Examining factors that influence successful student transfer between 2YC and 4YC/U in

the geosciences

Kaatje van der Hoeven Kraft

With contributions from Carolyn Wilson & Ben Wolfe

Factors that influence student persistence

Integration/ Involvement

Self-Regulation

Capital Organization

Culture

Academic Social Motivation

Extra & Co-curricular

Academic

SocialCulturalTransfer receptivity

Transfer shock

Learning StrategiesMindset

What factors influence persistence from 2YC to 4YC/U in geoscience programs?

• National Survey of geoscience graduates at 4YC/U.– 596 total responses– 154 responses (26%) had attended 2YC at some

point prior to completion

Factors that contributed to persistence • Most commonly identified: personal motivation and

transferred courses (Self Regulation & Organizational Culture)

• Less commonly identified: friends and academic advisors (Integration/ Involvement & Organizational Culture)

• Implications:– Community is important, but persistence may be more

important. – As individuals committed to successful transfer, need to

examine how Organizational Culture supports or inhibits student persistence.

Barriers to completing geoscience degree after transfer

• Four common themes: – Personal issues: time, family & money– Academic challenges: underprepared, math and

structural geology– Self-regulation: motivation, emotion, employment of

skills– Institutional barriers: transfer pathways, academic

advisors, course offerings• Many of these factors are true for non-transfer

students, but may not be as acute (Wilson, 2014)

What can we do in our own classrooms?

• National Project (GARNET) collected data from introductory geology students. – 2000+ students at 4YC/Us– 450+ students at 2YCs– Motivation, interest, use of learning strategies

• Examined factors that predict persistence from one geology class to another

This material is based on work supported by NSF DUE Award #: 1022980 (part of a collaborative grant)Any opinions, findings, and conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF

What influences student persistence at classroom level?

• Students need to be interested in the content and have high self-efficacy in order to choose to persist.

• The classroom environment helps to dampen that impact

• Math plays a role with 2YC more so than 4YC/U in making the decision to persist