If We Admit Them, Will They Stay?: Understanding the Role of Social Connectedness in the Retention of African American Students in a Recreation and Leisure Studies Program

Autor/inn/en	Waller, Steven N.; Costen, Wanda M.; Wozencroft, Angela J.
Titel	If We Admit Them, Will They Stay?: Understanding the Role of Social Connectedness in the Retention of African American Students in a Recreation and Leisure Studies Program
Quelle	In: Schole: A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education, 26 (2011) 1, S.30-48 (19 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1937-156X
Schlagwörter	African American Students; Leisure Education; Focus Groups; School Holding Power; Recreational Programs; Recreational Activities; Locus of Control; Academic Persistence; Social Capital; Social Networks; Student Experience; Teacher Role; Teacher Student Relationship; Student School Relationship; Aptitude Treatment Interaction; Educational Attitudes; Minority Group Students; African American Achievement; African American Education; Performance Factors; Educational Environment; United States + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? African Americans; Student; Students; Afroamerikaner; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Freizeitpädagogik; Freizeitplanung; Freizeitgestaltung; Sozialkapital; Social network; Soziales Netzwerk; Studienerfahrung; Lehrerrolle; Teacher student relationships; Lehrer-Schüler-Beziehung; Schüler-Lehrer-Beziehung; Educational attitude; Bildungsverhalten; Erziehungseinstellung; Leistungsindikator; Lernumgebung; Pädagogische Umwelt; Schulumwelt; USA
Abstract	The retention of racial minority students lies at the core of diversity efforts instituted by colleges and universities across the nation. Withstanding the changing racial demographics of the U.S. and the need to have qualified racial minority professionals serving diverse communities retention and matriculation heighten in importance. With the retention challenge that many predominately White institutions (PWIs) face, this study aimed to understand how "social connectedness" related to African American student retention in a recreation and leisure studies program. Focus group methodology was utilized to chronicle the lived experience of African American students. From the analysis of the data three key themes emerged: (1) Connectedness to the academic program; (2) connectedness to the campus; and (3) importance of faculty. The third theme includes two sub-themes: diverse faculty and importance of minority faculty. The findings suggests: 1) overall, the focus group participants did not feel socially connected to the academic program nor the campus; and 2) these particular students did not have a strong sense of belonging, as demonstrated by supportive relationships with faculty. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10