peers presentation

Tricia Seifert, Diliana Peregrina-Kretz, Jeff Burrow, Christine Arnold,

& Kathleen MooreA version of this presentation was delivered at:

The American College Personnel Association (ACPA) on April 2, 2014The American Educational Research Association (AERA) on April 7, 2014

The Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education (CSSHE) on May, 2014The University of Toronto, St. George Campus – Student Life Day of Learning 2014

Finding Their Way: The Role of Peers as Connectors, Partners, and Role Models in Postsecondary Education

To understand how stakeholder groups perceive their institution's organization and approach to supporting student success.

Methodology• Constructivist methodology – participants play a role in the data

interpretation

• Interviews with senior administrators, faculty collaborators & individual faculty

• Focus groups with faculty, SAS staff, students & student leaders

• Depictions and Drawings of how their institution supports student success and their efforts in supporting student success

Sample128 students

122 Student Affairs and Services staff

42 Senior Admin

80 faculty participants

N=372

Data Analysis1. Data were transcribed

2. Overarching domains developed

3. Explicated codes developed

4. Reviewed & coded student data where peers are discussed

5. Categorized data into multiple roles that peers play in supporting student success

Theoretical Framework

Renn and Arnold’s (2003) adaptation of Bronfenbrenner’s (1993) Ecological Model of Development

Administrators

Administrators

Classes

Staff

Job

Faculty

Connecting Findings to Theory

Mesosystem

Peers

Student

Individual

Microsystems

Programs &Services

Research Findings: Roles of Students

• Connectors• Encouraging Partners• Role Models & Paying it Forward

Connectors

One of the things that I enjoyed most about the Psychology Club is that you

learn so much more from students who are currently going through it and [who

are] willing to chat with you…and tell you things that other people aren’t.

--College Student

A few weeks ago my mentee who is in her first year, she asked me “how do you get through it?”….I couldn’t answer her right away because I had to go home and really think about it, ‘cause I went through the last three years of my life and asked myself ‘really how did I get through it?’ ….And then I realized that it is because of the support I got from my classmates as well as my co-workers who are also students.

--University Student

People [peers] started looking at me as a leader and mentor [in class]. I am ok with that. They [peers] see me differently and ask for help. I was there once too.”

--University Student

Fostering a Positive Peer Culture to Support Student Success

Peers

Individual

MicrosystemsPrograms &

Services

Classes

Staff

Administrators

Jobs

Faculty

Mesosystem of a Student

Phase III – Spring 2014

• 11 colleges & universities (English and French) across 4 provinces

• Survey of Faculty, Staff, Senior Academic Officers, Senior Student Affairs and Services Officers

• Correlate with student year-to-year retention and completion

• Recruiting institutions for Spring 2015 participation• Interested? Contact Tricia.Seifert@utoronto.ca

Thank you to all of our partner institutions, participants and funders.

We appreciate your support.

Follow our research at:

@CdnStdntSuccess

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Check out the research study blog at: www.supportingstudentsuccess.wordpress.com

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