ERIC Number: EJ1188010
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Jan
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0835-4944
EISSN: N/A
The Part-Time Student Experience: Its Influence on Student Engagement, Perceptions, and Retention
Lee, Nicole E.
Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education, v30 n1 p1-18 Jan 2018
Part-time learners have had a history of campus isolation, fewer opportunities to engage on campus, and much higher attrition rates than their full-time peers (Jacoby, 2015; Rajasekhara & Hirsch, 2000). As a result, this study sought to uncover effective ways of enhancing the academic and social experiences of part-time learners and, in turn, increase retention rates. The attitudes, experiences, perceived needs, and challenges of 41 part-time students at a large Canadian community college during the Fall 2015 semester were captured through an anonymous survey. From the data gathered, effective ways to enhance the college experiences of part-time students were identified and a relationship between school affinity and a part-time learner's motivation to remain in school and persist to graduation were established. Recommendations resulting from this study centre on flexibility, availability, and student choice for post-secondary programs, courses, services, and social events aimed at part-time learners.
Descriptors: Part Time Students, Student Experience, Learner Engagement, Student Attitudes, Two Year College Students, Community Colleges, Foreign Countries, Student Needs, Student College Relationship, Academic Persistence
Mount Saint Vincent University. e-mail: cjsaerceea@gmail.com; Web site: https://cjsae.library.dal.ca/index.php/cjsae
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Two Year Colleges
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A