The Impact of Social and Academic Engagement on the Academic Success of Immigrant Community College Students

• In Event: 52.048 - Latina/o and Immigrant Student Educational Pathways and the Factors That Shape Their Journey Through the Educational Pipeline

Abstract

Purpose of Study
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of social and academic engagement on the educational outcomes of immigrant origin community college students. Research on engagement has found that the more students are engaged in college the more likely they are to be academically successful, persist, and are be more satisfied with school than students who are less engaged (Kuh, Cruce, Shoup, Kinzie, & Gonyea, 2008). However, most higher education research on student engagement has focused on “traditional” college students which are White, middle class, and attend four-year colleges (Bensimon, 2007). Therefore policies and practices developed using classical theories on engagement often fail to engage the non-traditional college students, which are low-income students of color from immigrant backgrounds who attend less selective four-year colleges or community colleges. This study examines the academic and social engagement of immigrant students at community colleges. Two research questions guide this study 1) What are the differences in academic (such as hours spent studying) and social engagement (participation in co-curricular activities) between immigrant and nonimmigrant community college students? and 2) What is the relationship between academic and social engagement activities and educational outcomes (academic achievement and persistence) between immigrant and nonimmigrant community college students?

Conceptual Framework
This study is guided by Kuh, Kinzie, Buckley, Bridges, and Hayek’s (2007) conceptual framework on student success and engagement that takes into consideration student background characteristics, institutional characteristics, social interactions with faculty and peers, student’s perceptions about the campus climate, and quality of students curricular and co-curricular participation on campus.

Methods & Data Source
This study examines data from the Research on Immigrants in College (RIC) project, a multiphase embedded mixed-methods study (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011) conducted across three urban public community colleges. The RIC project examined student engagement, academic outcomes of immigrant college students using online surveys and institutional data. Surveys were collected between 2011-2013 via Qualtrics online software and was available in multiple languages. The 646 participants were between the ages of 18 and 25, enrolled in a degree-seeking program at one of the three colleges. Participants were recruited through classrooms we observed, through flyers posted throughout campus, and email listserves via student clubs and organizations. Nearly half of the sample of 646 students are male (45.4%), 39% are Latina/o, 26.9% Black, 12.7% White, and 9.1% Asian. A large proportion of the sample is second-generation immigrant (43%) followed by first-generation immigrant (34%).

Results
The data is currently being analyzed using logistical regression statistics and will be ready to report for the final paper submission.

Significance of Study
Research on student engagement has largely focused on “traditional” college students. This study aims to fill the gap of research on engagement for low-income students of color from immigrant backgrounds and at community colleges. This research is critical since low-income immigrant students of color are disproportionately attending community colleges. Additionally, this study challenges misconceptions about community college students as disengaged on college campuses and rather are engaged but in “non-traditional” ways.

Authors

• Cynthia Maribel Alcantar, University of California - Los Angeles

• Bach Mai Dolly Nguyen, University of California - Los Angeles