Date of Graduation
2003
Document Type
Thesis
Abstract
Each year, thousands of students enter postsecondary education unprepared for the many academic, social, and emotional challenges they will face. Collaborative programs between secondary and postsecondary institutions have therefore developed as one way to address these issues. Although numerous studies have focused on quantitative evaluation of collaborative programs, few have included qualitative analysis of the opinions and ideas of those students who were involved in the efforts. The purpose of this study was to gauge the effect of student participation in pre-college collaborative experiences on students' transition from secondary to postsecondary education. Within the context of Schlossberg's Transition Theory, the study attempted to determine the impact of participation in two specific types of collaborative programs, academic alliance and motivational/compensatory, on student awareness of, adjustment to, and commitment to college. Focusing on the four key factors of Schlossberg's Transition Theory—situation, self, support, and strategies—the study employed face-to-face, semi structured interviews with 27 college students who were alumni of the two programs, College Summit and the Writing Coalition, to determine student perceptions of their pre-college and college transition experiences. The qualitative data analysis revealed that all students perceived their collaborative experiences as beneficial and positive, and the majority of the students reported that they were very committed to completing a college education. Finally, study participants candidly shared their suggestions for developing even more successful collaborative programs.
Recommended Citation
Unger, Billie A., "The journey from high school to college: Do collaborative connections improve student transition?" (2003). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 9927.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/9927