Dissertation
Exploring satisfaction of second-year students with academic advising experiences to determine factors that contribute to retention at a private research university: a mixed methods study
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Dec 2018
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/df9a-b723
Abstract
This explanatory sequential mixed methods study sought to identify and explore factors contributing to understanding about the relationship between second-year students' demographics and satisfaction with academic advising and retention at a private research university in Pennsylvania. The research problem was that second-year students at the study site did not receive the same level of academic advising as provided in the first-year and little is known about the differences in student satisfaction with advising in various colleges within the institution. In this study, 88 of 1,184 second-year students at the institution were invited to participate in a survey, yielding a participation rate of 7.4%. Then, eight survey respondents participated in focus groups to help the researcher explore the findings and results in more depth to expand understanding of this relationship. The study was designed to address one central question: What is the relationship between academic advising experiences and student satisfaction and retention for second-year students at a private research university in Pennsylvania? There were three sub-questions. (a) What is the relationship between second-year students' demographics and the level of satisfaction with academic advising at a private research university in Pennsylvania? (b) How do second-year students describe academic advising experiences at a private research university in Pennsylvania? (c) How do second-year students describe how their academic advising experiences in year one differ from their academic advising experiences in year two at a private research university in Pennsylvania? The quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed to find common themes and sub-themes. The findings revealed that second-year students at this institution were satisfied with academic advising to the extent that they would get their questions answered and were able to receive the information necessary to register for classes. However, most participants were not satisfied with the interactions with their advisors, or the limited topics that were discussed during the advising sessions that took place during their second-year. Second-year participants were seeking more than just academic advising when meeting with their advisors, and the advisors were either unable or unwilling to provide what they sought, and this disconnect contributed to their lower levels of satisfaction.
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Details
- Title
- Exploring satisfaction of second-year students with academic advising experiences to determine factors that contribute to retention at a private research university
- Creators
- Yenny D. Anderson - DU
- Contributors
- Joyce A. Pittman (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- xvii, 230 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 9339; 991014632848904721