Running head: SKILLS MOST IMPACTED BY SOCIAL BELONGING INTERVENTION
WHICH NON-COGNITIVE SKILLS WERE MOST IMPACTED BY THE SOCIAL
BELONGING INTERVENTION FOR TRIO PARTICIPANTS AT NORTH IDAHO
COLLEGE
By
Kimberly Stepro
Lewis-Clark State College
April 20, 2016
1
SKILLS IMPACTED BY SOCIAL BELONGING
INTERVENTION
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Abstract
The purpose of this pre-test/post-test study was to analyze the social belonging intervention that
relates the social belonging intervention to non-cognitive skills for TRIO participants at NIC.
The study determined which non-cognitive skills were most impacted by the social belonging
intervention for TRIO participants at North Idaho College. The qualitative interview revealed
common themes that participants related to in regards to the intervention and participation in the
TRIO program. Participants of the study included only students new to TRIO for the fall 2015
semester. This study is a blueprint of best practice that TRIO can continue to build upon in order
to stay current on best practices that promote student success and persistence as well as
graduation and transfer rates.
Keywords: TRIO, Non-cognitive skills, Social Belonging Intervention, North Idaho
College
SKILLS IMPACTED BY SOCIAL BELONGING
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Skills Impacted by the Social Belonging Intervention
It is widely accepted that higher education is considered valuable in our society.
Obtaining a bachelor’s degree is critically important to economic, job, and life satisfaction and
that positive college experiences are associated with well-being (Garriott, 2015). How First
Generation College (FGC) students navigate this positive college experience is different than non
FGC students. Student Support Services (TRIO) eligible students at North Idaho College (NIC)
face a number of challenges and barriers related to their first generation and low-income status as
well as their status as students with a disability.
Historically, college success predictors have been determined by grade points averages
and ACT/SAT scores (Sparkman, 2012). Numerous recent research studies show that
development of non-cognitive factors (skills) can have a significant effect on success rates,
particularly for FGC students (Stephens, 2014). Therefore, a focus on building non-cognitive
skills including academic behaviors, academic mindset, perseverance, self-regulation, social and
emotional skills, and approaches towards learning strategies as well as enhancement of student
motivation and engagement in learning is a theme that underlies all programs and services
offered by TRIO at NIC.
TRIO staff at NIC recognize the importance of intentionality of service and
demonstration of results and thus propose a systematic approach to building the non-cognitive
skills of its participants. William Sedlacek, leading researcher on non-cognitive skills, has
identified eight non-cognitive competency areas that have shown to impact student success
including 1) self-concept, 2) realistic self-appraisal, 3) understanding racism (other “isms”
SKILLS IMPACTED BY SOCIAL BELONGING
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apply), 4) long range goals, 5) availability of strong support persons, 6) leadership, 7)
community involvement, and, 8) non-traditional knowledge (2012). These eight competency
areas mirror those cited in the What Works Clearinghouse Study (Stephens, 2014). It is with this
intentional program plan and corresponding research that TRIO at NIC will propose to develop
non-cognitive skills in project participants in very specific and measureable ways.
A 2012 study, that noted the differences between FGC students that successfully and nonsuccessfully negotiated their first college semesters, stated that how well (or poorly) students
negotiate their early college experience has significant impact on their chances of ultimate
graduation and success (Morales, 2012). College campuses are seeing more FGC students than
ever and research is demonstrating the need to find what factors contribute to the success of these
students. When parents and family without college degrees form the primary support structure of
students in college, there is a lack of experience surrounding the student that may lead to
insufficient levels of emotional (and non-cognitive) support or a lack of understanding the
commitment necessary for a student to persist in college (Sparkman, 2012). Only 60% of
students that enroll in four-year institutions complete a bachelor’s degree within six years
(Lightweis, 2014). FGC students make up approximately 34% of the college freshman
population and only 73% return in their second year (Lightweis, 2014).
