University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School November 2017 Grit and Academic Performance of First- and Second-Year Students Majoring in Education Lindsey N. Williams University of South Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the Educational Administration and Supervision Commons Scholar Commons Citation Williams, Lindsey N., "Grit and Academic Performance of First- and Second-Year Students Majoring in Education" (2017). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7109 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Grit and Academic Performance of First- and Second-Year Students Majoring in Education by Lindsey N. Williams A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Higher Education Administration Department of Leadership, Counseling, Adult, Career and Higher Education College of Education University of South Florida Major Professor: Thomas E. Miller, Ed.D. John M. Ferron, Ph.D. Jean R. McCarthy, Ed.D. William H. Young III, Ed.D. Date of Approval: November 8, 2017 Keywords: non-cognitive traits, undergraduate academic achievement, academic predictors Copyright 2017, Lindsey N. Williams DEDICATION To my sweet Ellie Joy, being your mother is the greatest gift. May you grow to be kind, humble, … and gritty! ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you to the members of my committee for your expertise, insight, and guidance; from you all I have learned so much. To my major professor, Dr. Thomas Miller, you have served as a source of unwavering support and encouragement. Once I learned that a paper with zero errors does not earn a perfect score from you, I knew that you would challenge me! I hope I have met that challenge. I am beyond grateful for your mentorship and the opportunity to learn from you. To my committee member, supervisor, and dear friend, Jeany, you consistently encourage me to view life from a different angle, understand a perspective other than my own, and grant acceptance and grace to others, and for that I am eternally thankful. To Dr. William Young, thank you for your feedback and real-world advice. I appreciate your candor and humor! To Dr. John Ferron, thank you for your statistical know-how. You have a way of making a challenging subject intriguing, and your approachable demeanor is so appreciated. To Diep Nguyen, thank you for your time and attention to detail. My Chapter Four thanks you both! To my family and friends who have supported me, I am so appreciative. To my mom, thank you for helping me foster my lifelong love for learning and for teaching me the value of hard work through your example. To my sister, Mandi, thank you for your thoughtful ear to listen and your careful eye for detail in proofreading and editing my papers throughout the years (I’d like to think I taught you all you know!). To my grandparents, Chuck and Nina, when I recall every major event in my life, from cheerleading camps to commencement ceremonies, I can think of no instance when I could not see your smiling faces in the crowd; thank you for always being there. I cannot believe I am fortunate enough to have grandparents as amazing as you two. (I promise, there will be no more commencement ceremonies for you to attend on my behalf!) To Aimee, I am not sure how I became lucky enough to have a friendship with you that has spanned across decades. Thank you for always knowing what to say; I will never tire of your positivity! To Chad, CSA was grand, but the “Chad and Lindsey Ph.D. Cohort” was my favorite. Thanks for keeping me sane! To the students I have the pleasure of working with, you inspire me beyond measure. And finally, to Scott, I remember cracking open my fortune cookie during the time when I was contemplating applying to this doctoral program (perhaps an ode to the many nights of take-out we would endure throughout the years of late-night classes and writing) and reading: “Now is a great time to expand your repertoire of skills and knowledge.” This was a journey we were both a part of; thank you for continuously helping me seek serenity and laughter among chaos. I am a better person because of you. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ iii List of Figures .................................................................................................................................v Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... vi Chapter One: Introduction ..............................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem ....................................................................................................2 Theoretical Framework .......................................................................................................3 Purpose of the Study ...........................................................................................................4 Research Questions .............................................................................................................5 Significance of the Study ....................................................................................................5 Definition of Terms .............................................................................................................6 Limitations ..........................................................................................................................7 Delimitations .......................................................................................................................8 Organization of the Study ...................................................................................................8 Chapter Two: Literature Review ...................................................................................................10 Postsecondary Enrollment, Persistence, and Completion .................................................10 Theories of Student Outcomes ..............................................................................13 Traditional Predictors of Academic Performance .............................................................16 Standardized Tests ................................................................................................17 HSGPA ..................................................................................................................19 Non-Cognitive Variables and Academic Performance .....................................................20 Grit ....................................................................................................................................20 Duckworth’s Initial Studies of Grit .......................................................................22 Opposition to Grit .................................................................................................26 Grit and Teachers ..............................................................................................................27 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................30 Chapter Three: Methods ...............................................................................................................32 Restatement of the Problem ..............................................................................................32 Research Questions ...........................................................................................................32 Research Design ................................................................................................................33 Setting and Participants .....................................................................................................34 Variables ...........................................................................................................................34 Instrument .........................................................................................................................36 Instrument Administration ................................................................................................37 Data Collection .................................................................................................................38 Data Analysis ....................................................................................................................38 Researcher Bias .................................................................................................................40 i Chapter Four: Analysis of the Data ..............................................................................................43 Demographic Profile of the Sample and Population .........................................................43 Establishing Reliability of the Instrument ........................................................................47 Assumption Checking .......................................................................................................49