Study Skills Course Impact on Academic Self-Efficacy.

Abstract

One of the primary concerns of colleges and universities today is the retention of students. Research suggests that retention, defined as consistent enrollment at one institution across semesters, is impacted by individual factors such as adjustment to college life, financial struggles, stress levels, and lack of study strategies (Lau, 2003). Students who are unable to overcome such obstacles are more likely to drop out. To increase student retention, many colleges and universities employ a variety of programs targeted at helping students persist in the higher education learning setting, such as study strategies and skills courses and workshops. Such interventions are designed to provide students with additional tools and resources to facilitate academic success. Many colleges and universities identify a population of at-risk students who are placed on academic probation or warning status based on factors such as high school GPA and ACT/SAT scores (Abrams & Jernigan, 1984). These academically underprepared students are referred to courses or workshops based on their predicted need. Such classes and workshops target study skill areas such as managing time, reading textbooks, taking class notes, utilizing available resources, and preparing for and taking exams. The effects of study skill courses or workshops on student academic success and retention have been examined in multiple studies, and their successes have been observed (Abrams & Jernigan, 1984; Braunstein, Lesser & Pescatrice, 2008; Polansky, Horan & Hanish, 1993).The research literature also suggests that self-efficacy is an important predictor of success (Hsieh, Sullivan, & Guerra, 2007; Klomegah, 2007). Self-efficacy refers to an individual's belief in his or her capability of successfully completing a particular task (Bandura, 1989) and is a useful predictor of achievement, especially in specific rather than global, domains. For example, in a few studies academic self-efficacy has been shown to be a stronger predictor of academic success than general self-efficacy (e.g., Choi, 2005). Despite the evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of study skills courses and workshops as well as the predictive value of academic self-efficacy, the impact of study skills courses and workshops on student academic self-efficacy has not been examined.The present study was designed to examine pre- and postintervention levels of academic selfefficacy in university students enrolled in a study skills course, as well as the predictive power of academic self-efficacy on academic outcome and retention into the following semester. Differences in levels of academic self-efficacy between the students enrolled in the study skills course anda comparison group of students were also investigated.Academic Support ServicesMany universities currently employ a variety of programs designed to help students adjust to and succeed in higher learning settings. Academic support services offer students help in a number of formats, such as individual counseling, tutoring, study skills courses, and study skills workshops. These programs commonly target time management, reading techniques for textbooks, effective note taking, resource utilizations (such as libraries), and study/exam-taking techniques. Often, incoming students who may be academically underprepared are encouraged or even required to participate in such programs based on factors such as high school GPA or ACT/SAT scores (Abrams & Jernigan, 1984).A number of researchers have sought to investigate the effectiveness of academic support services. Abrams and Jernigan (1984) investigated the relationship between student use of support services and academic success in high-risk college freshmen. Students were required to participate in study strategies instruction but were provided with the option of attending scheduled workshops or receiving individual help at the support center. Additionally, free peer tutoring was available to students. …