Based on recent research and success rates within TRIO at NIC, an intervention that is
based on a student’s non-cognitive skills is paramount to successful transition to a four-year
institution. By addressing these skills, TRIO will allow students to engage in their college
environment in a way that will encourage them to create relationships and connections to support
their educational goals.
SKILLS IMPACTED BY SOCIAL BELONGING
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Problem Statement
The problem is that the majority of NIC students are under-prepared and under-resourced
as evidenced by the following institutional demographics (NIC Institutional Data, 2013): The
majority (68%) of NIC students are SSS eligible, most of which are first generation; 46% of new
students at NIC enter with a GED; 82% are Caucasian; and 53% of students at NIC are Pell
Grant eligible (low income). In addition, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis,
Idaho ranks 49th in the nation for annual personal income. It is for these reasons TRIO eligible
participants at NIC have been most influenced by socioeconomic status.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this pre-test/post-test study is to analyze the social belonging intervention
that relates the social belonging intervention to non-cognitive skills for TRIO participants at
NIC. The independent variable, social belonging intervention, will generally be defined as a prerecorded moderated panel discussion, as well as advising with TRIO Support Team members,
existing resources within TRIO, and the implementation of the study strategies sessions The
dependent variables, non-cognitive skills, will be defined as self-concept, realistic self-appraisal,
understanding racism/classism, long range goals, availability of strong support persons,
leadership, community involvement, and non-traditional knowledge and will be statistically
controlled in this study.
Significance of the Study
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The development of non-cognitive skills is an integral part of the plan of operations for
TRIO at NIC. The intervention will enhance development of non-cognitive skills in program
participants and therefore further promote student success and persistence as well as graduation
and transfer rates of TRIO students at NIC. By changing the perspectives of both first generation
and continuing generation students, the intervention can also begin to challenge the mostly
middle-class cultural norms and assumptions that typically structure U.S. higher education
(Stephens, 2014).
Research Question/Hypothesis
For the purpose of this study, the following question was addressed:
1. Which non-cognitive skills were most impacted by the social belonging
intervention for TRIO participants at NIC?
For the purpose of this study, investigation included one research hypothesis:
1. The social belonging intervention will help TRIO at NIC participants develop their
non-cognitive skills.
Null Hypothesis
The following null hypothesis is proposed:
1. There is no relationship between non-cognitive skills and the social belonging
intervention with TRIO students at NIC.
Definitions
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The following definitions are used for this study:
1. First Generation College student (FGC)- defined as students having parents who do not
have a Bachelors degree (Lightweis, 2014)
2. Non-cognitive skills are defined as self-concept, realistic self-appraisal, understanding
racism/classism, long range goals, the availability of strong support persons, leadership,
community involvement, and non-traditional knowledge (Stephens, 2014).
Ecological System Theory
The ecological system theory and intervention models focus on the complex and
reciprocal relationships between a client and their social environment, including family, friends,
and other support systems. Developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner, the theory is well known for its
use of ecomaps; a diagram that demonstrates how functional the client’s relationship is with their
environment and those in it. Individuals move through a series of life transitions, all of which
necessitate environmental support and coping skills. Environmental supports, both on and off
campus, have been identified as critical to FGC students’ success and overall well-being
(Garriott, Hudyma, Keene, and Santiago, 2015).
Literature Review
Earning a bachelors degree is the surest path to higher socioeconomic status, however,
FGC students receive lower grades and drop out at higher rates than students who have at least
one parent with a four year degree (Stephens, 2014). College admission departments have years
of experience evaluating white middle and upper class applicants whom typically score well on
standardized test like the ACT and SAT. The farther an applicant’s background is from this
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norm, the less experience they have evaluating his/her potential for success in college (Sedlacek,
1993). As a result, colleges and universities have contributed to the widening socioeconomic
gap. Acknowledging this shortcoming allows for study of other factors, such as non-cognitive
skills, that will identify areas that contribute to success of FGC students.
