Identifying College Students’ Academic Help-Seeking Groups and Their Relationships With Antecedents and Academic Performance

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 1:30 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Self-Regulated Learning Strategies and Academic Performance (Table 7)

Abstract

Academic help-seeking (AHS) is a crucial self-regulated learning strategy for college students, yet understanding actual AHS across diverse settings remains limited. In this study, we examined 488 undergraduate students’ AHS behaviors captured in four settings common in an introductory biology course. Using latent class analysis, we identified four distinct help-seeking groups, and prior knowledge is related to AHS group membership. We also found statistically significant differences in academic outcomes among help-seeking groups, with the group relying on system-embedded help exhibiting the lowest academic outcomes. Conversely, the group that actively used course forums and one-on-one meetings throughout the semester achieved the highest academic outcomes. Our findings emphasize the need for educators to understand various patterns of help-seeking behaviors to support students.

Authors

• Linyu Yu, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Sirui Ren, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Hanall Sung, University of Tennessee

• Robert D Plumley, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Alaina Garland, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Jeff A. Greene, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Carlton J. Fong, Texas State University

• Peter F. Halpin, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

• Matthew L. Bernacki, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill