What is the role of culture in academic enhancement groups?: examining the relationship between therapeutic factors, multicultural orientation, and students’ academic outcomes

Many colleges have devoted institutional resources to retention initiatives, particularly those targeting students who have been placed on academic probation. However, research on the effectiveness of these interventions is limited. Moreover, there is a paucity of research on mechanisms of change within these interventions. This study applies established knowledge of factors related to positive outcomes in group psychotherapy to determine whether these same factors might also be associated with positive outcomes in academic group interventions. Specifically, this study draws upon prior group therapy and academic group research by applying the Multicultural Orientation (MCO) Framework and Psychosociocultural (PSC) Model to understanding sociocultural factors of academic enhancement groups. during an existing academic intervention.

Participants in this study were 70 individuals enrolled in an academic intervention course. They completed surveys at two timepoints to assess their perceptions of their instructor and group MCO early in their academic enhancement seminar and perceptions of group therapeutic factors (e.g., hope and belongingness) later in their academic enhancement seminar. The direct and indirect changes of instructor and group MCO (vis-à-vis) group therapeutic factors on pre-post GPA was examined. Results indicated that Group MCO and Instructor MCO were not significantly related to changes in students’ GPAs. However, Instructor MCO was indirectly related to changes in students’ GPA through students’ perceptions of therapeutic factors. Findings demonstrate the importance of Instructor MCO in enhancing students’ experiences of therapeutic factors (e.g., hope and belonging) within academic enhancement groups. This study reinforces the important ways instructors can affirm students and promote a sense of cultural inclusion.