Borth, Adam T.
Abstract:
Researchers exploring English composition success have studied developmental coursework and completion in English Composition 1. Limited research has focused on academic success in English Composition 2. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a significant relationship between academic success in English Composition 2 at a small, rural, Midwestern, Hispanic serving community college and the independent student variables of gender (male, female), ethnicity (White, Hispanic/Latinx, African-American/Black/Other/Unidentified), course load (full-time, part-time), cumulative college GPA (4.00 – 3.00, 2.99 – 2.00, 1.99 and below), and English course placement level (developmental, college-level). Results of the current study indicated placement level, gender, and course load were not statistically significant factors related to academic success in English Composition 2. Ethnicity and cumulative college GPA had a statistically significant impact on academic success in English Composition 2. White students were more successful than students from all other races in English Composition 2. This finding was supported by Bailey, Calcagno, Jenkins, Kienzl, and Leinbach, (2015), Becker, Krodel, and Tucker (2009), Clery (2011), Cuellar Mejia, Johnson, and Rodriguez (2016), and Kao and Thompson (2003). In the current study, students with a cumulative college GPA between 2.00 and 2.99 were less likely to be successful than students with a 3.00 or higher cumulative college GPA. Additional research should focus on cumulative college GPAs between 2.00 and 2.99 and should include multiple classifications to determine the precise GPA within the 2.00 to 2.99 range, which has the highest degree of alignment with academic success in English Composition 2.