Date of Award

4-1-2023

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Educational Leadership, Research and Technology

First Advisor

Louann Bierlein Palmer, Ed. D.

Second Advisor

Patricia Reeves, Ed.D.

Third Advisor

Kay Keck, Ph.D.

Keywords

Developmental education, metacognition, metacognitive awareness, reading, remedial education, writing

Abstract

Student’s low reading and writing proficiency in higher education has been the subject of a large body of research (e.g., Bahr, 2011; Bailey, 2010; Carlino, 2005, 2010, 2012; Flink, 2017; Jaggars, 2014 Pacello, 2014; Perin, 2011; Perin et al., 2013).The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how students in a first-year developmental Spanish course at the Dominican community college think of the connection between their reading and writing abilities and their performance in both their current and future undergraduate courses. The study also explored how these students view the importance of the developmental course and how they understand issues that may impact their ability to read and write. Undergraduate education and developmental courses have been widely studied; however, students’ knowledge about their own reading and writing skills is still an under-researched area (Lembke, 2021; Perin, 2013). In addition, ins spite of an extensive review of the literature, I did not find studies that focused specifically on community college remedial education in the DR, nor any that focused on DR students' understanding of their literacy skills, or how they perceive the issues that may impact their ability to read and write.

Results of this study are significant for educators because it provides first-hand information about how students view the relevance of reading and writing proficiencies for their academic and personal achievements. These findings are important for students who probably have not think about the connection between their reading and writing abilities and their performance in career subjects. This study is relevant for academic leaders to , because it provides data to support their decisions for improving retention and graduation rates and to avoid desertion by development of students’ reading and writing proficiency.

Student’s low reading and writing proficiency in higher education has been the subject of a large body of research (e.g., Bahr, 2011; Bailey, 2010; Carlino, 2005, 2010, 2012; Flink, 2017; Jaggars, 2014 Pacello, 2014; Perin, 2011; Perin et al., 2013). The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how students in a first-year developmental Spanish course at the Dominican community college think of the connection between their reading and writing abilities and their performance in both their current and future undergraduate courses. The study also explored how these students view the importance of the developmental course and how they understand issues that may impact their ability to read and write. Undergraduate education and developmental courses have been widely studied; however, students’ knowledge about their reading and writing skills is still an under-researched area (Lembke, 2021; Perin, 2013). In addition, in spite of an extensive review of the literature, I did not find studies that focused specifically on community college remedial education in the DR, nor any that focused on DR students' understanding of their literacy skills, or how they perceive the issues that may impact their ability to read and write.

The results of this study are significant for educators because they provide first-hand information about how students view the relevance of reading and writing proficiencies for their academic and personal achievements. These findings are important for students who probably have not thought about the connection between their reading and writing abilities and their performance in career subjects. This study is relevant for academic leaders because it provides data to support their decisions for improving retention and graduation rates, and lowering the attrition rate through the development of students’ reading and writing proficiency.

The study was carried out at the first and only community college in the Dominican Republic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 students enrolled in a developmental reading and writing Spanish course. Metacognitive theories served as a frame for the study. The two metacognitive components most related to this study are a) metacognitive awareness and knowledge about oneself as a learner. The basic interpretive approach is used to explore how participants in the study ―make meaning of their own lives and experiences‖ (Merriam, 2009, p. 23). Data analysis used Marshall and Rossman's (2016) seven phase analytic procedures (a) organizing data, (b) immersion in the data, (c) coding the data, (d) generating possible themes, (e) offering interpretations through analytic memos, (f) searching for alternative understandings, and (g) writing the report or other format for presenting the studio.

Findings in this study suggest that students enrolled in a developmental reading and writing Spanish course do not recognize the relevance of their reading and writing proficiency to succeed in future career subjects. However, these students do connect their reading and writing abilities with achieving their career aspirations and life goals, contrary to previous literature.

This study also found that these students consider themselves ―good readers‖ which means that they do not recognize their need for improving their reading ability. In addition, contrary to previous research, most participants in this study recognized their difficulties in writing and some grammar topics. Finally, the study revealed that although most of the students in this developmental course at the Dominican community college recognize having some writing and grammar difficulties, they value the instruction and support received from their professors, and the interaction with their classmates as motivators for their growth in the developmental course.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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