Writing Class: How Class-Based Culture Influences Community College Student Experience in College Writing
Genre
Thesis/DissertationDate
2016Author
Morris, Myla BiancaAdvisor
Cucchiara, Maia BloomfieldCommittee member
Horvat, Erin McNamara, 1964-Smith, Michael W. (Michael William), 1954-
Goldblatt, Eli
Department
Urban EducationSubject
Education, Community CollegeRhetoric
Educational Sociology
Authority
College Writing
Community College
Habitus
Qualitative
Working Class
Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12613/1958Metadata
Show full item recordDOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.34944/dspace/1940Abstract
This study was designed to build on the existing research on teaching and learning in community college contexts and the literature of college writing in two-year schools. The work of Pierre Bourdieu formed the primary theoretical framework and composition theory was used to position this study in the literature of the college writing discipline. Employing qualitative research methods and a critical working-class perspective, this study reflects a combined data set of participant observation, in-depth personal interview, and document analysis, giving shape to the experiences of fourteen students in one section of a first-year college writing course. This ethnographic study provided fruitful data regarding the nature of student/teacher relationships and students’ negotiation of authority in the classroom and in their writing. The results showcase the value of in-depth, qualitative research in college writing classrooms, a perspective with great potential to reveal underlying factors for student behaviors and outcomes in two-year literacy education.ADA compliance
For Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation, including help with reading this content, please contact scholarshare@temple.eduCollections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
A Path to College Success: Analyzing the Precursors and Predictors of College AdjustmentCollege enrollment rates have increased drastically through the years. Yet, retention rates have remained stagnant, particularly from the first to the second year. Some have attributed early departure to poor college adjustment. Bridging together theoretical perspectives and models rooted in retention research and social media research, this study tested a predictive model of college adjustment. An online survey was completed by 611 (22.8% male, 77.2% female) undergraduates. A path analysis revealed that well-adjusted students had strong kinship support, self-esteem and academic self-efficacy, were highly involved both academically and socially, and experienced lower levels of loneliness and academic stress. Shyness was found to forestall successful overall college adjustment by diminishing students' social involvement, which in turn increased perceived loneliness and contributed to poor self-esteem. On the other hand, active coping style was found to facilitate overall college adjustment by increasing academic involvement, which subsequently enhanced academic self-efficacy and self-esteem. The findings also indicate that academic Facebook use promotes greater overall college adjustment by enhancing students' social involvement. Furthermore, moderation analyses showed that the use of Facebook for interpersonal purposes increases social and academic involvement, particularly among less shy and high self-esteemed students. Interpretation of these results and practical implications are discussed.
-
Early College Academic Performance: Studying the Effects of Earning College Credits from Advanced Placement and Dual EnrollmentThis quantitative study examined the impact of Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual Enrollment (DE) on early college academic performance by analyzing and comparing first year and sophomore year persistence rates and grade point averages (GPAs) of four student cohorts who began their education at a large urban research I university in fall 2007. These cohorts of fall 2007 first year and first time college admits comprise students who earned college credits in high school by participation in Credit Based Transition Programs (CBTPs), specifically AP and DE, and students who did not earn college credits during high school. This study has contributed to literature examining the relationship between earning college credits in high school and early college academic performance. CBTPs were created for the benefit of high school students and the K-16 educational system. These programs were specifically created and implemented to introduce students to the rigors of college and ease the academic and social transition from high school to college. Student AP and DE participation increases yearly (The Fifth Annual, 2009; Kleiner & Lewis, 2005) and the first year of college is pivotal in terms of student retention (Astin, 1984; Bailey & Karp, 2003; Bailey, Hughes, & Karp, 2002; Cohen & Brawer, 1996; Coomes & Debard, 2004; Klekotka, 2005; Kuh, 2005; Light, 2001; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Plucker, Chien, & Zaman, 2006; Tinto, 1987). These are the two primary impetuses for studying this phenomenon. This study utilized multiple chi-square, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, oneway ANOVA, and ANCOVA statistical analyses. These analyses provided ample data for answering the research questions. The sample comprised four cohorts of first year, first time college, students entering a large urban research institution in fall 2007. 1) students entering with only Advanced Placement (AP) credits ("AP" cohort), 2) students entering with only Dual Enrollment (DE) credits ("DE" cohort), 3) students entering with both AP and DE credits ("AP and DE" cohort), and 4) students entering with no college credits ("Non AP and/or DE" cohort. Statistical analyses presented results showing no statistically significant difference in early college academic performance amongst the cohorts in the study.
-
Community College Students' Awareness and Use of College InformationThis qualitative case study utilized interviews with community college students enrolled in at least one developmental course to describe how students accessed college information and used this information to solidify or adjust their educational aspirations. College information sources included relatives, friends, classmates, professors, advisors, and other college personnel. Bourdieu's cultural capital and Tinto's integration frameworks were used as guiding theories. This study utilized semi-structured interviews with 15 first-time, full-time, remedial students at a suburban community college in the northeastern United States. Interviews conducted in the fall and spring semesters explored students' perceptions of college information sources in order to gain insight into how students viewed information and its implications over time. This study identified four categories that broadly characterize students' information seeking and application behavior: students were classified as dreamers, drifters, passengers, or planners. Students classified as dreamers had difficulty aligning their career and educational goals. While college information was an issue for dreamers, they required more intensive guidance about their larger educational picture before information about intermediary steps would be meaningful for them. Drifters had informed educational goals, but possessed incomplete information or had difficulty applying strategies to reach these goals. Passengers and planners were well-informed and had specific strategies to accomplish their educational aspirations. Planners actively sought out information. Passengers benefited from a guide, such as a dedicated advisor or mentor, who helped them to interpret and apply the information. This study suggests that just presenting students with information is insufficient; to get students on surer footing, colleges should explore both decreasing the need for information in the first place and providing students assistance with applying information to their unique situations.
