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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 11, No. 3
Publication Date: March 25, 2024
DOI:10.14738/assrj.113.16643.
Reglin, G., & Savoy, Y. (2024). Psychosocial Factors and Retention of Female Students in a Health Sciences Program: A Cultural
Perspective. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(3). 90-104.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Psychosocial Factors and Retention of Female Students in a
Health Sciences Program: A Cultural Perspective
Gary Reglin
Nova Southeastern University and University of West Florida
Yolanda Savoy
Coppin State University, 2500 West North Avenue, Baltimore, University 21216
ABSTRACT
The problem was at a for-profit private institution in the year 2015-2016, 25% or
35 of the 142 students who withdrew from the university were from the School of
Health Sciences. The purpose was to investigate the psychosocial factors that
influenced retention in female students enrolled in online degree programs. The
generic research design was the descriptive-survey design. Participants were 35
female undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in online degree programs.
The data collection instrument was the Survey of Female Adult Learners’
Psychosocial Factors Related to Retention-Adapted. Data analysis for the two
research questions included the computation of descriptive statistics (means,
standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages) and analysis of variance
(ANOVA). Findings for Research Question 1 suggested specific psychosocial factors
were critical to retention in online degree programs. For instance, 71.43% of
students reported the psycho-social factor, I am a capable person, and 62.86%
reported the psycho-social factor; with my ability, I will be able to succeed; were
critical to retention. Findings for Research Question 2 indicated that, even though
there were differences in the mean scores for the marital status subgroups (not
married-single, divorced, and never married). ANOVA showed the differences were
not statistically significant, F (1, 33) =.21, p=.65, partial eta squared =.006, for the
marital status subgroups.
Keywords: Psychosocial factors, retention of students, Culture, health education, gender
INTRODUCTION
Leary et al. (2020) and Jenert and Brahm (2021) analyzed the low retention rates among adult
learners in online degree programs, frequently citing data that suggested the need to identify
psychosocial predictor variables for attrition. These researchers suggested that meeting the
needs of female adult online learners meant understanding attrition within the health sciences
programs, because the attrition predictor variables gave support to the retention of the adult
learners. Following the guidance of Leary et al. and Jenert and Brahm, the aim of this study was
to investigate psychosocial factors associated with the retention of female adult learners
enrolled in online degree programs in health sciences. The problem in the study was at a for- profit private institution in the year 2015-2016, 25% or 35 of the 142 students who withdrew
from the university were from the School of Health Sciences. Likewise, of the 35 students, 34
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Reglin, G., & Savoy, Y. (2024). Psychosocial Factors and Retention of Female Students in a Health Sciences Program: A Cultural Perspective. Advances
in Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(3). 90-104.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.113.16643
students were female students, and 62% of the students in the School of Health Sciences were
young African Americans between the ages of 20-34.
Supporting the need for the study, researchers in the National Center for Education Statistics
(2022) revealed that from 1990-2014, the number of females in post baccalaureate programs
exceeded the number of males. Between 2002 and 2014, the number of full-time male post
baccalaureate students increased by 28%, compared with a 42% increase in the number of full- time female post baccalaureate students (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2022).
Among part-time post baccalaureate students, the number of males increased by 8%, and the
number of females increased by 13%. The percentage of college students who were African
American increased. From 2002-2014, according to researchers in the National Center for
Educational Statistics (2017), the number of African American students increased from 10% to
15%, and the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native students increased from 0.7 to
0.9%. Many students withdrew from the School of Health Sciences at the research setting
university because of psychosocial factors noted in the research of Krumrei et al. (2013) and
the National Alliance of Mental Fitness (2022) to include social support, stress, program
satisfaction, self-directed learning, course flexibility, course convenience, finances, academic
self-efficacy, and faculty-student interactions.
Research Questions
Two research questions evolved from the research of Leary et al. (2020) and Muller (2008).
The research questions are:
1. What psychosocial factors do female students in a health science program identify as
being critical to their retention in online degree programs?
