Peers and Faculty as Predictors of Learning for Community College Students

Abstract

This study tested the extent to which student interaction with faculty, student peer teaching situations, student organization involvement, and discussion with diverse others contributed to self-reported learning for students involved in an ethnic-specific or multicultural student organization. The Community College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CCSEQ) was used to collect data from 239 students who were involved in an ethnic-specific or multicultural student organization at 1 of 12 different community colleges. Self-reported learning was reported in the following domains: general education, intellectual skills, science and technology, personal development, and career preparation. For each of the five learning outcomes, frequent interaction with faculty was the strongest predictor in the model. Engagement with peers contributed to most outcomes, but not as strongly as student–faculty interaction. Thus, the study extends the contribution of faculty interaction to the arena outside the classroom and suggests further research about the ways student–faculty interaction benefits students at the community college level.