academic resiliency and first-year college students · 2020-03-30 · management factor questions...

Academic Resiliency and First-Year College Students

Skyfactor Research Note

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Copyright © Skyfactor 2016

Key Points:

Academic resiliency is defined by three concepts: focus, effort, and recovery.

Overall, first-year college students report high levels of academic resiliency.

Academic resiliency is related to key behaviors and skills of first-year students.

Academic resiliency is related to key outcomes, including academic performance and retention.

Academic Resiliency and First-Year College Students

In fall 2013, Skyfactor piloted a set of questions aimed at measuring academic resiliency to the Mapworks survey. Following the pilot, a four-question academic resiliency scale was added to the Mapworks surveys. This note uses the questions in that scale to explore the concept of academic resiliency in first-year college students using a national dataset of nearly 148,000 first-year students from 128 colleges and universities in the United States.

Key Questions:

1. What is academic resiliency? 2. How prevalent is academic resiliency in first-year students? 3. What are the characteristics of students who show high

academic resiliency? 4. How is academic resiliency related to key outcomes?

Defining Academic Resiliency

Three concepts capture the true essence of resiliency: focus, effort, and recovery. Can I focus on what I need to do, particularly long-term? Am I willing to put forth the effort to be successful? When I hit a setback, how do I recover from it? Academic resiliency applies these concepts to an academic setting. Academic resiliency is the willingness to work harder in the face of educational difficulty and the ability to adapt to academic challenges as they arise in order to achieve goals. The application to academics specifically is important because, like other concepts such as confidence or self-efficacy, a person may have resiliency in one aspect in his or her life but lack it in another.

Prevalence of Academic Resiliency

Figure 1 displays the percentage of students responding not at all (1 or 2 on a seven-point scale), moderately (3-5), and extremely (6-7) on questions in the academic resiliency scale. Student responses for the overall academic resiliency factor are divided nearly in half between high (56%), and moderate (43%) academic resiliency with a small skew toward high academic resiliency; only a marginal number of students reported having low academic resiliency (1%).

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Figure 1: Academic Resiliency Percentage of students responding not at all (1-2), moderately (3-5), and extremely (6-7) to questions in the academic resiliency scale.

Academic Resiliency and the First-Year Experience

Academic resiliency is positively correlated to various factors related to the first-year student experience, including commitment, self-discipline, time management, academic behaviors, academic self-efficacy, and academic integration.

Institutional Commitment

Figure 2 below display the percentage of students with a high mean factor score (6 or higher) on the institutional commitment factor by levels of academic resiliency. Students with a high level of academic resiliency are more committed to coming back to their current institution in the spring as compared to their peers with lower levels of academic resiliency.

Students with high academic resiliency are more committed to completing their degree at their current institution as compared to their peers with moderate and low levels of resiliency.

Students reporting high levels of academic resiliency are more committed to coming back to their current institution for the next academic year as compared to their peers with low levels of academic resiliency.

1% 1% 1% 1%

36% 30% 34% 22%

64% 69% 65% 78%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

You do everything youcan to meet the

academic goals you setat the beginning of the

semester.

You are a hard worker inyour classes.

When you know acourse is going to be

difficult, you put in extraeffort.

When you get a poorgrade, you work harder

in that course.

Not at all (1-2) Moderately (3-5) Extremely (6-7)

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Figure 2: Commitment and Academic Resiliency Percentage of first-year students responding 6 or 7 (high) on commitment questions by level of academic resiliency.

Self-Discipline

Figure 3 shows the percentage of first-year students averaging 6 or higher (extremely) on self-discipline factor questions by level of academic resiliency. Students with high academic resiliency report higher levels of self-discipline than do those with lower academic resiliency.

Three-quarters students with high academic resiliency indicated that they were highly self-disciplined, compared to 39% of moderate and 19% of low academic resiliency students.

Eight out of ten high academic resiliency students consider themselves the type of person who follows through.

Figure 3: Self-Discipline and Academic Resiliency Percentage of first-year students responding 6 or 7 (high) on self-discipline questions by level of academic resiliency.

63% 52%

42%

88% 77%

69%

95% 88% 84%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Return to this institution forspring term

Return to this institution for thenext year

Complete a degree at thisinstitution

Low Resiliency (1-2) Moderate Resiliency (3-5) High Resiliency (6-7)

19% 26%

37% 39%

51%

68% 76%

82% 90%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Is self-disciplined Follows through with what you say you’re going to do

Is dependable


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Time Management

Figure 4 shows the percentage of first-year students averaging 6 or higher (extremely) on Time Management factor questions by level of academic resiliency. Students with high academic resiliency are substantially more likely to report high time management skills than are those with either moderate or low resiliency.