Sedlacek identifies the eight non-cognitive skills and the low scoring identifiers as
Positive self-concept or confidence: Students express reasons why they might have to drop out
of school and feel other students are more capable. They feel they will have trouble balancing
personal and academic life. Realistic self-appraisal: Students are not familiar with evaluation in
school and tend to overreact to positive and negative reinforcements. They do not know how
they are doing in classes until grades are out. Understand and deals with racism/classism:
Students blame others for their problems and react with the same intensity to large and small
issues related to classism. Prefers long-range goals: Students show little ability to set and
accomplish goals and are likely to proceed without clear direction. They rely on others to
determine outcomes and live in the present. Availability of strong support person: Students
show no evidence of turning to others for help. They feel they can handle things on their own
and don’t recognize the importance of a strong support person. Successful leadership
experience: Students are nonassertive and do not take initiative. They are overly cautious and
avoid controversy. Community involvement: Students are not involved in the community. They
have limited activities of any kind and engage more in solitary rather than group activities.
Knowledge acquired in a field: Students know little about fields or areas not learned in school
and show no evidence of learning from community or nonacademic activities (Sedlacek, 1993).
SKILLS IMPACTED BY SOCIAL BELONGING
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FGC students tend to be enrolled in college part-time, lower income, less active in
extracurricular activities, and less academically prepared than their peers (Garriot et al, 2015),
which support Sedlacek’s research regarding non-cognitive skills. Once enrolled, the FGC
student is more likely to be under-prepared academically including lack of skills in oral
communication and critical thinking (Becker, Krodel, and Tucker, 2009). These students come to
the table with less general knowledge about how to transition into college life, including
integration. The more a student integrates, the less likely the student is to drop out of the
institution (Sparkman, Maulding, and Roberts, 2012).
In a study on integration of FGC students, Longwell-Grice found that participants felt
that if they were to seek faculty’s assistance then they were not doing college on their own. In
other words, these participants thought interacting with faculty was going to result in more
negative than positive outcomes. (Lightweis, 2014).
As college campuses are seeing more non-traditional and FGC students there comes a
greater need in assessing and providing resources for these students. ACT and SAT scores are no
longer the prevailing indicators of a student’s success. U.S. colleges and universities seldom
acknowledge how social class can affect students’ educational experiences, therefore, many FGC
students lack insight about why they are struggling and do not understand how students “like
them” can improve (Stephens et al, 2014). Helping students understand how their different
backgrounds matter is a powerful insight that has the potential to not only increase students’
sense of comfort and ability to operate in diverse settings, but also equip them to better navigate
their own college experience (Stephens, 2014).
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Garriot et al concluded that future research would also benefit from studies of the
relations between environmental supports, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and academic
progress among FGC students-particularly in the first year of study when many of these students
make non-persistence decisions (Garriot et al, 2015). TRIO staff at NIC recognize the
importance of non-cognitive factors as predictors of their participant’s success and through a
systematic approach, will build the non-cognitive skills of their participants through the social
belonging intervention.
Methodology
The new and innovative strategy that TRIO will employ at NIC to address non-cognitive
skills is based on research that meets the moderate evidence of effectiveness. The study was
found in the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) and therefore meets moderate evidence of
effectiveness standards. The study used is titled “Closing the Social-Class Achievement Gap: A
Difference-Education Intervention Improves First-Generation Students’ Academic Performance
and All Students’ College Transition” (Stephens et al, 2014). Stephens et al’s study investigated
the impact of attending a moderated panel discussion for incoming freshman on their adjustment
to college. Modifications to the model study from WWC were made as a result of demographics,
intuitional and student characteristics, and resource limitations. A smaller sample was used for
this study; 9 participated in the pre/post-test portion and 7 participated in the qualitative
interview portion.
Research Design
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This is a mixed method, quasi-experimental study on non-cognitive skills impacted by
the social belonging intervention for TRIO participants at NIC. The research question, which
non-cognitive skills were most impacted by the social belonging intervention for TRIO
participants at NIC, was evaluated through a pre-test/post-test study and included four qualitative
questions. These questions were designed to gain more knowledge on the impact of the
intervention, and other services provided by TRIO, that might have attributed to the change in
non-cognitive skills of participants.
