Brief Research Report: Pilot testing an identity-based relevance-writing intervention to support developmental community college students' persistence. Issue 1 (2nd January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Perez, Tony; Gregory, Kristen H.; Baker, Peter B.
• Is Part Of: Journal of experimental education. Volume 90:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: 77
• Page End: 87
• Publication Date: 2022-01-02
• Subjects: Motivation -- developmental education -- relevance writing interventions -- identity exploration -- community college; Education -- Experimental methods -- Periodicals; Educational psychology -- Periodicals; Education -- Periodicals; Psychology, Experimental -- Periodicals; 370.15
• DOI: 10.1080/00220973.2020.1800562
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-0973

Abstract

Abstract: We pilot tested an identity-based relevance-writing intervention designed to support developmental community college students' ( N = 54) educational commitment, value, and persistence. The intervention was embedded within regular journal assignments in two study skills courses with a third section serving as a comparison group. The intervention prompted students to explore how course topics connected to their identity. Results indicated large differences between groups in identity connections made in assignments and follow-up educational commitment and moderate differences in follow-up task value, all favoring the intervention group. There were no differences between groups in course enrollment eight months later. This pilot study offers promising preliminary evidence that an identity-based relevance-writing intervention may be effective in supporting developmental community college students' academic persistence.