71% of the high academic resiliency students indicated that they were the kind of person who balanced time between classes and other activities as opposed to only 24% of moderate and 17% of low academic resiliency students.

63% of high academic resiliency students consider themselves the kind of person who plans out their time as compared to only 20% of moderate and 15% of low resiliency students.

56% of high academic resiliency students consider themselves the type of person who makes to-do lists, as compared 22% of moderate resiliency and 18% of ten low academic resiliency students.

Figure 4: Time Management and Academic Resiliency Percentage of first-year students responding 6 or 7 (high) on time management questions by level of academic resiliency.

Basic Academic Skills

Figure 5 shows the percentage of first-year students averaging 6 or higher (extremely) on Basic Academic Skills factor questions by level of academic resiliency. Students who rate as being high in academic resiliency are more likely to report themselves as being highly likely to engage in basic academic behaviors, while those with lower levels of academic resiliency are less likely.

Nearly all high resiliency students identified as a person who attends class compared to only 57% of low resiliency students.

Students with high resiliency were 2.5 times as likely to turn in required homework assignments and take good notes in class than students with low academic resiliency.

17% 15% 18% 24% 20% 22%

71% 63%

56%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Balances time between classesand other activities (work,

student activities, etc.)

Plans out your time Makes "to-do lists"


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Four out of five students with high resiliency spent sufficient study time to earn good grades as opposed to a third of moderate and less than a fifth of low resiliency students.

Figure 5: Basic Academic Skills and Academic Resiliency Percentage of first-year students responding 6 or 7 (high) on basic academic skills questions by level of academic resiliency.

Advanced Academic Skills

Figure 6 shows the percentage of first-year students averaging 6 or higher (extremely) on Advanced Academic Skills factor questions by level of academic resiliency. Significantly more students with high levels of academic resiliency rate themselves as being highly likely to engage in advanced academic behaviors than do those with lower levels of academic resiliency.

Nearly half of high resiliency students report communicating with instructors outside of class, compared to only 20% of moderate and 12% of low resiliency students.

High resiliency students are more likely than low resiliency students to work on large projects well in advance of the due date.

Students with high resiliency were twice as likely as those with moderate resiliency and over three times as likely as those with low resiliency to read the assigned readings within a day before class.

Students with high resiliency were more likely to participate in class than students with low academic resiliency.

57%

33%

14%

39%

90%

64%

36%

82%

98% 88%

80%

98%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Attends class Takes good notes inclass

Spends sufficient studytime to earn good

grades

Turns in requiredhomework

assignments


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Figure 6: Advanced Academic Skills and Academic Resiliency Percentage of first-year students responding 6 or 7 (high) on advanced academic skills questions by level of academic resiliency.

Academic Self Efficacy

Figure 7 shows the percentage of first-year students averaging 6 or higher (extremely) on Academic Self Efficacy factor questions by level of academic resiliency. Half to three fourths of high resiliency students report high self-efficacy as opposed to a tenth of those with low academic resiliency.

Ten percent of low resiliency students indicated that they could do well on all problems and tasks assigned in their courses versus a third of moderate and three-quarters of high resiliency students.

Ten percent of low resiliency students said they could do well in their hardest course versus one out of five moderate resiliency and half of high academic resiliency students.

Figure 7: Academic Self Efficacy and Academic Resiliency Percentage of first-year students responding 6 or 7 (high) on academic self-efficacy questions by level of academic resiliency.

26% 18% 13% 12%

43%

29% 30% 20%

70% 59%

66%

46%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Participates in class Reads the assignedreadings within a day

before class

Works on large projectswell in advance of the

due date

Communicates withinstructors outside of

class


9% 8% 10%

31% 18%

33%

69%

51%

75%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Do well on all problems andtasks assigned in your courses

Do well in your hardest course Persevere on class projectseven when there are challenges


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Academic Integration

Figure 8 shows the percentage of first-year students averaging 6 or higher (extremely) on Academic Integration factor questions by level of academic resiliency. Three fourths of high resiliency students rated highly on the academic integration factor, compared to only 4 in 10 moderate and only 14% of low resiliency students.

84% of high resiliency students strongly agreed that they were learning, compared to half of moderate and a fifth of low resiliency students.

Eight out of 10 high resiliency students strongly agreed that they were motivated to complete their academic work, compared to 4 in 10 of moderate and 1 in 10 low academic resiliency students.

86% of high academic resiliency students strongly agreed that they could keep current with their academic work compared to only half of moderate and only 14% of low resiliency students.