2. Do the psychosocial factors identified by female students differ based on the
demographic variable of marital status?
LITERATURE REVIEW
Theoretical Framework
An extensive search of the literature uncovered two theories that formed the theoretical
framework for the study and helped explain the retention of female adult students in the School
of Health Sciences at the for-profit university in the Southeastern United States. The two
theories are the theory of dimensions of institutional action and validation theory.
Theory of Dimensions of Institutional Action:
The theory of dimensions of institutional action (DIA) was developed by Vincent Tinto and
primarily used to study the major sources of student persistence in higher education. Tenets of
the theory of DIA suggested that ongoing, personal contact of university students in online
degree programs with faculty and staff was essential to high student retention, low student
attrition, and high student satisfaction with the university environment (Ajayi et al., 2021;
Samolia & Vrabie, 2023). Therefore, an examination of the psychosocial factors in the study
related to the retention of female students was important. Some of the factors, positively or
negatively, influenced the relationships and interactions between university students and
faculty, as well as the interactions and relationships between peers.
Tinto’s theory of DIA addressed specific psychosocial factors that encouraged female students’
persistence: institutional expectations, institutional commitment, support, feedback, and
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 11, Issue 3, March-2024
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
involvement (Ajayi et al., 2023). The theory directed focus from viewing retention and
psychosocial factors as events that should not be emphasized by administrators and professors,
but as events that must be integral components at the core of the institution’s mission and
values for online degree programs. Ajayi et al. suggested the challenge in creating a model of
institutional action for online degree programs was that, for it to be useful, the model needed
to be multi-layered.
Principles in the theory suggested the first condition of student success was the commitment
of the university to the welfare of all students (online and face-to-face degree programs
students). The commitment may be facilitated through investments of money and people to
support the online degree programs (Leary et al., 2020). Using funds to support resources
shown to facilitate students’ successes in online degree programs demonstrated more of a
commitment on the part of the institutions toward student success than fancy mission
statements or shiny brochures (Beasley et al., 2020; Leary et al., 2020).
Another condition for student success, according to the principles of the theory of DIA, was an
online environment where students were held to high expectations, regardless of their
background, marital status, and ethnicity (Jenert & Braham, 2021). Van-Herpen et al. (2020)
stated that some first-year female and male students did not spend nearly enough time studying
for their classes to be academically successful, possibly because the expectations that were
projected to students were not in line with those that promoted student success.
Validation Theory:
The primary tenet of the validation theory (VT) was “intentional affirmation of students to
validate themselves as valuable members of online university learning communities requiring
support aligned with psychosocial factors and to foster personal and social development”
(Rendon & Muñoz, 2012, p. 12). Moreover, principles in the validation theory placed the burden
on faculty, staff, administrators, and parents to ensure satisfied and engaged students in the
online learning experiences.
Rendon (2014) and Almanzar (2021) noted that many young, minority, and nontraditional
students matriculated to college needing a sense of direction and wanting guidance, but not in
a patronizing way. These young and vulnerable adult learners usually failed in a sterile, fiercely
competitive context for learning that was present on some university campuses today.
Additionally, some university faculty and staff assaulted students with information and/or
withheld information, instilled doubt, and fear in students, distanced themselves from students,
silenced and oppressed students, and/or created fiercely competitive learning environments
that pitted students against each other (Rendon, 2021; Rendon et al., 2020). Rendon suggested
this kind of no pain, no gain learning context. greatly disadvantaged certain student populations
in online degree programs, such as working-class women and minorities. In the VT are tenets
that provided guidance in the process of online learning at for-profit universities (Rendon,
2021). One tenet is a support system in-and out- of-classes that fostered academic and
interpersonal development (Rendon et al., 2021). Another tenet is for faculty to help the
students feel capable of online learning and facilitate a sense of self-worth in students (Rendon,
2021). A tenet is facilitating exposure to significant out-of-class validating agents to include a
positive spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend (Rendon et al., 2020). Further, agents might be positive