ACADEMIC COACHES AND STUDENT SUCCESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A QUANTITATIVE STUDY
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine academic coach perceptions of the effect of their role in the online classroom on student engagement and self-efficacy. Additionally, this study sought to identify and describe the strategies that academic coaches use to assist students academically in the online classroom. A quantitative descriptive survey research design was used to systematically examine academic coach perceptions of their role in the online classroom on student engagement and self-efficacy and the strategies they use to assist students academically. Data analysis identified that academic coaches perceive that those students in the online classroom struggle more in the area of self-efficacy than in student engagement. Further, the following themes emerged in terms of the strategies that academic coaches perceived as effective for students in the online classroom; encouragement, consistent communication via email and course announcements, clear and consistent feedback, continued virtual presence in the online classroom, and engaging underperforming students. Utilizing the obtained findings, this study provides implications for research and practice in the area of promoting success of students in online classrooms and offers recommendations for future research.
Keywords: academic coach, student self-efficacy, student engagement, online learning