Academic Motivation and Success of Texas High School Graduates Who Were and Were Not Involved in Texas 4-H
Abstract
The purposes of this study were to (a) examine if Texas 4-H alumni perform better academically than the population of Texas post-secondary education students, with respect to the four Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) 60x30TX goals, (b) examine if Texas 4-H alumni are better prepared for post-secondary education entry than the population of Texas higher education students, and (c) to determine if 4-H participation (sparks and dosage) is associated with post-secondary academic motivation and success of Texas 4-H alumni. Existing data regarding high school students who graduated in 2013 and 2014 were secured from THECB. Original data were collected through a supplemental survey of Texas 4-H alumni. A subset of the sample surveyed were Texas 4-H members who also received a Texas 4-H Foundation Scholarship. Tests of hypotheses about relations between select dimensions of Texas 4-H participation (e.g., sparks and dosage) and academic motivation and success (degree and certificate completion, development of marketable skills, collegiate qualifying exam scores, and dual credit enrollment) were conducted. Texas 4-H alumni were found to have significantly greater five-year completion rates and marketable skills, lower student loan debt, and they reported substantially higher rates of enrollment in dual-credit courses. Texas 4-H alumni also had higher 4-year completion rates, but the difference was not statistically significant. Increased dosage did not lead to significantly greater academic success.
Subject
Texas 4-Hpost-secondary academic success
college preparation
marketable skills
thriving
positive youth development
Citation
Skrocki, Alexandra Claire (2021). Academic Motivation and Success of Texas High School Graduates Who Were and Were Not Involved in Texas 4-H. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /196077.