Influence of a High-Impact Practice Government Course on Retention, Graduation, GPA, and Student Integration Among First-Time-in-College (FTIC) Students.

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Title:	Influence of a High-Impact Practice Government Course on Retention, Graduation, GPA, and Student Integration Among First-Time-in-College (FTIC) Students.
Authors:	O'Dell, Amy L.¹ odell@tarleton.edu
Source:	International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning. 2025, Vol. 19 Issue 2, Preceding p1-11. 12p.
Subject Terms:	Graduation (Education), Grade point average, Experiential learning, Learning readiness, Political science education, College freshmen, Social integration, Persistence (Personality trait)
Geographic Terms:	United States
Abstract:	Just over half of the students who start a bachelor’s degree in the United States, fail to complete it within four years (National Center for Education Statistics, 2024). As a result, millions of people with some college no credential (SCNC) struggle with student loan debt, lower income, and the threat of default. In response, many colleges and universities are using high-impact practice (HIP) classroom pedagogy to help more students persist and graduate. This study investigated the effect of a HIP government course, known as Town Hall, on first-time-in-college (FTIC) students at a mid-sized, rural, R2 university in the southern United States. Entering FTIC cohorts from fall 2016 through fall 2022 were analyzed based on group differences (Town Hall participants v. non-participants). Additional analyses were conducted on a sub-set of FTIC students, who completed the Institutional Integration Survey. Results based on chi-square test of homogeneity, the Welsh-t test, and an ANCOVA showed that Town Hall participants had statistically significantly higher retention rates, graduation rates, and grade point averages than nonparticipants, particularly among academically underprepared students. Survey scores indicated that Town Hall participants were slightly more integrated than non-participants; however, the difference was not statistically significant. These results provide further support for the benefits of HIP course design to increase student retention and graduation, especially among those least prepared for the rigors of postsecondary education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
	Copyright of International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning is the property of Georgia Southern University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database:	Education Research Complete

Description
Abstract:	Just over half of the students who start a bachelor’s degree in the United States, fail to complete it within four years (National Center for Education Statistics, 2024). As a result, millions of people with some college no credential (SCNC) struggle with student loan debt, lower income, and the threat of default. In response, many colleges and universities are using high-impact practice (HIP) classroom pedagogy to help more students persist and graduate. This study investigated the effect of a HIP government course, known as Town Hall, on first-time-in-college (FTIC) students at a mid-sized, rural, R2 university in the southern United States. Entering FTIC cohorts from fall 2016 through fall 2022 were analyzed based on group differences (Town Hall participants v. non-participants). Additional analyses were conducted on a sub-set of FTIC students, who completed the Institutional Integration Survey. Results based on chi-square test of homogeneity, the Welsh-t test, and an ANCOVA showed that Town Hall participants had statistically significantly higher retention rates, graduation rates, and grade point averages than nonparticipants, particularly among academically underprepared students. Survey scores indicated that Town Hall participants were slightly more integrated than non-participants; however, the difference was not statistically significant. These results provide further support for the benefits of HIP course design to increase student retention and graduation, especially among those least prepared for the rigors of postsecondary education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	19314744
DOI:	10.20429/ijsotl.2025.190208