Every semester, students encounter major difficulties in their courses. They may feel discouraged, fall behind, or think about dropping out (Trusty et al., 2025). Educators invest significant time and creativity to motivate these students to persevere and keep up with their coursework (Blanco et al., 2025; Faucett, 2025). Often, students’ struggles are not due to a lack of ability, but because academic challenges are linked with financial pressures, personal and emotional issues, and ineffective study habits (Blanco et al., 2025; Trusty et al., 2025). Moreover, students perceive their challenges as immediate while their long-term goals seem distant (Niewoudt & Pedler, 2023).
The COPE Method aims to assist struggling students by helping them deal with immediate academic challenges and view them as steps toward their desired future. The COPE Method includes four key steps: Connect, Obstacles, Plan, and Expectations.
The COPE Method is proactive, incorporating frequent, low-effort interventions for potential challenges from the semester’s start, along with regular check-ins. The objectives are to prevent minor issues from becoming major problems and to minimize the need for extensive one-on-one interventions from instructors for struggling students.
Step 1: Connect current challenges with future success. Students with concrete goals are more likely to stay in school despite challenges (Niewoudt & Pedler, 2023). At the start of the semester, educators should allocate 10 minutes for students to contemplate and write down their short and long-term goals. Students should clearly define what future success means for them.
Step 2: Identify Obstacles. Stress from obstacles can lead to higher dropout rates (Blanco et al., 2025). The second step in the COPE Method helps students identify stressors and obstacles before they intensify. Students should pinpoint the most significant obstacle they face using a checklist of common challenges.
Step 3: Make a Plan. Students with a plan to overcome obstacles are more likely to feel satisfied and choose to remain enrolled (Faucett, 2025; Singhani et al., 2022). Educators should help students create an action plan to address obstacles, whether by tackling the biggest issue immediately or addressing smaller ones first to build momentum.
Step 4: Set Expectations. Students who understand expectations clearly are more likely to succeed (James, 2020). Educators need to clearly communicate class expectations, which should include both the educator’s expectations for the students and the students’ expectations for themselves.
Educators can further support students by revisiting the four steps every few weeks. This allows students to reassess and update their goals, recognize achieved goals, and identify opportunities for intervention if needed. Facilitating peer support and mentoring is another recommended strategy (Tomlinson & Caameron, 2025).
The COPE Method is effective because it proactively addresses potential issues before they become significant. By breaking the process into incremental steps, students can take small actions that have a measurable impact throughout the semester. The method establishes from the first day that encountering obstacles is a normal part of the student experience, fostering a supportive learning environment.
Original Source: facultyfocus.com
