Instruction in Study Skills: Phenomenological Study of Student Perceptions of Modes of Delivery and the Relation to Noncognitive Skills

In this study, a phenomenological approach was used to explore first-year seminar students’ perceptions of two modes of study skills instruction, and the resulting influence on noncognitive skills, for students at a 4-year, private college in the southeastern United States. The exploration focused on two modes of study skills instruction, faculty-led class instruction and individual peer tutoring. The noncognitive skills explored were self-regulation, self-efficacy, motivation, and help-seeking behaviors. Ten students enrolled in a Fall 2021 first-year seminar course were interviewed. Results from the coding of these interviews were organized into five themes: academic activities, academic beliefs, academic influences, academic instruction, and academic organization. Implications for practitioners in the areas of first-year seminar courses, study skills instruction, peer tutor training, and student support services were discussed, and the researcher made recommendations for the focus of future research pursuits.