Post-Secondary vs working adult students
I have noticed at my facility that over the past few years, the attitude of students coming directly from the local High School system seems to have deteriorated.
Where students just a few years ago were trying their best to learn the material in order to prepare for their career, today it seems there is a pervasive attitude of just getting by. Of course, lowered effort will often produce a lower result and often the students attempt to skate by, leaves them in the untenable position of insufficient attendance, failing GPA, and lowered self esteem hidden behind aloofness. It eventually gets to the point that the young student says "who cares?" and then withdraws from the program to save the remaining tuition.
As would be expected, more mature students and those students who are going back to school after a while in the workforce, or who are currently working full time while trying school part time, tend to take their time here more seriously and try to get the most out of it. They are more engaged and tend to ask more questions, and most importantly, tend to take responsibilty for their actions and their education.
Is it possible to really change a student's existing, in-grained attitude toward education so as to retain them? As a career college, enrolment is optional, so what we've been seeing is very counter intuitive.
We seem to be having similar problems: the more mature students seem to be able to understand why they are there and what it is they have to do in order to reach the finish line in time and successfully. The right-out-of High School students often times do not have the capabilty to prioritize their time and are afraid to "miss out" on their social life. In addition they are severely sleep deprived often due to the same peer-pressure: going to bed early in order to be fresh and ready to go to class the the next morning just isn't "cool". By meeting with them and explaining how it is that the body works (the very course they are taking at our school), that spent energy must be replenished otherwise the "machine" breaks down, the majority start shuffeling their lives around a bit, especially when they see that those changes suddenly bring about higher grades and new pride. In addition, from the very beginning of a new group we highly encourage formation of small study groups on the school premises. Although usually the first nudgings are initiated by us, it is very exciting to see how fast and intense they took that advice to heart. We encourage, or better: discourage, the stronger ones overtaking the struggling students: we have them rather be more passive listeners so that the weaker ones can come out of their shell. We often see remarkable combinations of people who normally would not be interacting on a social level: an older grandma-type student spreading her wings over a right-out-of-high school lost soul with not only increased grade results, but a bilateral generational respect.
I agree teaching the adult student, it seems they are more committed
Perhaps the important variable here, Paula, is adult students who are all working full-time jobs. Working students seem to have a clearer understanding of why they are in class and how improving their skills will help them.
Do you have any "traditional" students who are also working full-time? If so, do you see a similar level of self motivation? Is having a job while going to school an indicator of motivation?
I am an instructor in a training program in Barbados, and for us here it seems the very opposite is true. I teach the night class with the older adult students who are all working full-time jobs, and I find that these students are much more self-motivated overall than younger students who attend the day classes.
I agree, many people return to school when the economy is in a strain. With the current strain on the banks leanding money,it is much harder for students to get financial backing for education. Salliemae, Wells Fargo and Chase bank have gone through their difficulties and changes, which reflected on how all schools did and do business.
My school has not changed how we are doing business, nor have we developed any new programs as a result of the financial crunch. We have tried to ensure that we give a quality education to our students, so they will feel the investment was worth it, and I think that is important. All students must see the value in education during good and bad times, or they will not remain in school,; especially the working adults. I have found with the adult students that they needa lot of encouragement and constant motivating to keep them focus on school. They have to see and beleive in the bigger picture and given the reasons why they should complete their program,and all the necessary build-up just to keep them in school. Most of the adult learners at my school are not self-motivated by no means. What is your experience? LBrockett
Are you speaking from a financial point of view, Howard?
Many people in our industry believe that career education is counter-cyclical - that when people lose their job, they decide to go to school to upgrade their skills so they won't be cut in the next economic downturn.
Access to financial aid becomes more important in tight economic times. Is you institution feeling the impact of tightening credit? Have you developed any new programs to help with the financial strain?
Retention is getting to be more and more important now that so many students (both Post secondary and working adults) feel the adverse impact of a shrinking economy.
I suspect this trend will continue in the near future.
It is counter intuitive that someone would enroll in a program, spend their money and commit their time without any expectation of a positive outcome. This suggests to me that at some level they believe they can/will succeed.
Unfortunately, left to their own devices youthful students will create a destructive code of behavior that begins to feed on itself. I have seen some schools successfully integrate the value structure of the 'adult' students with those coming from high school. Some do team assignments and collaborative projects. Younger students may respond better to life's lessons learned from their 'peers' than as part of a lecture of the authority figure in the front of the classroom.
