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Purpose of the Study. To understand whom first-year students turn to for advice and support as they make the transition to collegeWhom do students identify as supportive assets in their transition?To what degree are these people seen as supportive?To clarify the roles that parents and friends pla
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1. First Year Students’ Views of Support from Parents, Friends, and Campus Personnel Dr. Sandy Bell, Dr. Jennifer Lease Butts, and Dr. Sue A. Saunders
First-Year Students Research Symposium
University of Connecticut
September 26, 2008
2. Purpose of the Study To understand whom first-year students turn to for advice and support as they make the transition to college
Whom do students identify as supportive assets in their transition?
To what degree are these people seen as supportive?
To clarify the roles that parents and friends play in the transition of today’s college students
3. Review of the Literature Schlossberg’s transition theory (1995) – situation, self, support and strategies
Supportive campus environment as a predictor of retention and success (Kuh & Hu, 2001; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005)
Peer leaders can enhance the transition for first-year students (Carns, Carns, & Wright, 1993; Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh, & Whitt, 2005)
HERI report on connection between college students and parents (Pryor, Hurtado, Sharkness, & Korn, 2007)
4. Methods Sample
Approximately 2700 students enrolled in FYE courses during the fall of 2006
607 responded to the on-line survey, representing 22.5% of the target population
61% female
89% lived on campus
21% were members of the Honors Program
18% lived in a First-Year Learning Community
33% had not declared a major
5. Methods On-line Survey
Students identified whom they regarded as the first, second, and third most supportive individuals in their transition
Students rated the degree of support they received from six different types of individuals on an 11-point scale(0 = not at all supporting, 5 = somewhat supportive, 10 = extremely supportive)
Data analyses included descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests, correlations, and effect size calculations to identify group differences and relationships between demographic variables and perceptions of support
6. Survey options for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd most supportive persons in college transition
7. Results Figure 1 – Most supportive persons
8. Results
9. Results
10. Results Group Differences
Overall, homogeneity in student perceptions resulted in few group differences
Compared to males, females rated higher support from home friends
Compared to off-campus students, students living on-campus rated higher support from home friends and campus peer leaders
Compared to non-FYLC students, students living in FYLC’s rated higher support from parents and peer leaders
Effect size for all group differences was medium-small
11. Implications Parents are a primary source of support for most students
Students develop very quickly support networks with peers on campus
Campus community can help encourage healthy behavior and a supportive environment
Mental models for working with parents may need to change
12. Questions? Questions about the methodology
Questions about the findings
Discussion forthcoming on implications and recommendations for practice