Active And Collaborative Learning At A Community College

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to use the theory of student engagement to compare levels of active and collaborative learning using three years of Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) data at a community college in a mid-Atlantic state. The independent variables were gender, racial identification, and levels of enrollment data for 2010, 2012, 2014. The dependent variable was the level of active and collaborative learning, as measured by CCSSE. Kuh's (2003) research in student engagement served as the theoretical framework for this study. All students surveyed for the CCSSE for years 2010, 2012, and 2014 at a community college in a mid-Atlantic state were used in this study. There was a total of 1,111, 1,291, and 1,415 students who participated in 2010, 2012, and 2014, respectively. Only the scores for one of the five CCSSE benchmarks, Active and Collaborative Learning, were used for this study for years 2010, 2012, and 2014. Three research questions were developed to assess the levels of engagement of students at the community college in a mid-Atlantic state. This researcher sought to determine if there were differences in the levels of engagement among all students participating in the CCSSE survey, among the seven racial identification categories, and between male and female students. The ex post facto data collected for the study was analyzed using the SPSS statistical package. An alpha level of .05 was used to test the null hypotheses. Inferential statistics, including t-test and ANOVA, were used to analyze the data and reach conclusions about the levels of active and collaborative learning at the community college. This study contributes to the limited body of literature that examines student engagement on the community college level. Recommendations for professional practice and further research are provided.