De Anza Research Project Prepared by: Kara Uy, Caitlin Tiffany, Lourdes Quiason.

De Anza Research Project

Prepared by: Kara Uy , Caitlin Tiffany, Lourdes Quiason

Survey Analysis

Research Question: How does family background influence knowledge about how to “play the game”

of college?

• Prior research has focused on the educational effects of unequal socioeconomic status. The finding asserts that students from privileged socioeconomic backgrounds tend to invest in scholastic pursuits and thereby obtain returns in the form of academic achievement and degree attainment.

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Introduction

Literature Review• A study by Dr. Amy Strage found that there is a relationship between the

success of a student and their family background. A student’s confidence, persistence and task involvement, which affect a student’s success in college, are significantly related to his or her family background and environmental factors, which includes positive rapport with their instructors and parenting styles

• Another Study by Dr. Amy Strage found strong links between academic and social integration and student outcomes across ethnic groups and for first-and later-generation college students. Identified relationships among five indices of academic and social integration (academic confidence, social confidence, perception of oneself as a leader among one's peers, a positive rapport with one's teachers and parent’s, and an internal locus of control) and success and mastery orientation in that environment

• Mary J. Fischer found that Blacks and Hispanics more likely to be from low socioeconomic backgrounds and more likely to be first generation college students (as opposed to white and Asian students) The transition to college is important in whether the student succeeds or fails in college. Minority status decreases the likelihood that the student will succeed.

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Hypothesis

Hypothesis 1: Parental socioeconomic status (parents education, occupational status, and income) has a positive effect on academic achievement  

• Hypothesis 2: Academic achievement increases due to the positive effect of parental guidance/expectation and college preparedness

Research Methods • Target Population: First time college students

enrolled in the summer or fall of 2008, planning to transfer to a 4- year college, enrolled at De Anza at least half time

• Survey questionnaires were distributed by email to the target population with emails on file. Only 90 out of 1,746 De Anza students responded

• Female: 786 (45%) Male: 960 (55%)

• In depth interviews were conducted with 2 first time college students and an academic counselor

Limitations• The low response rate: only 90 out of 1746

• Students who were not enrolled full time were not surveyed.

• Survey questionnaires were only sent out to those

with valid emails.

• Most of the respondents were Asian-Americans, Caucasian, and Hispanic therefore some of the ethnic groups are not represented from our survey

• Time constraints

Findings

• Findings do not support our hypotheses

• Our analysis of the survey data suggests that parental socioeconomic status had no substantial meaning or statistical significance to academic achievement.

Survey Analysis• Our data is not completely representative:

Race/Ethnicity Our Response Actual

African American 3.3% 5%

Asian American/Asian 43.3% 33%

Caucasian non-Hispanic 27.8% 23%

Mexican American/ Hispanic 12.2% 22%

Native American 0% 0%

Pacific Islander 4.4% 9%

Other 8.9% 3%

Survey Analysis• Hypothesis 1: Parental socioeconomic

status effects academic achievement

• No relationship found between race/ethnicity, income, or parental education and high school GPA or other indicators such as Counseling 100, and whether or not they knew what assist.org was

• Our analysis of the survey data suggests that parental socioeconomic status had no substantial meaning or statistical significance to academic achievement.

Survey Analysis As parental education level goes up, so does

amount of parental guidance

There is a 5%-10% chance that the results are due to chance based on Chi Squared Test

Survey Analysis• As parental guidance in high school goes up,

taking counseling 100 increasesParental Guidance vs. Taking Counseling 100

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Survey Analysis• Parental Education level More Parental

Guidance about academic path

• Parental Guidance More likely to take Counseling 100

• Seems to provide support for the second hypothesis: parental guidance and expectations affect academic achievement

• Maybe some indirect support for first hypothesis that socioeconomic status affects academic achievement

• However…

Survey AnalysisTaking Counseling 100

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I have already takenit

I'm currently taking it I plan to take it I'm not going to takeit

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Series1

Qualitative AnalysisInterview Findings:

Interview Analysis Continued…

Students place great importance on pleasing their parents

• Bakti: “Most child in India want to please their parents so they are pressured to work very hard. For me, I think I was okay, my parents just seemed to want me to focus on school.”

• Sara: “A lot of people need that push and motivation to make their families proud. I mean if you graduate from college, your parents would be very proud of you and this would also make you feel better. That is why I think family background helps a student be prepared and successful in college because you do not want to disappoint your parents.”

• From our survey: Felt pressured by their parents to go to college

• 32.2% occasionally, 41.1% frequently

Interview analysis cont…

High tuition fees increases academic achievement

• Sara: “You know that my tuition is very expensive so I would not want to waste my parents’ money by taking classes that will not be counted towards my major, which is nursing.”

• Bakti: “One of the hardest challenges…I have to pay a lot of fees, I come from India. I mean I don’t have to worry about money but it just seems a lot compared to other students here, each course is close to 600 bucks so I have to pass all my classes”

Main Points According to Our Interviews…

• Orientation classes seem to be helpful tools to help students understand the process of how to “play the game” of college.

• Parents’ expectations seem to drive students to do better and focus more in their classes.

• High tuition fess motivates students to work harder in their classes.

Future Research

• Look at how knowledge about time management affects how a student can succeed in college

• Future research can also explore whether the success of college students is heavily influenced by positive rapport with peers and instructors.

Future Research

• Some prior research suggests that parental socioeconomic status had no substantial meaning to academic achievement. Other factors such as motivation and confidence played a salient role in college success

• Future Research can take a less traditional approach and continue to explore these factors, hypothesizing that college students can become academically liberated from their socioeconomic origins

Recommendations

• Include teaching time management skills or tips on “how to play” the game of college in orientation classes for first time college students.

• Require all brand new students to take the orientation class.