Are community college students’ transfer choices impacted by their perceptions?

This investigation examined the influence perceptions play in the transfer decisions of community college students. Studying this problem provided insight which facilitated the transition from two- to four-year university and helped retention efforts. A quantitative method was used, employing an anonymous Likert survey. Two hundred and eight Early Childhood Education students received an invitation to participate in the research project via a link to the anonymous survey. Thirty-two percent of the urban community college students invited to participate did so. A descriptive picture of the participant sample was painted using frequency tests. Analysis of the relationships between the dependent variable (the decision to transfer) and the independent variables (perceptions) was completed using Kruskal-Wallis tests, and the correctness of these outcomes was established using Pearson correlations. Finally, multiple regressions were used to ascertain the predictability of a researcher-created transition/barrier perception model. The Kruskal-Wallis tests revealed there was a statistically significant relationship between students’ perceptions and their decision to transfer. Furthermore, the Pearson correlations confirmed the Kruskal-Wallis findings. The results of the regressions indicated the model created by the researcher was a predictor for community college students’ transfer decisions. In the end, the data reinforced the idea perceptions of urban community college students impact their decision to transition into a four-year private university