Participants and Setting
TRIO at NIC admits a large portion of students as first-time, full-time incoming freshman
through the early intervention cohort. However, a number of new admits are also transfer
students or may have already completed a semester or more at NIC. The program goals and
objectives for TRIO are to improve retention, good standing, and graduation and transfer rates
for all participants. The research shows, and TRIO staff at NIC agree, that addressing noncognitive skills has a significant positive impact on student success. Therefore, the intervention
outlined in the WWC study was administered to new TRIO participants, with the hope that
eventually all TRIO participants will benefit from the intervention. Purposive sampling of all
new TRIO participants was used to ensure a sample that is representative of all TRIO
participants.
North Idaho College is an open enrollment, midsized public community college; differing
significantly from the private college cited in the WWC study. As a result, the NIC student
demographic is quite different as well. The differences in student demographic and college
SKILLS IMPACTED BY SOCIAL BELONGING
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resources dictated adjustments to the intervention design as to provide best possible outcomes for
NIC students.
Instrumentation
The WWC study is from a four-year institution. NIC is a community college, so second
or third year current participants, as well as TRIO alumni, will be used as panelists. TRIO
students at NIC are, by nature, time limited. Many are commuters, single parents, or working 30
or more hours. These resource limitations made conducting multiple, live panel discussions
unfeasible. As a result, the moderated panel discussion is in the form of a pre-recorded video
posted to the TRIO Toolkit to which all new TRIO participants will have access.
The pre-test/post-test was administered using the NIC TRIO Non-cognitive
Questionnaire adapted from the original Non-cognitive Questionnaire developed by William
Sedlacek and colleagues. A qualitative interview, comprised of four questions developed by the
researcher and Holly Edwards, Director of TRIO at NIC, helped to provide a comprehensive
evaluation of non-cognitive skill development by TRIO students at NIC.
Data Collection
The date of data collection was February 2016, after approval of research study from the
Institutional Review Board. Data from the pre-test/post-test was collected from the TRIO
specific database known as StudentAccess. The researcher then conducted a qualitative interview
of four questions that focused on how participants were impacted by the social belonging
intervention. The researcher asked permission to take notes during the interview to better
document participant’s answers and to accurately code similarities. Hard data was secured in a
SKILLS IMPACTED BY SOCIAL BELONGING
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file cabinet in the director of TRIO’s office. Digital data was stored on a secure computer in the
TRIO department.
Data Analysis
Once the pre-test and post-test scores were collected, the scores were analyzed using
descriptive statistics. Inferential statistics were analyzed using a dependent t-test by using the
mean scores from both the pre-test and post-test. The dependent t-test is designed to compare
two sets of scores from the same participant. Comparing the two scores determined if the social
belonging intervention was effective in changing non-cognitive skills of participants. The
qualitative data was collected and common themes were coded to analyze personal influences
that might have attributed to a change in non-cognitive skills.
Findings
The purpose of this mixed method, quasi-experimental study was to analyze the social
belonging intervention that related to non-cognitive skills development for TRIO participants at
NIC. The following research question was addressed: which non-cognitive skills were most
impacted by the social belonging intervention for TRIO participants at NIC? The proposed null
hypothesis for this study included that there is no relationship between non-cognitive skill
development and the social belonging intervention with TRIO students at NIC.
Quantitative
The New Participant Assessment (NPA) is a measure created and validated by TRIO staff
containing 22 questions rated on a Likert Scale that measure Non-cognitive skills development.
A dependent paired two samples t-test was performed comparing the mean scores of the NPA
SKILLS IMPACTED BY SOCIAL BELONGING
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before the social belonging intervention with the mean scores after the intervention (paired two
sample t-test, t = 4.35, 21df, p = 0.00013). With a probability score of 0.00013, this research
proved to be statistically significant and therefore resulted in a rejection of the null hypothesis
that there was no relationship between non-cognitive skills and the social belonging intervention.
