Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Education

Advisor

Joanna Karet

Abstract

AbstractA growing number of university graduates delay workforce entry to reverse transfer to a community college for additional training. This trend is common in 2-year physical therapist assistant (PTA) programs where over 34% of all PTA students have a prior earned bachelor’s degree. The problem addressed in this study is that little research is available to determine how PTA students’ prior college enrollment status predicts PTA program completion. The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to determine if students’ prior college enrollment status predicts PTA program completion, while controlling for ethnicity. Astin’s input-environment-outcome college effect model was the framework for comparing three different student inputs related to the students’ prior college enrollment status of: (a) first-time college; (b) some college no degree; and (c) postbaccalaureate reverse transfer, to the outcome of PTA program completion. A convenience sample of deidentified student level data (N = 548) from three PTA programs in a Midwestern state was used for binary logistic regression to analyze if a predictive relationship exists between prior college enrollment status and PTA program completion. The status of first-time college and postbaccalaureate reverse transfer were predictive (p <.05) of program completion and postbaccalaureate students completed at the highest rate. White students completed at a higher rate than minority students. Further research is needed to gain insight to the input factors that impact program completion. Positive social change may result by supporting better informed leaders in PTA education to aid in designing support services to PTA students to increase program completion and ensure the workforce supply of PTAs.

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