There is no conflict of interest.
Highlights
- The study's objective was to examine the impact of an academic coaching program on education outcomes.
- The study used a nonexperimental design to compare students enrolled in an academic coaching program to a matched comparison group of students who did not enroll in the program. The authors used demographic data and administrative program data to compare outcomes between the groups.
- The study found a significant relationship between academic coaching and increased enrollment in the semester after coaching and increased number of credits taken in the next semester.
- This study receives a low evidence rating. This means we are not confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the academic coaching program; other factors are likely to have contributed.
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Intervention Examined
Features of the Intervention
Academic coaching acts as a bridge between student counseling and advising services. The main goal is to co-construct academic and non-academic goals between the coach and student. Academic coaching focuses on motivation, developing self-efficacy, and guiding the development of academic skills. This study examined Silverbill University's implementation of academic coaching. The program targeted first-year and continuing students with grade point averages (GPAs) below 2.0, as they are at higher risk of dropping out. Each student with a GPA below 2.0 in the previous semester was offered coaching services. For students who accepted the offer, the coaches focused on building relationships with the students. They prioritized what matters most to the student, worked together to find solutions or ideas for growth, decided on actions and next steps, and wrapped up the appointment at the end.
Features of the Study
The study used a nonexperimental design to compare students enrolled in the university's academic coaching program to a matched comparison group of students who did not enroll in the coaching program. A total of 1,678 students were eligible for the coaching program. The authors matched students who participated in the coaching program (treatment group) to students who did not participate (comparison group) on demographic and education characteristics. After matching, the study sample included 750 students, with 274 students in the treatment group and 476 students in the comparison group. The study sample was primarily male (71%), White (61%), did not receive financial aid (90%) or a Pell Grant (89%), and had an average GPA of 1.57 in the previous semester. The study used demographic data and administrative program data collected between fall 2017 and spring 2019. The authors conducted statistical tests to compare differences in education outcomes between treatment and comparison group participants.
Findings
Education and skills gains
- The study found a significant positive relationship between academic coaching and enrollment in the next semester. The study also found a significant positive relationship between academic coaching and the number of credits taken in the semester following coaching.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
The authors matched the treatment and comparison groups on race/ethnicity, sex, first generation status, transfer student status, financial aid receipt status, Pell Grant status, mean credits attained at entry, and GPA. However, the author did not match on age or control for it in the statistical analyses as required by CLEAR. These preexisting differences between the groups—and not academic coaching—could explain the observed differences in outcomes. Therefore, the study is not eligible for a moderate causal evidence rating, the highest rating available for nonexperimental designs.
Causal Evidence Rating
Research Guidelines
Review Protocol: Living Systematic Annual Search and Review Protocol
Review Guidelines: Causal Evidence Guidelines