Effect of a First Year Experience (FYE) Course on Motivation/ Grit and Selected Student Attitudes

This mixed methods study at a rural community college sought to measure the effect
of a first-­‐year experience (FYE) course on student motivation/ grit and selected student
attitudes. Quantitative data was collected after one semester from 164 first-­‐year
students attending the college for the first time in fall or winter of 2011/12. Some
students in the sample had taken a 3-­‐credit FYE course and others hadn’t. Astin’s
Input-­‐ Environment-­‐Output (IEO) model provided the theoretical framework for the
quantitative analyses. Focus groups were conducted to collect qualitative data. Pre-­‐and
post test levels of motivation/ grit were measured by the Smartermeasure ™, an
assessment of learner readiness. Two sections of the test were used, “Individual
Attributes” (IA) and a subset,
“Locus
of
Control”
(LC).
The
quantitative
analyses
included
independent
samples
t-­‐tests,
Analysis
of
Variance
(ANOVA),
Chi-­‐square,
and
multiple
linear
regression.
Dweck’s
theory
of
mindset
and
Duckworth’s
grit
theories
were
the
primary
motivational
theories
discussed.
There
was
no
significant
effect
of
the
FYE
course
on
IA
for
any
students
in
the
sample.
There
was
a
statistically
significant
correlation
with
age
and
increase
in
IA
for
a
very
small
number
of
adult
students.
There
was
a
positive
impact
on
LC
for
all
students
after
one
semester,
regardless
of
FYE
enrollment.
Significant
correlations
existed
for
first
semester
GPA
and
increase
in
IA
and
one
level
of
math
placement
and
age
and
increase
in
LC.
Qualitative
analyses
demonstrated
many
positive
gains,
including
interdependence,
use
of
college
resources,
ii
focus
on
career
goals