Date Approved

5-12-2021

Embargo Period

5-13-2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. Higher Education

Department

Educational Services & Leadership

College

College of Education

Advisor

Wright-Mair, Raquel

Committee Member 1

Saadeddine, Rihab

Committee Member 2

Dale, Dianna

Keywords

Academic Success, Non-cognitive skills, Persistence, Retention, Soft skills

Subject(s)

Soft skills; Undergraduates--vocational guidance

Disciplines

Higher Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to look at student perception of non-cognitive skills and if they put an importance on those skills as they relate to academic achievement. Surveys were distributed to students at a midsized university located in the northeast, who had earned senior status by earning 90+ credits. Additionally, interviews were also conducted to take a more in-depth look at themes discovered in the survey. Findings show that students recognize the importance of non-cognitive skills, also referred to as soft skills. They felt that acquisition of those skills was critical to their academic success, while there were mixed results as to whether these same students felt that their institution was instrumental in developing these same skills. With the retention and persistence of students is widely discussed in higher education, incorporating non-cognitive skills into the curriculum may be a budget friendly area of opportunity to bolster those numbers.

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