Figure 8: Academic Integration and Academic Resiliency Percentage of first-year students responding 6 or 7 (high) on academic integration questions by level of academic resiliency.

Academic Resiliency and Outcomes

Fall Term GPA

Figure 10 shows the average Fall GPA by level of academic resiliency. There is a half grade letter difference between high and moderate resiliency and nearly a whole grade letter difference between high and low resiliency.

14% 11% 21%

50% 42%

51%

86% 81% 84%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Keeping current with youracademic work

Motivated to complete youracademic work

Learning


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Figure 10: Fall Term GPA and Academic Resiliency Average Fall GPA by level of academic resiliency.

Spring Persistence and Fall Retention Figure 11 shows the percentage of first-year students returning for the spring or fall term by level of academic resiliency. For the spring semester, 83% of students with high levels of academic resiliency returned, compared to 78% for students with moderate academic resiliency, and just 59% for the students with low levels of academic resiliency. For the following fall semester, 80% of high academic resiliency students returned compared to 71% of moderate and 58% of low resiliency students.

Figure 11: Persistence and Retention and Academic Resiliency Percentage of first-year students returning for the spring or fall term by level of academic resiliency.

2.20 2.55

3.10

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

Fall-Term GPA


59% 58%

78% 71%

83% 80%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Fall to Spring Persistence Fall to Fall Retention


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Conclusion

Just over half of students (56%) rated themselves as highly resilient, which leaves a remaining 44% as having moderate or low resilience. When comparing the two groups, clear patterns quickly emerge and we see that students with different levels of resiliency show different characteristics, in particular on a number of factors related to academic behaviors, time management, and self-efficacy. A similar relationship exists between academic resiliency and key outcomes such as academic performance and retention. While it is impossible to make a causal link between the characteristics and resiliency, it is obvious from this data that there is a strong connection between them.

Characteristics

Most high resiliency students are strongly committed to staying at their institution, while only three fourths of moderate students and only half of low resiliency students are. Most highly resilient students reported high levels of both self-discipline and time management skills compared to moderate and low resiliency students.

When asked about basic academic habits such as attending class, taking notes, and turning in homework, 80-98% of high resiliency students strongly agreed that they were the type of person that would engage in these positive behaviors, while 36-90% of moderate, and only 14-57% of low resiliency students agreed to the same. Students were also asked about more advanced academic behaviors, such as communicating with the professor outside of class and having a regular study schedule, and 46-70% of high resiliency students indicated that this was something that they would do, compared to 16-33% of moderate and 6-18% of low resiliency students.

Students with high resiliency are more confident in their academic ability overall. Over half of students reporting high academic resiliency indicate that they are certain that they could do well in their courses and persevere despite challenges. However, only 18-33% of moderate and 8-10% of low resiliency students shared a similar confidence. High resiliency is also related to academic integration, with over three-quarters of high resiliency students indicating a highly positive academic experience, compared to roughly half of moderate resiliency students and less than one-fourth of low resiliency students.

Outcomes

Resiliency is linked to outcomes, both when considering GPA and persistence and retention. Highly resilient students have a GPA on average .55 points higher than moderately resilient students and .90 points higher than low resilience students. They are also 24% more high resiliency than low resiliency students that stay through the spring semester, and 22% more that stay through the following fall semester.

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About the Data

The data used in this research note is from the 2014-2015 Mapworks Fall Transition Survey. The survey was jointly designed by the survey development team at Skyfactor and researchers at Ball State University. The Transition Survey measures the behaviors and expectations of students entering a college or university. Data is typically collected beginning three to four weeks into the fall term via Skyfactor’s online survey system. The data in this note is from 147,706 first-year college students from 128 two and four-year institutions in the United States. The note also used student profile data uploaded by participating institutions during the 2014-2015 academic year, including but not limited to term GPA and retention.

About Skyfactor

Skyfactor (formerly EBI MAP-Works) and Ball State University partnered to create Mapworks. Mapworks capitalizes on Ball State’s 20 years of experience with the original MAP (Making Achievement Possible) and Skyfactor’s 14 years of experience with national benchmarking assessments.

Mapworks® is a research-based, comprehensive, student retention and success platform created through a partnership between Skyfactor and Ball State University. It capitalizes on Ball State’s 20+ years of experience with the original Making Achievement Possible (MAP) program and Skyfactor’s expertise in national benchmarking assessments. Mapworks leverages predictive analytics to identify at-risk students. It presents that information in a format that makes it easy for an institu tion’s faculty and staff to focus on the needs of students early in the term and to have a positive impact on student success and retention.

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please write to us at [email protected] or visit Skyfactor.com

academic resiliency and first-year college students · 2020-03-30 · management factor questions...

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