Conditional Momentum? Mental Health, Academic Progress, and Core Competencies Among STEM Community College Students

• In Event: Holistic Success: Institutional Influences on Community College Student Outcomes

Abstract

In this study, we examine how the effectiveness of academic momentum and instructional support on student outcomes is shaped by community college students' mental health conditions. Drawing on survey data from 1,256 students across three community colleges, this study tests whether mental health conditions moderate the relationships between curricular, cognitive, and metacognitive momentum, holistic teaching practices, and three outcomes: academic progress, professional and interpersonal self-efficacy, and career readiness self-efficacy. All four predictors positively predicted student outcomes. However, moderation was domain- and outcome-specific: metacognitive and cognitive momentum showed amplified associations for students with mental health conditions, while holistic teaching's competency-building benefits were attenuated for this group. Findings extend the momentum framework and carry direct implications for integrating mental health support into equitable community college STEM pathways.

Authors

• Xiwei Zhu, San Diego State University

• Xueli Wang, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Aikebaier Nadila, University of Wisconsin - Madison