Lagnese, Michele Marie
(2024)
The Journey Through Focused Exploration: Engaging Sophomore TRIO Student Support Services Scholars.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Even though the sophomore year in college is a pivotal time when students make important decisions impacting their college experiences, the provision of a structured sophomore-year program has not been a priority in higher education in the United States. For the first-generation, low-income students participating in TRIO Student Support Services (TRIO SSS) who face additional obstacles throughout their college journey, the “sophomore slump” has even more potential of leading to lower levels of academic achievement and higher levels of attrition. As a Director of TRIO SSS, I aim to increase the number and self-efficacy of sophomore participants utilizing TRIO SSS services by 50% as evidenced by (a) the students’ increased sense of belonging within the SSS community, (b) the movement of participants from the state of focused exploration to tentative choices, and (c) the students’ increased engagement in both TRIO SSS and campuswide opportunities.
For this inquiry, I developed a series of events called the SSS Sophomore STRATEGY Series that addressed specific needs of sophomore-level students. The improvement science approach consisted of a mixed-methods research design with a participant survey seeking to gather quantitative data and focus groups gathering qualitative data exploring perceptions of how the Series impacted participants’ sense of belonging, their motivation to engage with TRIO SSS and campus events, and their creation of a personalized success strategy.
The key findings indicated that the Sophomore STRATEGY Sessions increased second-year participants’ sense of belonging, assisted them in crafting a personalized success strategy, and motivated them to engage actively with other events and activities organized by the TRIO SSS program. Moreover, the findings demonstrate the compelling interrelationship between sense of belonging, engagement, and a successful journey through focused exploration for sophomore college students, particularly those from first-generation, low-income, and other underrecognized backgrounds.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
28 August 2024 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
21 June 2024 |
| Approval Date: |
28 August 2024 |
| Submission Date: |
22 July 2024 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
102 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Education > Administrative and Policy Studies |
| Degree: |
EdD - Doctor of Education |
| Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
sophomore year, college students, TRIO programs, first-generation, low-income, underrepresented |
| Date Deposited: |
28 Aug 2024 15:00 |
| Last Modified: |
28 Aug 2024 15:00 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/46712 |
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