Table 1
t-Test Comparisons of Pre-and Post-test Performance on New Participant Assessment
Pre-test
Post-test
___m__
3.46
3.65
___sd__
0.40
0.48
___n__
22
22
Note: Table 1 shows the mean, standard deviation, and sample size (number of questions) for the
pre and post NPA, rated on a Likert scale from 1 to 5, with 5.0 being the highest score possible.
Based on the results of the Pearson Correlation, there is a strong correlation between the
social belonging intervention and non-cognitive skills development (self-concept, realistic selfappraisal, long range goals, availability of strong support persons, community involvement,
leadership, and understanding classism, and non-traditional knowledge) of TRIO participants at
NIC (r = .92, p <.05) as seen in Figure 1.
Figure 1
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Social Belonging Intervention
Positive Correlation
Non- Cognitive Skill Development
Note: Figure 1 shows the positive correlation between the introduction of the Social
Belonging Intervention and the increase in Non-Cognitive Skills Development
The pre and post-test consisted of twenty-two questions, rated on a Likert scale, which
are indicative of non-cognitive skills development that is addressed through TRIO participation.
Figure 2 displays the pre and post-test differences.
Figure 2
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Pre and Post New Participant Assessment
Pre
Q27
Q26
Q25
Q24
Q23
Q22
Q21
Q20
Q19
Q18
Q17
Q16
Q15
Q14
Q13
Q11
Q10
Q9
Q8
Q7
Q5
Q3
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Post
Note: Figure 2 shows the pre and post mean differences for the NPA which included
twenty-two questions (Q3 through Q27) that address Non-Cognitive Skills
Of the twenty-two questions, six were identified through statistical analysis as having the
most statistically significant differences. These six questions, written in order of greatest forward
movement and displayed in Figure 3, are as follows: Q15. I know what I want to major in, Q20.
The relationships I build with others are supportive, Q10. Earning good grades at NIC is/will be
easy for me, Q16. I know what career I want to have after college, Q18. I have set long-term
goals for myself, and Q22. I find it easy to communicate with staff at NIC. Figure 3 displays the
six questions and the non-cognitive skills associated with each question.
Figure 3
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Q22 Q18 Q16 Q10 Q20 Q15
Pre and Post Non-Cognitive Skills
Self-concept, long range goals
Strong support person, community
involvement, leadership
Self-concept, relistic self-appraisal
Self-concept, realistic self-appraisal, long
range goals
Self-concept, long range goals
Self-concept, realistic self-appraisal, strong
support person, classism, community
0
Post
1
2
3
4
5
Pre
Note: Figure 3 shows the six questions from the NPA that showed the most movement,
measured on a Likert Scale, and the Non-Cognitive Skills associated with each question.
The non-cognitive skills development that is associated within the six questions include
self-concept, realistic self-appraisal, long range goals, availability of strong support persons,
community involvement, leadership, and understanding classism. The frequency of each noncognitive skill development within these top six questions can be found in Table 2.
Table 2
SKILLS IMPACTED BY SOCIAL BELONGING
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Frequency of Non-Cognitive Skills_________________________________________________
Skills
(f)
Self-Concept
5
Realistic Self-Appraisal
3
Long Range Goals
3
Availability of Strong Support Persons
2
Community Involvement
2
Leadership
1
Understanding Classism
1
Non-Traditional Knowledge
0
______________________________________________________________________________
Table 2 shows the frequency that each Non-Cognitive Skill appeared in the six NPA questions that showed the most movement.
Based on the frequency that each non-cognitive skill appeared in the six questions from
the NPA, self-concept, realistic self-appraisal, and long range goals were the non-cognitive skills
that were most impacted by the social belonging intervention. Availability of strong support
persons and community involvement only appeared twice, while leadership and understanding
classism only appeared once. Non-traditional knowledge did not appear in the top six questions.
