Abstract: This study describes a professional development project where undergraduate faculty in departmental teams used an action research model to hypothesize root causes of student achievement problems, select and implement course interventions, and collect data to assess intervention impacts. This study was conducted over the two years of the Faculty Improving Student Achievement Success (FISAS) project with follow-up data collected 18 months after project conclusion. Study results include faculty learning and course change, impacts on student learning, and institutional change. Overall, course interventions resulted in significant improvements in student learning and/or attitudes. The most important classroom interventions included finding mechanisms to increase student attendance and interaction with the content, and to implement early warning and intervention strategies that can assist students in recognizing unproductive patterns of academic behavior. Sustained changes and improved student achievement were found in those departments with low faculty turn over.
Abstract: Students in gateway business, math, and science courses at Northern Arizona University receive non-passing grades (grades of D, F, and W) at high rates. To identify possible trends in demographic groups that receive DFWs and to investigate why students receive DFWs in these courses, a student survey was administered to 719 students in 7 gateway courses, and institutional data were collected on 23255 students enrolled in 15 gateway courses. Student achievement and socioeconomic data on high schools from which gateway students originated were also collected. Student and high school data were analyzed to elucidate differences between ABC and DFW students, and to determine if differences in DFW rates existed between genders and among ethnicities. To determine if instructional style of gateway courses affected DFW rates or patterns in the demographics of DFW distribution, an instrument was used to characterize instructional styles used in the 15 gateway courses. Resulting data were analyzed for trends in DFW rates, gender, and ethnicity. Data suggest that possible causes of DFWs are inadequate student recruitment standards, student academic underpreparedness, lack of student and faculty ethnic and cultural diversity and interaction, and ineffective and inequitable instructional techniques. Possible interventions are discussed.
© 2009 Arizona Board of Regents.
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