A Compelling Study on the Effect of LAs on Student Retention and Graduation

Our findings have several important implications for both policy and practice. Firstly, they highlight the potential of the LA model as a tool for improving student outcomes, particularly in STEM fields. In addition to discovering the overall benefits of having a LA program on campus, we found that the intensity of the LA program adoption in terms of the number of LA courses/programs increasingly benefit students. Moreover, we also discovered more STEM disciplines could potentially benefit from LA program. Right now, the program is concentrated in subjects such as physics, math, biology, and chemistry. Additional adoption in other disciplines such as computer science will boost student success in these courses and majors. All these insights suggest that higher education institutions may benefit from investing in such programs.

Secondly, our study underscores the importance of fidelity in implementing the LA model. LA program directly benefits the students in the courses where LAs are present, as they receive additional support and engagement. The LAs themselves also benefit from the deep learning that comes from teaching others. Furthermore, faculty who work with LAs often report shifts towards more interactive and student-centered teaching practices. Therefore, ongoing recognition and institutional support for the continued implementation of the LA model are essential. Our results indicate that institutions may implement the same program with different fidelity and resulting in different outcomes. To have program implementation fidelity will require active participation from both students and faculty, change in department culture, and institutional financial support. Institutions that wish to adopt this model should ensure they have the necessary support structures in place, such as pedagogical training for LAs and regular preparation sessions.