Student Perceptions of Grit, Emotional-Social Intelligence, And
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The University of San Francisco USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center Doctoral Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects 2015 Student Perceptions of Grit, Emotional-Social Intelligence, and the Acquisition of Non-Cognitive Skills in the Cristo Rey Corporate Work Study Program Don Gamble University of San Francisco, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.usfca.edu/diss Part of the Educational Leadership Commons, and the Educational Sociology Commons Recommended Citation Gamble, Don, "Student Perceptions of Grit, Emotional-Social Intelligence, and the Acquisition of Non-Cognitive Skills in the Cristo Rey Corporate Work Study Program" (2015). Doctoral Dissertations. 303. https://repository.usfca.edu/diss/303 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects at USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The University of San Francisco STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF GRIT, EMOTIONAL-SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND THE ACQUISITION OF NON-COGNITIVE SKILLS IN THE CRISTO REY CORPORATE WORK-STUDY PROGRAM A Dissertation Presented To The Faculty of the School of Education Department of Leadership Studies Catholic Educational Leadership Program In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education by Don Gamble San Francisco December 2015 © 2015 by Donald Joseph Gamble All Rights Reserved THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO Dissertation Abstract STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF GRIT, EMOTIONAL-SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND NON-COGNITIVE SKILL ACQUISITION IN THE CRISTO REY CORPORATE WORK-STUDY PROGRAM The Catholic Church has long emphasized an “option for the poor” and relied heavily on its schools to assist in providing the education necessary to help families escape poverty (Benson, Yeager, Guerra & Manno, 1986; Bryk, Lee, & Holland, 1993; Buetow, 1988; Convey, 1992; Greeley, 1982; Neal, 1997; United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, 1998; York, 1996). Catholic schools in the United States are closing at a steady rate from a lack of funding, and this has created an ongoing problem for the outreach efforts of the Church and the low-income families with the greatest need (Brinig & Garnett, 2014; United States Department of Education, US DOE, 2008). In addition, families living in poverty have difficulty meeting the financial requirements and tuition demands of the schools that remain after taking care of basic needs for survival (Hudley, 2013; Rumberger, 2013). The Society of Jesus created Cristo Rey schools to provide one solution to this crisis facing the poor. Of paramount importance to low-income students seeking success in their educational and professional endeavors are non-cognitive skills such as grit and emotional-social intelligence (Bar-On, 2006; Bar-On & Parker, 2000; Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, 2007; Duckworth & Quinn, 2009; Gardner, 1983; Goleman, 1995; Salovey & Mayer, 1990; Tough, 2012). With regards to the aforementioned non-cognitive abilities and traits, the purpose of this study was threefold. First, it measured perceptions of grade 11 and 12 students from three Cristo Rey schools ii regarding their non-cognitive skills of grit and emotional-social intelligence (intrapersonal, interpersonal, stress management, and adaptability). Secondly, it explored the extent to which these skills are perceived to be utilized and enhanced through their participation in the Cristo Rey Network’s (CRN) Corporate Work-Study Program (CWSP). Finally, it identified what further skills and training the CRN students identified as necessary to ensure their success in the workplace. The results indicated the students had a mean level of grit (M = 3.5) indicating responses on the Likert-style scale directly between “Somewhat like me” and “Mostly like me.” For the ESI subscales, students recorded a mean score for intrapersonal (M = 13.47) approximating the choice “Just a little true of me,” and mean scores for interpersonal (M = 19.24) that placed most student responses for this subscale between the values “Pretty much true of me” and “Very much true of me,” and mean scores for stress management (M = 17.22) and adaptability (M = 16.05) that were above the middle point ESI subscale value of 15 and just below the choice “Pretty much true of me.” The three categories marked by the students with the highest frequency as “developed in the CWSP” were: social responsibility, interpersonal relationships, and flexibility. The categories least often chosen by the students included: self-awareness, self-regard, assertiveness, independence, empathy, and impulse control. Finally the students most often responded they would like training in the intrapersonal and interpersonal domains, with communication, social, and computer skills as the most frequently requested skill sets. The participants indicated they would like additional training, workshops, classes, tutorials, and practice for what they are facing in the workplace in additional to training they already receive. iii This dissertation, written under the direction of the candidate’s dissertation committee and approved by the members of the committee, has been presented to and accepted by the Faculty of the School of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. The content and research methodologies presented in this work represent the work of the candidate alone. Donald_________________________ J. Gamble ____________________December 18, 2015 Candidate Date Dissertation Committee Dan_________________________ McPherson, Ph.D. ____________________December 18, 2015 Chairperson Doreen_________________________ Jones, Ed.D. ____________________December 18, 2015 Christopher_________________________ Thomas, Ph.D. ____________________December 18, 2015 iv DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my loving wife Katherine, and my daughters Amelia and Cora. I never would have made it through this journey without their love and support. Thank you ladies. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The proposed study is the culmination of a long journey including many years of effort, support, grit, determination and an amazing level of love, collegiality, and care from my family, friends, and colleagues. I have been fortunate to cross paths with many people who have helped me find my way along this journey. My first note of gratitude concerns my colleagues and the Jesuit community of Saint Ignatius College Preparatory. Without the gracious support of my administration and the Society of Jesus, I never would have been able to join a doctoral program. Regarding the Catholic Educational Leadership doctoral program at the University of San Francisco, I would like to thank my professors, my fellow students and colleagues, and the members of my dissertation committee. Along this journey Drs. Ben Baab, Doreen Jones, Dan McPherson, Chris Thomas, and Steven Katsouros, SJ, as well as USF staff member Thanh Ly, have all held significant roles in my growth as a student and advancement to candidacy. Additionally, I would like to thank the various members of the Cristo Rey Network, based in Chicago, that gave their blessing to my work, as well as the Corporate Work Study Program directors, principals, and presidents of the three participating schools for permission to carry out this study with their students. Finally, I must give thanks to my family. They have given me unwavering support along my dissertation journey. My mother and father, Don and Carol, my grandparents, aunt Deb, uncle Tom, sister Carrie, Pat, Debbie, “Grandpa Van”, Noah, Evan, and most of all my wife Katherine and my daughters Amelia and Cora have all been my sources of strength throughout my dissertation journey. vi x 1 CHAPTER I THE RESEARCH PROBLEM Statement of the Problem The “option for the poor” is central to the mission and teaching of the Catholic Church (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, [USCCB], 1998). Historically, the Catholic Church has relied greatly upon its schools to assist in this mission, and Catholic schools have contributed greatly to the education of low-income and minority students across the United States (Benson, Yeager, Guerra & Manno, 1986; Bryk, Lee, & Holland, 1993; Buetow, 1988; Convey, 1992; Greeley, 1982; Neal, 1997; York, 1996). Current economic and social conditions in the United States present the U.S. Catholic Church and its schools with new challenges relative to their ministry to the poor. Of critical concern is the steady decline of U.S. inner city, faith-based schools due to lack of funding (Brinig & Garnett, 2014; United States Department of Education, [ED], 2008a). Specifically, the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA)(2014) reported that between 2000 and 2013, 2,090 Catholic schools, or 25.7% were closed or consolidated, and student enrollment declined by 651,298, or 24.5%. The NCEA also noted that most of the closed schools served low-income families. This has gravely impacted the outreach efforts of the Church and subsequently, the educational opportunities available to families with the greatest need. Additionally, families with low socio-economic status have great difficulty in meeting tuition demands at the remaining Catholic schools after prioritizing