Patricia L. Dwinell

Student Perceptions as Predictors of Academic Performance in College Developmental Studies

The investigation examined (a) perceptions held by students of their preparation to do college-level work, (b) attitudes towards the Developmental Studies program and the university, and (c) knowledge of Developmental Studies as predictors of academic performance. In addition, the high school grade point average (GPA) and the College Board Scholastic Aptitude Test scores were employed as predictors in order to provide a standard by which to compare the predictive efficiency of the student-perception variables. The academic variables, in comparison with those associated with student perceptions, accounted for more variance in first-quarter GPA. Of the student-perception variables, those related to a students estimation of preparation for college-level courses appeared to have the most direct relationships to first-quarter GPA.

The Moderating Effects of Gender and Race in Predicting the Academic Performance of College Developmental Students

The selection of students who are most likely to succeed in a college developmental studies program is a task with serious ramifications for individuals and institutions. The present study examined the moderating influence of gender and race on the accuracy of high school grades and College Board Scholastic Aptitude (SAT) scores in predicting the academic performance of developmental students. The results indicated significant slope differences in the regression lines for race with the equation for blacks accounting for 10 percent more variance than the equation for whites. Within the racial groups, significant intercept differences based on gender were found for whites only. The relationship between high school grade point average and SAT scores in predicting freshman grade point average for developmental students was similar to the relationship reported for regularly admitted students.

Beyond University 101: Elective Courses to Enhance Retention

This article describes a series of elective courses that respond to academic needs articulated by both faculty and students. Two of the courses, “Learning to Learn” and “Strategies for Academic Success,” taught by Academic Assistance reading and counseling faculty respectively, are now offered for graduation credit. Other courses, which bear institutional credit, are designed to develop skills in such areas as critical thinking, problem solving, and writing, or to assist students in adjusting to college life. Several courses have been created to address the needs of specific populations, such as multilingual students. Enrollment in this series of courses consistently meets or exceeds registration limits.

Loneliness, Perceived Social Support, and Anxiety among Israeli Adolescents

This study was designed to investigate the variables of social support, loneliness, and anxiety among two groups, i.e., participants who identified with the label “I am a lonely person” (Lonely group; n = 37) and those who did not identify with this label (Not lonely group; n = 107). Based on the findings of a 1994 study of South Pacific participants, hypotheses were formulated and tested using the grouping variable. As expected, significant correlations for scores on loneliness with social support and with anxiety were noted. Also, as expected, there were significant differences between the two groups on social support, loneliness, and anxiety. While such results support earlier findings it appears the association of loneliness and perceived social support may be more complex than proposed earlier. For the lonely group anxiety is significantly correlated with a need to seek acceptance.

Comparison of the Prediction of Academic Performance for College Developmental Students and Regularly Admitted Students

The task of selecting students who are most likely to succeed in a college Developmental Studies program results in important consequences for individuals and institutions. The present study compared the accuracy of high school grade point average and Scholastic Aptitude Test scores in predicting freshman grade point average (freshman GPA) for two groups of students, Developmental Studies freshmen and regularly admitted freshmen. Analysis indicated the differences in slopes of the regression equations accounted for a small amount of criterion variance, but there was substantially greater error variance in the predictor-criterion relationship for developmental students. The predictor variables for regular students accounted for 34% of the variance in freshman GPA which was about two-and-a-half times more variance than was accounted for by the predictors for developmental students.

Developmental factors and performance in remedial courses.

This study investigated the relations between various developmental factors and performance in remedial courses. The Iowa Developing Autonomy Inventory, Iowa Managing Emotions Inventory, and Iowa Developing Competency Inventory were administered to 231 students enrolled in a developmental studies program at a large state university (enrollment about 25,000). Regression analyses indicated that various developmental measures accounted for a small effect (amount of variance accounted for ranged from 2% to 7%) on performance in remedial courses. The percentage of variance accounted for by the three inventories was similar to what could be accounted for by more traditional measures of SAT scores and high-school grade point averages. The percentage of variance accounted for by traditional measures ranged from 2% to 10%.