Description
Nationwide, Latino students are entering college, yet are not completing a four-year degree at the same rate when compared to other ethnic groups. Between 1992 and 2007, only five percent of Latinos successfully earned a four-year college degree, and that number is lower than any other ethnic group (College Board, 2007). California Community College Chancellor's Office [CCCCO] (2010) revealed that 50% of students drop out of college after their first semester; furthermore, the California Community College [CCC] system houses the largest percentage of Latino students in the state. In short, these statistics are staggering in terms of showing the underachievement of Latinos in higher education. Policy makers, administrators, faculty and staff need to find better ways to effectively help increase the academic success of the Latino student population. This lack of academic success among Latinos is a serious problem, especially considering the implications it could have for the state and national economies. Latinos represent 56 percent of the nation's population growth, and Mexicans represent the largest sub-group among Latinos (United States Census Bureau [Census], 2010). If the Latino population continues to fall further behind in educational attainment compared to other groups, while continuing to increase at a faster rate than other ethnic groups, then this might have negative implications for the U.S. economy and society, especially in states like California. The conceptual framework used for this study was based on Laura I. Rendon's (1993) Theory of Validation. This theory was used to examine factors that are perceived to have the greatest effect on impeding and promoting the success of first-year Mexican-American community college students. Factors include faculty and student interaction within and outside the classroom, learning opportunities and instructional strategies, counseling and student interaction, and support services utilized by students. These factors were examined from the perspectives of students and faculty representing various disciplines using a qualitative methods approach. Grounded theory was the research foundation used in the study (Creswell, 2009). The researcher unraveled and compared data, themes emerged and patterns were identified. This method was intended to compare data from different groups to identify the similarities and differences of faculty and students perception regarding academic success of Mexican-American college students. The community college where the participants were drawn from is a single college district with a student enrollment of 22,000. This Hispanic serving public institution (HSI) is located in Southern California. The three research questions addressed were (1) What institutional factors are perceived to promote the academic success of first-year Mexican-American community college students? (2) What institutional factors are perceived to impede the academic success of first-year Mexican- American community college students? (3) How do the perception of students and faculty compare concerning the academic success of first-year Mexican-American students. The research consisted of seven structured interviews with tenured faculty members, seven focus groups and two student interviews, for a total of 26 student participants. A total of eight themes and sub-themes emerged from the data. The themes were categorized into effective methods and ineffective methods. The sub-themes were "instructional strategies," "instructor/student relationships," "instructor behaviors," and "student support services." There was a high degree of congruence between faculty and student respondents on the factors that enhance and impede the academic success of Mexican-American college students. Based on the study findings, recommendations for research and practice were made in order to increase the success of first year Mexican-American college students.