River Community College Students Motivation

This section will review the literature connecting the motivation theories and the realities of college learning environments. The description of a college student has changed. No longer can instructors assume that all of their students will be successful through the traditional college experience. Many students require literacy support or are experiencing gaps in their education. River Community College’s students services and retention departments offer many options for aid in success. What barriers are preventing their use by students and faculty?

Late adolescent and adult learners have different attitudes and assumptions about their learning (Beers, Probst, & Rief, 2007; Froelich & Puig, 2011; C. Johnson, 2008). MacIntire’s article in

This becomes a broader community issue as more students with literacy support issues seek postsecondary education. Kimball suggested that departments responsible for protecting students’ access to reasonable accommodations need to do better explaining to content instructors the importance, and the value, of supporting students and their literacy needs (Kimball, et al., 1998). Levant clarified that not all students need the same literacy supports, but that most students, diagnosed or not, would benefit from adjusting teaching and assessment strategies in order to accommodate a variety of learners (Kimball, et al.,

Many seeking education beyond a high school diploma, or GED, are English Language Learners or are returning to school after a long absence due to employment, military service, or other life interruptions (Community Literacy Initiative, 2013; Harper & DeJon, 2004; C. Johnson, 2008; MacIntire, 2015; National Council of Teachers of English [NCTE], 2007; Patterson & Paulson, 2011; Zhang, Guison-Dowdy, Patterson, and Song, 2011). The NTCE found studies found that only 13% of adults can perform complex literacy tasks, that high school graduates’ literacy scores have dropped, and that 8.7 million secondary school students (25%) are unable to understand the material they read in their textbooks (2007). The community surrounding River Community College reports low literacy for 1 in 8 adults (Community Literacy Initiative, 2013). Mulhall (2015) stated that the college had a higher percentage of minority students than the state average, and the NTCE reported a significant achievement gap between “certain racial/ethnic/SES (sic) groups” (2007). This is a significant finding to consider for the River Community College faculty and the departments of student success and