High School Students Taking Online College Courses: A Sequential Mixed Methods Study

In reviewing the research, there is a gap in the knowledge base regarding high school students taking online college courses. High school students have taken online high school courses for many years. In addition, high school students have taken Advanced Placement (AP) online courses. In both cases, the target population is high school students. However, the question is whether high school students are adequately prepared to take online college classes where the target population is traditional college students. Administrators at the secondary and postsecondary levels will not be able to make data-driven decisions in regards to the students and program offerings until the gap in the knowledge base is addressed through research.The purpose of this sequential mixed methods study was to analyze the performance and demographics of the high school students and traditional community college students taking an online entry-level college technology course. In addition, the study explored the roles and perceptions of the stakeholders (community college faculty and high school guidance counselors) concerning the high school students taking the course.