Chapter Five: Recommendations

The purpose of this study was to provide recommendations to solve the problem of low graduation rates among Hispanic minority students at GCC. The problem is that 81.6 percent of Hispanic students at GCC fail to complete their courses on time (GCC, 2022). This chapter summarizes the recommendations for addressing the above problem, the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, resources needed for implementation, and timeline for each recommendation.

Recommendations

The purpose of this study was to provide recommendations to solve the problem of low graduation rates among Hispanic minority students at GCC. The central research question was: How can the problem of low graduation rates among Hispanic minority students at GCC be solved? This study makes two recommendations to address the above problem. The recommendations are drawn from reviewed literature and the data collected from study participants and are as stated below:

1. Introduce outdoor pre-orientation programs for first year students at GCC

2. Provide professional development for lecturers to enhance learners engagement during lessons.

Recommendation for Pre-Orientation Programs

The first recommendation in addressing the problem of low graduation rates among Hispanic students is the introduction of outdoor pre-orientation program for first year students. Currently, students at GCC have access to a summer bridge program that exposes incoming students to an intensive week-long classroom-based orientation experience, where they interact with current students and are taught different aspects on how to succeed in college (GCC, 2022). Common topics covered in the summer bridge program include transfer options, financial literacy, growth mindset, campus resources, study skills, time management, available programs, and transfer processes (GCC, 2022). However, as Beard et al. (2023) point out, the increasingly diverse nature of students joining college necessitates more intimate interventions targeted at specific groups of students rather than the traditional orientation models that bring all students together. For this reason, institutions are increasingly adopting outdoor pre-orientation programs as an addition to summer bridge and college orientation programs (Beard et al., 2023). Studies have equally shown outdoor pre-orientation programs to be more effective than traditional summer bridge and college orientation models in enhancing college students retention and persistence (Hill et al., 2018). According to Hill et al. (2018), outdoor pre-orientation programs challenge students emotionally, mentally, and physically, which aids in developing resilience.

In a typical outdoor pre-orientation program, incoming students are placed in small groups that also include at least one member of faculty and one or two upperclassmen a few weeks before reporting to college (Pickard et al., 2020). The total group membership often does not exceed 15 and involves camping in an off-campus outdoor setting for at least one night. The outdoor adventure period varies across institutions due to resource variations, with some institutions offering as long as 8 days. However, the activities are often similar across programs regardless of the duration (Beard et al., 2023). The faculty or staff member and the upperclassmen lead daily educational sessions as the students interact in outdoor camp activities such as service projects, hiking, climbing fire-building, and cooking (Beard et al., 2023). Unlike traditional orientation and summer bridge programs that bring together all incoming students in one group, outdoor pre-orientation programs introduce a scaled-down version of college to students with relatively similar needs, such as African American or Asian students looking to take up math or science-related courses in college (Beard et al., 2023, p. 665). In so doing, such programs provide both social and academic experiences that help minimize initial transition shock among incoming students and help them build the social/academic capital required to navigate the college environment.

Sources contend that such programs are particularly effective for minority...

…instructors mostly use PowerPoint presentations, and lecture continuously without taking time to challenge the students through questions or socialize with them to understand their perspectives. In line with the findings of Miller et al. (2019), professional development opportunities would enhance teachers knowledge and skills in identifying the needs of learners and applying pedagogical techniques that increase the level of student engagement. Ultimately, this would result in improved academic outcomes for all students, leading to improved graduation rates.

However, as Purwanto and Darussalam (2023) point out, the success of ay professional development program depends on the type of professional development offered and how well the professional development program addresses the needs of learners. Audisso et al. (2023), in their working paper, found that a school fellowship program significantly improved students academic outcomes in math and language arts as measured by their performance in state achievement exams. At the same time, studies have shown that a combination of professional development strategies would be more effective in improving students outcomes than a single strategy. An apparent need emerging from the interviews is the low levels of student engagement during lectures. Nonetheless, the students acknowledge that some of the teachers have found ways to increase student engagement in their lectures, and they note that they perform better in these subjects than others. Thus, the institution could explore mentorship and peer teaching sessions, where teachers learn from some of their best-performing counterparts and a mentored to learn the art of effective pedagogy.

For higher levels of efficacy, peer-to-peer training and mentorship sessions could be complemented with fellowship programs for teachers that could be awarded based on teacher performance. The professional development interventions could be focused on increasing teachers knowledge and skills on how to promote interaction and increase student engagement as these emerge as the most pressing training…