Leadership Studies Ed.D. Dissertations

The impact of fee-based individualized academic support programs on attitude toward retention and belonging on college students with a disability

Date of Award

2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Department

Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Judy Jackson May (Committee Chair)

Second Advisor

Jonathon Kershaw (Other)

Third Advisor

Steven Capps (Committee Member)

Fourth Advisor

Julia Matuga (Committee Member)

Fifth Advisor

Penny Soboleski (Committee Member)

Abstract

This dissertation investigated the impact of fee-based individualized academic support programs on the attitudes of college students with disclosed disabilities toward retention and belonging. The study took place at two public, midsize, state universities located in the Midwestern region of the United States. The research was grounded in William Spady’s model of the dropout process and Vincent Tinto’s institutional departure model. Both perspectives served as the theoretical frameworks for exploring the impact of fee-based individualized academic support programs on various outcomes, including students’ attitudes toward belonging, retention beliefs, college integration, and self-determination. A convenience sample of 110 participants was recruited from both universities. All participants disclosed disabilities either to an on-campus office of disability services or were enrolled in a fee-based program. Factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to examine the effects of enrollment and tutoring status on attitudes toward retention and belonging. Logistic regression further revealed that both attitudes toward retention and self-determination were significant predictors of enrollment in fee-based programs, even when controlling for socioeconomic status (SES). The findings explicitly indicate that both enrollment in a fee-based individualized academic support program and tutoring significantly improved students’ integration into the college environment and positively influenced their attitudes toward retention and belonging. Specifically, students enrolled in fee-based programs were found to be more socially and academically integrated, leading to a more favorable outlook on staying enrolled. Moreover, the tutoring aspect was notably impactful; students who participated in tutoring sessions were more integrated and displayed more positive attitudes toward retention and belonging compared to non-tutored students. Tutored students experienced not only academic benefits but also substantial boosts in self-confidence and a greater sense of belonging within the college community. The enhanced sense of belonging and self-efficacy contributed to their positive attitudes toward retention. The study highlights the helpful contribution of fee-based programs and tutoring in enhancing college integration, which subsequently supplements retention and persistence among students with disabilities. Keywords: fee-based individualized academic support programs, college students with disabilities, attitudes toward retention, sense of belonging, college integration, self-determination, tutoring, academic support, William Spady’s dropout model, Vincent Tinto’s institutional departure model.

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