Qualitative
Seven participants were included in the qualitative interview. The interview consisted of
four questions that related experiences of new participants of TRIO at NIC with the social
belonging intervention. The pre-recorded moderated panel discussion (social intervention) was
designed to provide TRIO participants with psychological resources, including the belief that
people who have backgrounds like theirs deserve to attend college and can thrive there (Stephens
et al, 2014). Several common themes emerged from the four questions: time management, nontraditional student, fear of the unknown, financial barriers, and family drug and alcohol abuse.
Question 1. How were you able to relate to the personal stories from the video?
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Time Management occurred three times in answer to this question. Participants
expressed difficulty balancing the responsibilities of school with their personal lives and
were underprepared for how much time needed to be dedicated to studying outside of
class. Being a non-traditional student also occurred three times in answer to question
one. Participants related to having been out of school for several years, being older
students, and also as single parents. Relating to family drug and alcohol abuse occurred
twice in the answers and these participants expressed that they realized how different
their lives would be if they followed in their family’s footsteps.
Question 2. In what way did the video impact your experiences transitioning to
college at NIC?
Fear of the Unknown occurred three times in answer to this question. The
occurrences involved participants relating to the video and realizing that it is okay to ask
for help and that they are no longer scared to ask for help. Participants also related to the
panel members on the video when discussing how much of a culture shock college is and
the feeling that if the panel members can succeed, then so can they. One participant found
comfort that the panel members face the same struggles as he/she does.
Question 3. For you, what has been the hardest obstacle of coming to college?
Time management occurred six times and fear of the unknown, including not
knowing the location of classrooms, what to expect or be expected of in classes, and
where to find guidance when needed, occurred three times in answer to this question.
Financial Barriers occurred twice and included the passing of a spouse and unable to
SKILLS IMPACTED BY SOCIAL BELONGING
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support themselves on minimum wage, downsizing from a large home to a fifth-wheel
trailer, and trying to find jobs that work with school schedules.
Question 4. What other interactions within TRIO have helped you transition in
college?
The last question provided an option to select six interactions within TRIO that
assisted with participant’s transition in college; the social belonging intervention,
academic advising, peer tutoring, study strategies sessions, office and lab resources, and
the TRIO Club. Of the seven participants, all indicated advising and that the trusting
relationships, open door policy, career advice, and goal setting that occurs with their
TRIO Advisor assisted in their transitions to college. Five of the participants indicated
that the availability of one-on-one tutoring that TRIO provides was helpful or beneficial
to them. Five of the participants also indicated that the computer lab provided by TRIO
assisted in transitioning to college because it was convenient, they don’t have to wait for
a computer to be available, and had free printing privileges. Four of the participants
indicated that the introduction of the study strategies sessions helped them transition to
college by helping them with self-discipline, planning, time management, and
organization. Two participants indicated that the video helped them to see a different
point of view and was very relatable. The TRIO Toolbox, which is available to all TRIO
participants, is accessed via Blackboard and provides resources such as career planning,
scholarships, transfer information, study strategies, and many other resources. One
participant found the TRIO Toolbox interaction to be helpful and one student also found
the TRIO Club (a NIC sanctioned student club) to be helpful in transitioning to college
SKILLS IMPACTED BY SOCIAL BELONGING
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because it was a way for him/her to give back to others what they have received through
TRIO.
Discussion
The purpose of this mixed method, quasi-experimental study was to analyze the social
belonging intervention that related to non-cognitive skills development for TRIO participants at
NIC. The study supports Garriot et al’s (2015) findings that future research would also benefit
from studies of the relations between environmental supports, self-efficacy, outcome expectations,
and academic progress among FGC students-particularly in the first year of study when many of
these students make non-persistence decisions. Providing the intervention to new participants of
TRIO has allowed these students to engage in their college environment in a way that built
relationships and support systems that will help them persevere and reach their educational goals
of graduation and transfer to a four-year college.
