Family Support for First-Year Students during the Transition to University

The first year university experience is inherently linked to student retention and success. First year students are often unprepared for the academic requirements of university, which can result in stress, poor student outcomes and low student retention rates. Although there is considerable literature on the challenges students face when transitioning to university, there is limited research on successful interdisciplinary for-credit transition subjects that support students, particularly in Australia. An interdisciplinary for-credit transition subject for first year university students was designed, implemented and evaluated to determine students’ perceptions of its effectiveness in preparing them for the academic demands of university. Thematic analysis of 36 qualitative interviews with students was conducted. Students reported having gained knowledge and confidence in the essential academic skills required for university and therefore felt more prepared. Implementing similar subjects in other settings may provide a strategy to support students’ transition to university.

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Parental Divorce and First-Year Students' Transition to University: The Need to Include Baseline Data and Gender

Journal of Divorce & Remarriage ◽

10.1080/10502556.2011.585090 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 52 (5) ◽

pp. 326-343 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Maxine Gallander Wintre ◽

Megan E. Ames ◽

S. Mark Pancer ◽

Michael W. Pratt ◽

Janet Polivy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parental Divorce ◽

Baseline Data ◽

First Year ◽

Transition To University ◽

First Year Students ◽

And Gender

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Exploring Social Integration of Sport Students during the Transition to University

Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice ◽

10.14297/jpaap.v5i2.284 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Rick Hayman ◽

Linda Allin ◽

Andrew Coyles

Keyword(s):

Social Integration ◽

Best Practice ◽

Academic Staff ◽

Qualitative Interviews ◽

First Year ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

Transition To University ◽

First Year Students ◽

University Policy ◽

The North

This paper outlines findings from a study exploring student experiences of their transition and social integration during the first semester of a sport programme at a post 1992 University in the North of England. The study was implemented due to an issue with retention across the sport degree programmes and the knowledge that whilst a student’s decision to withdraw from university is multifaceted, it is influenced by factors relating to a lack of social integration, including homesickness and difficulties in making new friends (Thomas, 2002). A failure or lack of opportunity to socially integrate can also negatively impact the opening months of a student’s university experience (Mackie, 1998; Wilcox, Winn, & Fyvie-Gauld, 2005). Students were engaged as partners and co-creators with academic staff throughout the study: second year peer mentors undertook qualitative interviews with first year students, which focused on the students’ experiences of the transition to university, the importance of social integration, including barriers and facilitators and the role sport may play towards this process. Nine first year students were interviewed. Findings and best practice which may assist academic and support staff in maximising the overall university student experience are presented. Implications to aid effective university policy and practice to improve student retention, attainment and progression are discussed as well as identifying how sport can play a role as both a facilitator and barrier to developing sense of identity and belonging.

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Personal development, resilience theory and transition to university for 1st year students

Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Higher Education Advances ◽

10.4995/head17.2017.5172 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Luke Pickard ◽

James McKenna ◽

Julie A Brunton ◽

Andrea Utley

Keyword(s):

Student Development ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Personal Development ◽

Development Theory ◽

First Year ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Transition To University ◽

First Year Students ◽

Self Worth ◽

Outdoor Orientation

Aim The study aimed to determine whether an outdoor orientation programme (OOP) could increase personal development, develop resilience and aid transition and adaptation in 1st year university students. OOPs are thought to aid transition through adventure experience. Based on student development theory, outdoor orientation programmes accelerate psychological growth (Vlamis et al., 2011). Method Semi structured interviews were conducted with 14 students who attended an outdoor orientation programme to investigate the experience of attending an OOP and transition to university. The data was analysed following Braun and Clarke (2006) Six phase approach to thematic analysis. Results Thematic areas discovered included ‘Personal development – Building more than a raft’. This theme described the way in which students developed self-worth and self-efficacy through the OOP experience. ‘The fine line between challenge and fear’ describes how delivery of an intervention such as an OOP needs to be carefully delivered to enhance the benefits and limit any possible detrimental experiences. Discussion These first year students developed in terms of self-worth and self-efficacy through overcoming challenge. This development was also linked to the students surprising themselves about their capacities for handling adversity. Keywords: Adaptation; transition; 1st year students; outdoor orientation program; resilience; personal development.

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Effectiveness of Secondary School Guidance Programs in Preparing Learners for Successful Transition to University: A Case of Moi University

European Journal of Education and Pedagogy ◽

10.24018/ejedu.2021.2.3.84 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 88-95

Author(s):

L. Athiemoolam ◽

R. Njage

Keyword(s):

Secondary School ◽

Mixed Methods Research ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

Simple Random Sampling ◽

First Year ◽

Transition To University ◽

First Year Students ◽

Successful Transition ◽

Guidance Programs ◽

School Guidance

The study aimed to establish the effect of secondary school guidance programs in preparing students for successful transition to university. Mixed methods research design was used which included the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods to generate data using a concurrent triangulation approach. Purposive sampling was applied to sample first year students in Moi University and proportionate sampling together with simple random sampling was used in the selection of 375 participants comprising both male and female students. Data were collected through questionnaires and focus group discussions. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics by means of SPSS (Pearson Correlation Coefficient), followed by linear regression to test the hypothesis. Thematic analysis was used for qualitative data analysis. The findings of this study revealed that high school guidance programs do not support learners adequately in preparing them to transition to university. The study recommended the implementation of more enhanced collaboration between schools and universities for successful transition.

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Understanding the different challenges facing students in transitioning to university particularly with a focus on ethnicity

New Directions in the Teaching of Physical Sciences ◽

10.29311/ndtps.v0i12.2450 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Hannah Parker ◽

Annie Hughes ◽

Caleb Marsh ◽

Sadia Ahmed ◽

James Cannon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Secondary Education ◽

Undergraduate Student ◽

Further Education ◽

First Year ◽

Widening Participation ◽

Student Body ◽

Transition To University ◽

First Year Students ◽

Minority Ethnic

A positive and successful transition into University is crucial if students are to stay the course in higher education and experience successful outcomes. However, challenges exist in ensuring a connected transition from secondary and further education to higher education that is inclusive and supports the diversity in our current undergraduate student body. We set out to explore the diverse experiences that first year students report about their recent transition to a post-1992 University. We were particularly interested in how these experiences and challenges differed by ethnicity. This is incredibly important given the disparity, recognised in the sector, in the attainment of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) students compared to their White counterparts and particularly pertinent that this trend reverses attainment patterns in secondary education. This paper summarises some of our key findings in determining the challenges facing students from different backgrounds in their transition to university. It argues that Universities will have to change their transition and wider offer to ensure that diverse students feel welcomed and develop a sense belonging in Higher Education in order for them to achieve successful outcomes.Keywords: Transition, widening participation, ethnicity

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