Date of Award
Winter 2015
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Educational Foundations & Leadership
Program/Concentration
Community College Leadership
Committee Director
Shana Pribesh
Committee Member
Mitchell R. Williams
Committee Member
Alan Schwitzer
Abstract
The study investigated whether community college engineering student success was tied to a learning community. Three separate data collection sources were utilized: surveys, interviews, and existing student records. Mann-Whitney tests were used to assess survey data, independent t-tests were used to examine pre-test data, and independent t-tests, analyses of covariance (ANCOVA), chi-square tests, and logistic regression were used to examine post-test data. The study found students that participated in the Engineering TLC program experienced a significant improvement in grade point values for one of the three post-test courses studied. In addition, the analysis revealed the odds of fall-to-spring retention were 5.02 times higher for students that participated in the Engineering TLC program, and the odds of graduating or transferring were 4.9 times higher for students that participated in the Engineering TLC program. However, when confounding variables were considered in the study (engineering major, age, Pell Grant participation, gender, ethnicity, and full-time/part-time status), the analyses revealed no significant relationship between participation in the Engineering TLC program and course success, fall-to-spring retention, and graduation/transfer. Thus, the confounding variables provided alternative explanations for results. The Engineering TLC program was also found to be effective in providing mentoring opportunities, engagement and motivation opportunities, improved self confidence, and a sense of community. It is believed the Engineering TLC program can serve as a model for other community college engineering programs, by striving to build a supportive environment, and provide guidance and encouragement throughout an engineering student's program of study.
Rights
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DOI
10.25777/xb28-e937
ISBN
9781369436822
Recommended Citation
Maccariella, James.
"Engaging Community College Students Using an Engineering Learning Community"
(2015). Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Dissertation, Educational Foundations & Leadership, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/xb28-e937
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/efl_etds/22
Comments
A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, COMMUNITY COLLEGE LEADERSHIP