Individuals move through a series of life transitions, all of which necessitate environmental
support and coping skills (Garriott et al, 2015). The Ecological Systems Theory focuses on the
complex and reciprocal relationships between a client and their social environment. The
intervention in this study strongly involved students interacting with their environment and showed
that positive interactions can have a positive effect on self-concept, realistic self-appraisal,
understanding classism, long-range goals, availability of strong support persons, leadership, and
community involvement. Stephens et al (2014) found that helping students understand how their
different backgrounds matter is a powerful insight that has the potential to not only increase
students’ sense of comfort and ability to operate in diverse settings, but also equip them to better
navigate their own college experiences. The results of this study indicate that the intervention
SKILLS IMPACTED BY SOCIAL BELONGING
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improved these students sense of comfort and ability to operate in diverse settings which will give
them confidence in making decision that will affect their education and lifelong goals.
Conclusion
The pre-recorded moderated panel of current and previous TRIO participants was
designed to normalize student’s transition to college and focused on themes of different
backgrounds, socioeconomic status, and fear of the unknown. Research indicates that intergroup
relationships that explore how significant social differences- such as race, ethnicity, gender,
social class, and sexual preference- can shape a student’s experiences and opportunities in
college and in life (Stephens et al, 2014). When students have the ability to learn about their
diverse backgrounds in a supportive and safe environment, they learn that their diversity is
significant to their college success. This study was based on, and supports, research that indicates
a student’s success in school is strongly connected to non-cognitive skills development. The
social belonging intervention had a strong impact on the participant’s non-cognitive skills
development, and therefore further promotes student success and persistence as well as
graduation and transfer rates.
It is the intention of TRIO at NIC to employ the most current best practices in order to
improve persistence, academic good standing, and graduation and transfer rates of participants.
This study is a blueprint of best practice that TRIO can continue to build upon and study, in
order to stay current on best practices and continue to build the supportive relationships that are
the foundation of the program’s success and impact on student’s non-cognitive skills
development.
SKILLS IMPACTED BY SOCIAL BELONGING
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Assumptions and Limitations
Assumptions
There is an assumption that students will watch the video in its entirety and that students
will answer the New Participant Assessment honestly.
Limitations
All new TRIO participants for the 2015-2016 school year were invited to participate in
this study. However, only nine participated in the pre and post-test and only seven participated in
the qualitative interview. Although the study proved to be statistically significant, the results
from the small sample size cannot be generalized to all TRIO participants. Another limitation
was the length of time the social belonging intervention and study strategies sessions were
implemented before results were collected. Approximately four months separated the time when
the pre-test and post-tests were conducted. TRIO will build off of this study and it is
recommended that at least one full school year transpire before the post-test is implemented
For the purpose of measuring which specific non-cognitive skills were most impacted by
the social belonging intervention, the NPA was difficult to use as a measure because each
question addressed multiple non-cognitive skills. With multiple skills being addressed in a single
question, there was no definitive way to designate which skill was most impacted.
The role of the researcher as a student intern for TRIO at NIC could have possibly
influenced participants answers to the qualitative interview due to the fact that as a part of TRIO
staff, the researcher had built strong and supportive relationships with participants. Further
SKILLS IMPACTED BY SOCIAL BELONGING
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research could benefit from the study being conducted by an outside source, therefore reducing
the influence of supportive relationships that are formed in the work within TRIO.
Numerous recent research studies show that development of non-cognitive skills can
have a significant effect on success rates, particularly for FGC students. TRIO is a federally
grant funded program and this study was necessary for future funding opportunities and proves
that the TRIO program at NIC is effective in impacting non-cognitive skills development of its
participants. The study, and further research, provide accountability information regarding
program effectiveness and is in compliance with legislation and regulations for TRIO programs.
This data can also be used to link directly to the Annual Performance Report (APR) to the U.S.
Department of Education, which ties together the measurable goals, objectives, and outcomes of
the program’s plan of operation.
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References
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Garriott, P.O., Hudyma, A., Keene, C., & Santiago, D. (2015). Social cognitive predictors of
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