By Heather Zimar, AACRAO Associate Director of Publications & Journals
At a Monday morning session at the 108th AACRAO Annual Meeting, 2022 AACRAO Research Grant recipient Dr. Candice Wilson-Stykes asked, “What comes to mind when you think of academic course failure among college students?”
In her research, she found that there are contradicting narratives on failing a course that include: mostly negative outcomes–dropping out of college; loss of financial aid; changing one’s major; decreased self-esteem; and avoiding others– as well as learning and growth outcomes–seeking support, greater self-awareness and self-advocacy; growth perspective; developing positive help-seeking behaviors; and teaching others.
Wilison-Stykes’ study looked at how undergraduates in good academic standing experience failing a course. She sought to illuminate the phenomenon of academic course failure and outline underlying structures. She used a descriptive phenomenology methodology, an approach to studying experiences.
In her research, Wilson-Stykes found twelve essential constituents of failing a course, three of which she discussed during her session: three realms through which failure is experienced; a multi-realm problem to be solved; and being or feeling alone across realms.
What do you lose by neglecting any of the constituents of the experience? What will you gain by addressing them?
Wilson-Stykes noted the implications for making meaning of academic course failure, which include: student experiences as the foundation, institutional responsibility, an equity concern, and agents who cause vs. agents who help.
She recommended the following to institutions:
Develop a system for understanding the landscape of academic course failure on campus
Identify outside-of-class, institutional, and course realm conflicts that students experience
Question the assumptions behind institutional processes, policies, and procedures
The
AACRAO Research Grant encourages applied research on enrollment management issues and fostering the next generation of higher education leaders. The grant program supports the pursuit of advanced degrees among AACRAO members and stimulates thought, discussion, and research on emerging topics in higher education enrollment management. The recurring application deadline is Dec. 1 until selected.