Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Liberal Studies

Department

Liberal Studies

Committee Chair

Rosie Davis

Committee Member

Bridgette Decent

Committee Member

Colin Chapell

Abstract

This study examines the impact of student engagement on academic persistence and academic performance among first-generation college freshman students at four-year public institutions. With approximately 50 percent of college students identifying as first-generation, this demographic faces unique challenges that contribute to lower retention rates and academic outcomes compared to their continuing-generation peers. Utilizing secondary data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) collected in 2016, 2019, and 2021, and institutional student records from a large, public, urban R2 Doctoral University in the Southeast, this quantitative study employs multiple regression and binary logistic regression analyses to assess the relationships between student engagement, academic performance, and academic persistence. Findings indicate that first-generation students are significantly less likely to persist into their sophomore year and have lower GPAs than their continuing-generation peers. Key engagement factors, including learning strategies, supportive environments, and faculty interaction, were identified as predictors of academic success. However, interaction effects between first-generation status and the NSSE engagement indicators were not statistically significant, suggesting that while engagement benefits all students, its impact on persistence and performance odes not differ significantly between first-generation and continuing-generation students. This study contributes to the literature on student engagement and first-generation student success, and the results have practical implications for higher education administrators seeking to enhance retention strategies and academic support services tailored to first-generation college students.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.

Library Comment

PDF

Notes

Open access.

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