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Non-Traditional Students: Corrie Hawes, Michelle Staggs and Judith Vasquez-Perez

This document summarizes research on non-traditional students in a bachelor's completion professional program. It discusses the literature review, which found challenges like low retention rates, time management issues, and lack of support. The methodology section describes conducting focus groups and interviews with diverse non-traditional students ages 25-39. Key findings included that students found support from family, faculty, and peers and used time management techniques and prioritization to balance school with work and family roles. Students were motivated by goals like career advancement and felt drained but also uplifted by their multiple responsibilities. The discussion calls for providing tools to help students succeed and recognizing how they focus on goals and persevere.

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161 views18 pages

Non-Traditional Students: Corrie Hawes, Michelle Staggs and Judith Vasquez-Perez

This document summarizes research on non-traditional students in a bachelor's completion professional program. It discusses the literature review, which found challenges like low retention rates, time management issues, and lack of support. The methodology section describes conducting focus groups and interviews with diverse non-traditional students ages 25-39. Key findings included that students found support from family, faculty, and peers and used time management techniques and prioritization to balance school with work and family roles. Students were motivated by goals like career advancement and felt drained but also uplifted by their multiple responsibilities. The discussion calls for providing tools to help students succeed and recognizing how they focus on goals and persevere.

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api-441528268
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Non-traditional

Students
Corrie Hawes, Michelle Staggs
and Judith Vasquez-Perez
Why did we choose
our topic?
Non-traditional // Adult Learners
Professional Students
Why?
Curious to learn about population!
Convenience sampling.
Research Question:
How are non-traditional students successful in a
bachelor's completion professional program?

3
Literature Review
✗ Completion (Low Retention Rates)
✗ Challenges & Barriers: Technological, Time Management
✗ Interrole Conflict
✗ Persistence, Overcoming and Resilience
✗ Sense of Connection
✗ Need for Support (Lack of Engagement & Resources)

Non-traditional // Adult Learners // Professional Students

4
“
The provision of targeted
support for vulnerable
students can ‘tip the balance’
in favour of success, and help
them develop the resilience
required for successful
completion.

Cotton, Nash & Kneale, 2017

5
Methodology
✗ Participants
-Professional Students, Non-traditional, Adult Learners
-Incentive: Dinner

✗ Materials
✗ Procedure
-Inland Empire Regional Campus (Convenience Sampling)
-Gatekeepers

6
Participant Demographics

Participant Interview Type Sex Race Parental Status

T Focus Group Male Latino Yes

A Focus Group Male Latino No

R Focus Group Male Latino No

JP Focus Group Male Black Yes

B Focus Group Female Caucasian No

CB One-on-One Interview Male Middle Eastern Yes

CP One-on-One Interview Male Pacific Islander Yes

KL One-on-One Interview Female Caucasian Yes

Ages ranged from 25 to 39

7
Results

Theme 1: Theme 2: Techniques


Support for Success

Students find support Time management


within family, friends, and Prioritizing
faculty. Making sacrifices

8
“I haven't had a lot of single complain
about any person that I've had so far. All
have really supported me. I’ve only had
these two professors that I have like as
far is it goes I don’t have any complaints
so far like they’re great and I've never
even had anyone like where you can just
go to him for anything. I’ve never
experienced that. It’s been very cool.”
-Josh

9
“We're tight little group, but it kind
of makes it better because we’re
able to get to know each other and
get close. We send each other
group texts all time and we keep
each other in check with deadlines
and stuff.”
-Kate

10
Results
Theme 3: Theme 4:
Motivation Multiple Roles

Graduation Parent
Career Employee
Advancement Coaching
and Promotion Volunteer
11
“I think that I know that if I have a
regular job, I know that it’s
temporary, but this is a long career
that I am doing this for. And it kind
of motivates me, like, “If I get
through this, and get this degree,
then get into what I actually want to
be doing,” then it actually just kind
of motivates me to keep going”

-Ray

12
“Even though I love it, it’s time

consuming. It’s draining,

emotionally draining, it can

be emotionally uplifting.”

-Josh

13
Discussion
✗ Students need support
✗ We must provide tools and
resources for students to succeed
(time management)
✗ Students focus on their goal
✗ Students persevere through
multiple roles

14
Limitations

✗ Limited to APU students here on a


certain night
✗ Students interviewed represented
two programs
✗ Lack of diversity in gender and age
✗ Time limit

15
Future Research

✗ Interview students from different


schools
✗ Have more time
✗ Make sure there is diversity
✗ Make the study mix methods

16
Thanks!
Any questions?

17
Resources
Cotton, D. E., Nash, T., & Kneale, P. (2017). Supporting the retention of non-traditional students in higher education

using a resilience framework. European Educational Research Journal, 16(1), 62-79.

18

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