This study examines the relationship of the noncognitive, dispositional characteristics of grit, volition, and mindset to student persistence in undergraduate degree programs by students considered nontraditional and at-risk at three campuses of a for-profit university in New England. Nontraditional students are faced with barriers to success in education. Despite these barriers, some students persist through to program completion. Researchers have indicated the characteristics of grit, volition, and mindset are related to success in education, however these characteristics have not been studied among a nontraditional and at-risk student population. This study measured the characteristics of grit, volition, and mindset in students at three points of program persistence: beginning, middle, and end; and compared the degrees of each characteristic at each point of program persistence. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA models were used to examine and compare the three noncognitive, dispositional characteristics in each student group. The results indicated the non-traditional and at-risk population exhibited each of the three characteristics throughout enrollment. Non-cognitive, dispositional characteristics of grit, volition and a positive growth mindset play a role in student success, but may not change over time.
","abstract_html":"<p>This study examines the relationship of the noncognitive, dispositional characteristics of grit, volition, and mindset to student persistence in undergraduate degree programs by students considered nontraditional and at-risk at three campuses of a for-profit university in New England. Nontraditional students are faced with barriers to success in education. Despite these barriers, some students persist through to program completion. Researchers have indicated the characteristics of grit, volition, and mindset are related to success in education, however these characteristics have not been studied among a nontraditional and at-risk student population. This study measured the characteristics of grit, volition, and mindset in students at three points of program persistence: beginning, middle, and end; and compared the degrees of each characteristic at each point of program persistence. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA models were used to examine and compare the three noncognitive, dispositional characteristics in each student group. The results indicated the non-traditional and at-risk population exhibited each of the three characteristics throughout enrollment. Non-cognitive, dispositional characteristics of grit, volition and a positive growth mindset play a role in student success, but may not change over time.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ryan, Anne Doody"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Education (EdD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Education","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Kathleen Davis","Michelle Collay","Melanie Baak"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-09-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-09-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:21:05Z","subjects":["Education","Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research","Educational Psychology","Higher Education"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dune.une.edu/theses/36","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Kathleen Davis","Michelle Collay","Melanie Baak"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Ryan, Anne Doody"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-10-09T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Education"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education (EdD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Education","Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research","Educational Psychology","Higher Education"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dune.une.edu/theses/36"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study examines the relationship of the noncognitive, dispositional characteristics of grit, volition, and mindset to student persistence in undergraduate degree programs by students considered nontraditional and at-risk at three campuses of a for-profit university in New England. Nontraditional students are faced with barriers to success in education. Despite these barriers, some students persist through to program completion. Researchers have indicated the characteristics of grit, volition, and mindset are related to success in education, however these characteristics have not been studied among a nontraditional and at-risk student population. This study measured the characteristics of grit, volition, and mindset in students at three points of program persistence: beginning, middle, and end; and compared the degrees of each characteristic at each point of program persistence. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA models were used to examine and compare the three noncognitive, dispositional characteristics in each student group. The results indicated the non-traditional and at-risk population exhibited each of the three characteristics throughout enrollment. Non-cognitive, dispositional characteristics of grit, volition and a positive growth mindset play a role in student success, but may not change over time.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Relationship Of Grit, Volition, And Mindset To Undergraduate Student Persistence Of Nontraditional Students"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Kathleen Davis","Michelle Collay","Melanie Baak"],"dc:creator":["Ryan, Anne Doody"],"dc:date.available":["2015-10-09T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This study examines the relationship of the noncognitive, dispositional characteristics of grit, volition, and mindset to student persistence in undergraduate degree programs by students considered nontraditional and at-risk at three campuses of a for-profit university in New England. Nontraditional students are faced with barriers to success in education. Despite these barriers, some students persist through to program completion. Researchers have indicated the characteristics of grit, volition, and mindset are related to success in education, however these characteristics have not been studied among a nontraditional and at-risk student population. This study measured the characteristics of grit, volition, and mindset in students at three points of program persistence: beginning, middle, and end; and compared the degrees of each characteristic at each point of program persistence. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA models were used to examine and compare the three noncognitive, dispositional characteristics in each student group. The results indicated the non-traditional and at-risk population exhibited each of the three characteristics throughout enrollment. Non-cognitive, dispositional characteristics of grit, volition and a positive growth mindset play a role in student success, but may not change over time.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dune.une.edu/theses/36"],"dc:subject":["Education","Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research","Educational Psychology","Higher Education"],"dc:title":["Relationship Of Grit, Volition, And Mindset To Undergraduate Student Persistence Of Nontraditional Students"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Education"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education (EdD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:21:05Z"}