Perceptions of Students in Developmental Classes

The number of students enrolling in colleges and universities requiring remedial programs is increasing. Developmental courses are used to increase student academic skills. Understanding how students perceive their placement and experience in developmental courses can provide valuable insight for high schools, community colleges, and universities on meeting the needs of this growing population. In this phenomenological study, the experiences of three community college students who participated in developmental courses on community college campuses in Texas were examined through use of an individual interview protocol. Five themes emerged from the data analyses: (a) affective perceptions, (b) academic perceptions, (c) behaviors, (d) resources, and (e) perceived benefits. Implications for high schools and developmental program coordinators are included. Keywords: college readiness, college preparedness, developmental education, mathematics, reading, science Introduction A 19-year-old male student currently enrolled in a developmental writing course described his feelings about being required to take the remedial course as follows: Well, I wasn't very happy. I mean, I didn't take honors or AP classes in high school, but I kind of felt like if I could pass regular classes in high school, then I should be able to go on to college. If you know enough to graduate from high school, that really should be enough to get you into college. The number of high school graduates enrolling in postsecondary courses is increasing (Brown & Conley, 2007). Numerous researchers (e.g., Barnes & Slate, 2010; Conley, 2008a, 2008b; Hall & Ponton, 2005; Reid & Moore, 2008) have identified specific skills and abilities that are necessary for student success in college and have identified characteristics of high school programs that increase student preparedness for college (Cline, Bissell, Hafner, & Katz, 2007). Unfortunately, despite collaboration between high schools and postsecondary institutions, some researchers (Greene & Forster, 2003) have documented that less than one third of all high school graduates are college-ready in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. For the state of Texas, in which this study was conducted, similar percentages of students were determined to be college-ready in reading, math, and in both subjects (Barnes & Slate, 2011). When underprepared students are admitted into colleges, developmental coursework is utilized to close performance gaps (Attewell, Lavin, Domina, & Levey, 2006; Merisotis & Phipps, 2000). Increasing numbers of students enter college lacking the prerequisite academic skills to be successful in postsecondary education (Hall & Ponton, 2005), and developmental coursework must meet the needs of diverse students to ensure future success in academic endeavors (Aycaster, 2001). Moreover, many students entering college are required to take multiple levels of developmental coursework (Bailey, Jeong, & Cho, 2008). The National Association for Developmental Education (2010, p. 1) defined developmental education as "a comprehensive process that focuses on the intellectual, social, and emotional growth and development of all students," and numerous quantitative studies have been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of developmental programs (Aycaster, 2001). Other researchers (e.g., Wadsworth, Husman, Duggan, & Pennington, 2007) have identified instructional practices that are most effective with adult learners in developmental programs. Unfortunately, little qualitative research has been conducted to examine student perceptions about their experiences in developmental programs. Review of the literature Several researchers (e.g., Aycaster, 2001; Boylan & Bonham, 2007) have determined that 78% of universities that enroll freshmen and almost 100% of public two-year institutions offer developmental courses to underprepared students. …