INTRODUCTION
UNDERSTANDING THE emotional and academic needs of college students is important for promoting well-being and persistence in challenging situations (Park et al., 2020). This persistence enables them to finish their education and thrive in their communities (Holmes et al., 2020). Thus, understanding needs of college students is invaluable to retaining them. The longer students persist toward their degrees, they encounter more opportunities for learning, thus closing achievement gaps (Andrade et al., 2022).
Retention begins in the classroom from the rapport built between instructor and student. Tinto (2016) indicated that retention was increased by self-efficacy and sense of belonging. As instructor aid and understanding increased, student experience of emotional support increased (Butler Samuels et al., 2021). Students were better able to experience self-regulation and self-efficacy (Gano-Overway et al., 2009). Meeting one-to-one during office hours positively influenced the relationship between student and instructor (Wilson et al., 2010), especially when self-reflection was encouraged (Lewis et al., 2019). The present study investigated a simple but effective care-based interview approach to building student engagement, self-esteem, and resilience, leading to improved persistence, mental health, and future successes.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Participants (N = 34) were undergraduate students enrolled in upper-level nursing or psychology courses at a Midwestern university. The sample was predominantly female (94%) and White (79%). Midway through the semester, course instructors conducted brief (15–20 minute) supportive individual check-ins with each student. These structured non-evaluative conversations focused on students’ self-perceptions and future goals. No compensation or academic credit was offered for participation. Before and after intervention, students completed standardized self-report measures: the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE; Rosenberg, 1979), Brief Resilience Scale (BRS; Smith et al., 2008), and Student Course Engagement Questionnaire (SCEQ; Handelsman et al., 2005). All measures were administered via an online platform. All research methods met ethical approval guidelines from the Southeast Missouri State University Institutional Review Board (IRB Approval Number: 20230056).
RESULTS
A paired-samples t-test compared pre- and post-intervention scores on all three measures. Self-esteem significantly increased from pre-intervention (M = 4.58, SD = 0.86) to postintervention (M = 5.18, SD = 0.75); t(32) = -2.88, p = .007, d = -0.50. Resilience scores showed no significant change (M = 4.36 to 4.76; t(33) = -1.27, p = .213), nor did course engagement scores (M = 2.28 to 2.17; t(32) = 0.95, p = .350). As shown in Figure 1, these results illustrate a significant increase in self-esteem following the intervention, with other scores statistically unchanged.
DISCUSSION
Findings support the hypothesis that instructor-initiated, care-based communication can positively influence students’ self-perceptions. Though the intervention did not significantly affect resilience or engagement, the medium effect size observed for self-esteem suggests the more the student feels valued and included, the higher the likelihood the student is retained. Universities concerned with persistence should embed personal faculty-student interactions within courses. These meetings should be guided by consistent prompts (e.g., “What challenges are you facing this semester?”; “How can I better support your success?”). These interventions are important because lack of nursing and psychology student retention may lead to lack of skilled nursing care and fewer mental health professionals. To continue supporting belongingness and retention, universities must collect data on program effectiveness, student achievement, and resource allocation (NECC, 2021) and develop measures of ongoing retention (Haydarov et al., 2012).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
The authors thank the undergraduate student participants and Dr. Jennifer Bengtson, Chair of the Southeast Missouri State University Institutional Review Board, for her guidance.
Declaration of Interest Statement.
There are no competing interests.
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