There are a number of strengths-based intervention strategies that are effective with college students. Before deciding on which one to use, however, it's important that you know what outcome you want your intervention to affect.
Some of the outcomes of strengths-based interventions that have been measured so far include: (1) academic self-efficacy; (2) academic performance--either GPA or exam grades in a course; (3) retention from one year to the next; (4) academic engagement; (5) meaning in life; (6) satisfaction with college; (7) satisfaction with the particular strengths-based experience, such as advising or a specific course; (8) hope; and (9) strengths awareness and ownership. Significant results have been found in each instance, although the research designs vary. Some are quasi-experimental studies and some are correlational studies utilizing multiple regression to predict the particular outcome.
One of the best studies was conducted by Dr. Linda Cantwell in 2005 as part of her dissertation research at Azusa Pacific University. She utilized a strengths-based approach to her first-year Public Speaking class for an entire semester and compared students' academic engagement, exam scores, and public speaking performances (rated blindly by qualified observers) to those of students whose section of the course had been randomly selected as a control group. She found significant differences between the two groups on all her outcomes--and on academic engagement in particular. She also found significant differences in students' perception of the entire campus climate--and this was after controlling for their entering levels of academic engagement.
For more information on the impact of strengths-based interventions, plan to join me at 11 am Pacific time on Wednesday, September 5th, for a live webinar -- free! Contact Irene Burklund at the Gallup Organization (irene_burklund@gallup.com) for more information on how to sign up.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Best Strategies for Strengths Interventions Part I
I've gotten a few e-mails lately that have asked me what I think is the best strategy for introducing first-year students to their talents and then helping them develop their strengths. We've been doing quite a bit of research over the years with first-year students, but there isn't a simple answer to this question! No particular study has been done yet that has compared different exposure times, although there are a few studies that have compared strategies. Today I'll focus just on the time element. Next posting I'll address the strategies!
When Chip Anderson was still alive, he always said that strengths development takes time -- the exposure of students to their talents and to strategies for developing strengths is a process that is best distributed over time. So he always suggested 90 minutes of class time each week for an entire semester. But some studies have been done that show successful results with four 90-minute class sessions or workshop sessions; others have found some success with even a 30-minute one-on-one counseling session around students' strengths.
We think the best strategy is one that gives students exposure over time with a continuing application and development. It doesn't end the first year but becomes a process over all four (or more!) years of a student's college education. Each year should build on the previous learning, so that it is not repetitive but keeps advancing students' skills and knowledge in developing their strengths.
Two questions to ask before starting: (1) what do you mean by a "strengths intervention"? and (2) what outcomes do you hope to see in your students?
I'll deal with the second question this time and save the first question for next time, when I will focus on strategies.
In deciding what to measure as an outcome, you need to think about what you are hoping to accomplish in your students. If your context is a first-year experience program, you might want to measure student adjustment to college, engaged learning, or academic self-efficacy (one of the best predictors of student success). If your context is a student leadership development program, you might want to measure emotional intelligence or leadership skills. Career centers might measure career decision-making self-efficacy; chaplain's programs might measure sense of meaning and purpose; advising programs might measure goal-orientation or hope. The point is that you need to think ahead of time what your program wants to see developed in your students--and why!
Once you've done that, you can select appropriate measures. The Strengths Impact Measure is available from The Gallup Organization by contacting Irene Burklund at Irene_Burklund@gallup.com; it is one measure that assesses strengths awareness and ownership, sense of meaning and purpose, hope, academic self-efficacy, and academic engagement. The Engaged Learning Index--a new validated measure containing 15 items that assess the extent to which students are engaged in deep learning in their classes (a key predictor of learning gains and graduation) -- is available from the Noel Academy for Strengths-Based Leadership and Education (www.apu.edu/strengthsacademy).
There are some great studies in process right now that are examining specific strategies for strengths interventions. There are also some very good studies that have already been done. Next time I'll focus on these!
When Chip Anderson was still alive, he always said that strengths development takes time -- the exposure of students to their talents and to strategies for developing strengths is a process that is best distributed over time. So he always suggested 90 minutes of class time each week for an entire semester. But some studies have been done that show successful results with four 90-minute class sessions or workshop sessions; others have found some success with even a 30-minute one-on-one counseling session around students' strengths.
We think the best strategy is one that gives students exposure over time with a continuing application and development. It doesn't end the first year but becomes a process over all four (or more!) years of a student's college education. Each year should build on the previous learning, so that it is not repetitive but keeps advancing students' skills and knowledge in developing their strengths.
Two questions to ask before starting: (1) what do you mean by a "strengths intervention"? and (2) what outcomes do you hope to see in your students?
I'll deal with the second question this time and save the first question for next time, when I will focus on strategies.
In deciding what to measure as an outcome, you need to think about what you are hoping to accomplish in your students. If your context is a first-year experience program, you might want to measure student adjustment to college, engaged learning, or academic self-efficacy (one of the best predictors of student success). If your context is a student leadership development program, you might want to measure emotional intelligence or leadership skills. Career centers might measure career decision-making self-efficacy; chaplain's programs might measure sense of meaning and purpose; advising programs might measure goal-orientation or hope. The point is that you need to think ahead of time what your program wants to see developed in your students--and why!
Once you've done that, you can select appropriate measures. The Strengths Impact Measure is available from The Gallup Organization by contacting Irene Burklund at Irene_Burklund@gallup.com; it is one measure that assesses strengths awareness and ownership, sense of meaning and purpose, hope, academic self-efficacy, and academic engagement. The Engaged Learning Index--a new validated measure containing 15 items that assess the extent to which students are engaged in deep learning in their classes (a key predictor of learning gains and graduation) -- is available from the Noel Academy for Strengths-Based Leadership and Education (www.apu.edu/strengthsacademy).
There are some great studies in process right now that are examining specific strategies for strengths interventions. There are also some very good studies that have already been done. Next time I'll focus on these!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)