Institutional Agents
Bridging Social
Capital
Highest Levels
Lowest Levels
Interaction with
faculty
• Seniors
• First year students
Quality of
relationships with
faculty
• Women
• Men
Quality of
academic advising
• First year students
• Seniors
Quality of
relationships with
admin
• First generation students
• Continuing generation
students
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Results - Correlations
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Social capital variables were positively correlated,
particularly quality of relationships
Most variables positively correlated with college
GPA, especially high school GPA
First generation students:
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Negligible correlation with parental education
Quality of relationships with faculty members higher
than standardized test scores
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Results – Three Models (N=961)
Model
Model 1
First year
.27***
Senior
.36***
Men
.32***
Women
.25***
First
Continuing
generation generation
.19***
.30***
Model 2
.31***
.36***
.33***
.27***
.22***
.33***
Model 3
.36***
.41***
.37***
.34***
.31***
.38***
Study effort predicts an additional 0 to 4 percent variance in college GPA;
social capital variables predict an additional 4 to 9 percent variance
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Results – First Year Students
(R2=.36)
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Six significant predictors:
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High school GPA (.31)
Quality of relationships with faculty (.25)
Hours per week preparing for class (.18)
English achievement (.14)
Math achievement (.10)
Maximum parental education (.08)
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Results – Senior Students (R2=.41)
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Five significant predictors:
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High school GPA (.34)
Quality of relationships with faculty (.22)
English achievement (.21)
Math achievement (.14)
Maximum parental education (.11)
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Results – Men (R2=.37)
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Eight significant predictors:
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High school GPA (.34)
Quality of relationships with faculty (.17)
English achievement (.15)
Math achievement (.13)
Hours per week preparing for class (.13)
Interaction with faculty (.11)
Academically focused interaction with peers (-.10)
Maximum parental education (.09)
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Results – Women (R2=.34)
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Eight significant predictors:
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High school GPA (.28)
Quality of relationships with faculty (.26)
Hours per week preparing for class (.15)
English achievement (.14)
Math achievement (.13)
Quality of academic advising (-.10)
Interaction with faculty (.09)
Maximum parental education (.08)
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Results – First Generation
Students (R2=.31)
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Three significant predictors:
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Quality of relationships with faculty (.34)
High school GPA (.29)
Quality of academic advising (-.11)
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Results – Continuing Generation
Students (R2=.38)
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Eight significant predictors:
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High school GPA (.33)
Quality of relationships with faculty (.19)
English achievement (.17)
Hours per week preparing for class (.16)
Math achievement (.12)
Interaction with faculty (.12)
Maximum parental education (.11)
Academically focused peer interaction (-.09)
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Discussion
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Importance of high school GPA as an
achievement predictor seen across all groups
Background variables explained notably less
variance for first generation students (HahsVaughn, 2004)
Pattern of predictive influence of standardized
test performance is not straightforward
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English vs. Spanish achievement
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Discussion
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Study effort predicted only 1-4% additional
variance beyond background variables
Significant positive effect for first year, men,
women, and continuing generation students in
final model
Nature of measure may limit interpretation of
these effects (5 hour spans of time, self-report)
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Discussion
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Student-faculty interaction as key social capital
factor in predicting college GPA (Anaya & Cole,
2001; Kuh & Hu, 2001)
Quality vs. quantity of interaction with faculty
(Lundberg & Schreiner, 2004; Sax, Bryant, &
Harper, 2005)
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Discussion
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Negative coefficients for bonding social capital,
quality of academic advising, and quality of
relationships with administrative personnel
contradict positive correlations
Multicollinearity apparently not an issue (VIF
range 1.0-2.0)
Quality of academic advising – need to
understand what is measured (who accesses
academic advising more frequently?)
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Conclusions
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Student-faculty interaction is an important
element in predicting student achievement,
independent of class rank, gender, or first
generation status
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As important as high school GPA for first generation
students
Bonding social capital does not significantly
predict academic achievement
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May predict other forms of engagement and noncognitive outcomes
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Limitations
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Sample from a single institution
Unexplained negative effects of certain variables
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Academic advising
Academically focused interaction with peers
Model not inclusive of all variables that may
predict student achievement
Other dependent variables not considered
(retention, graduation, learning gains)
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Continuing Research
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Look at individual interaction variables to
determine which are more effective in predicting
achievement and other outcomes (e.g.,
discussions outside of class, discussing career
plans)
Test model with other dependent variables –
retention, perceived learning and development
(NSSE variables)
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges
Contact information:
[email protected]
Tel: 787-265-5465
Paper and presentation will be available for download at
http://oiip.uprm.edu/beams.html
Dika, 2008 AIR Forum - Bonds and Bridges