Amy K. Swan

Finding Conceptual Coherence: Trends and Alignment in the Scholarship on Noncognitive Skills and Their Role in College Success and Career Readiness

Recent questions about the degree to which higher education adequately equips graduates with desired workplace skills has drawn attention to the role of noncognitive skills in college and the workplace. Yet, there is questionable alignment of these skills across higher education and employment sectors. The literature on noncognitive skills, defined here as a diverse set of social emotional and self management competencies, is varied across higher education and employment literatures, thus creating confusion and a lack of clarity. A systematic review of the literature was conducted as a means to clarify and organize a set of terms and concepts that support college and career success. This manuscript presents the findings from that review, as well as the development of a taxonomy created for analytic purposes and alignment of noncognitive skills bridging the higher education and employment literatures. The taxonomy is divided into three domains of noncognitive skills that emerged from our analysis-Approach to Learning/Work, Intrapersonal Skills, and Social Skills.

Predictors of Low-SES Student Persistence from the First to Second Year of College

Abstract This study examines the characteristics that affect college persistence from the first to second year among low-socioeconomic status (SES) high school graduates who enrolled in a two- or four-year college degree program, using the ELS:2002 database. Specifically, this study compares the influences of student entry characteristics, social and cultural capital, institutional characteristics, and college experiences across SES quartiles. While academic preparation and college support measures were predictors of persistence for all groups, predictors of persistence for low-SES students included measures of academic preparation and talking with faculty or advisors. Implications extend to institutional responses needed to support the success of low-SES students.

Experiential and Contextual Factors that Shape Engineering Interest and Educational Decision-Making Processes among Female Students

This qualitative study explores the formation of educational and vocational goals among female first-year engineering students at two community colleges and one four-year institution, as well as contextual influences on this process. Participants’ pathways to college are also explored, as well as their pathways into engineering. The findings suggest a need for expanded access to experiential learning opportunities and ongoing attention to the role of community colleges in engineering education.