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.