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Developing a Social Support Measurement Instrument: A Methodological Approach to Measuring Undergraduate Perceptions of Social Support

Nadel, Sarah Alese

Abstract Details

2014, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Educational Studies.
The level of perceived social support in higher education continues to be a field of interest within academia, particularly with regards to its relationship to academic retention. The study investigated social support using 143 randomly selected students (100 females and 43 males) from a large Midwestern university. In order to characterize their perceptions of social support, students were asked to write 5-10 open-ended statements their closest family member could ask of them that would demonstrate feelings of support. Data were analyzed utilizing QDA Miner and WordStat software. Cluster analysis was used to identify the themes undergraduate students perceived as indicators of social support. Using a grounded theory approach in which the researcher did not restrict analysis with a priori assumptions about thematic content, the study identified three themes: academic support, personal support, and financial support. Based on these results a survey was developed to assess levels of perceived social support from undergraduate students. The new instrument provides academic institutions the opportunity to better access levels of family social support, where students with lower scores are at higher risk for attrition.
P. Cristian Gugiu, PhD (Advisor)
Dorinda Gallant, PhD (Committee Member)
68 p.

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Citations

  • Nadel, S. A. (2014). Developing a Social Support Measurement Instrument: A Methodological Approach to Measuring Undergraduate Perceptions of Social Support [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1402180624

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Nadel, Sarah. Developing a Social Support Measurement Instrument: A Methodological Approach to Measuring Undergraduate Perceptions of Social Support. 2014. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1402180624.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Nadel, Sarah. "Developing a Social Support Measurement Instrument: A Methodological Approach to Measuring Undergraduate Perceptions of Social Support." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1402180624

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)