
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.
Library Comment
Notes
Open access.
Recommended Citation
Tucker, Destin Barcroft, "Examining the Impact of Student Engagement on Academic Persistence and Academic Performance among First-Generation College Freshman Students at Four-Year Public Institutions" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3724.
https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/etd/3724
Comments
Data is provided by the student.