Encountering American higher education: First-year academic transition of international undergraduate students in the United States

This study explored how international undergraduate students perceive their academic transition into American higher education. Schlossberg’s (1984) 4S Transition Theory served as the framework for exploring what academic challenges, if any, international students experience during their first year of undergraduate studies in a new cultural and educational setting. The findings revealed that students’ academic transition into the U.S. higher education was characterized by difficulties in understanding the academic system of their new environment; overcoming educational, instructional and pedagogical differences; building social relationships with domestic students; and receiving the support necessary from the appropriate institutional services.

A study of academic achievement in mathematics after the transition from primary to secondary education

A successful transition from primary to secondary school is central to student confidence and the sustainment of student interest and passion for learning. The literature indicates that difficult transitions can result in decreased levels of motivation, negative attitudes towards school, decreased levels of confidence and disengagement particularly in relation to mathematics. This study investigated student performance in mathematics after the transition from primary to secondary education in Ireland. It comes in the aftermath of major educational reform in mathematics in Ireland at both primary and secondary level and is the first Irish study to examine the effect of the transition on mathematical achievement. Academic achievement in mathematics was measured using a standardised test at the end of the final year of primary school and the end of first year of secondary education. Progress in mathematics was measured over the transition by comparing these two test results for 249 students. On average, students’ raw scores decreased by 7% from sixth class (final year of primary school) to the end of first year of secondary education despite an additional year of instruction and extensive overlap of both syllabi. The results showed statistically significant losses in each strand area and in each process skill. This academic transition is not unique to Ireland and the findings from this research study will be of interest to the mathematics education community internationally since it extends the evidence base for studies in school transition.

Entering Higher Professional Education: Unveiling First-Year Students’ Key Academic Experiences and Their Occurrence Over Time

To date, little understanding exists of how first-year students in professionally oriented higher-education (HE) programs (i.e., those that provide vocational education to prepare students for a particular occupation) experience their academic transition process. In the present study, we first argued how the constructs of academic adjustment and academic integration can provide complementary perspectives on the academic transition of first-year students in (professional) HE. Next, we examined what first-year students in professional HE contexts perceive to be the most important experiences associated with their academic transition process in the first semester of their first year of higher education (FYHE). To this end, we adopted the fundamentals of the critical incident technique and asked 104 students in a Flemish (Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) university college (which offers professional HE programs, such as nursing) to complete “reflective logs” with open questions at the start of the second semester of their FYHE, wherein they reflected on three critical academic experiences during their first semester. An inductive, cross-case content analysis of the collected narratives showed that students reported on nine themes of academic experiences, which relate to five adjustment themes (dealing with the organization of the study program, organizing study work, committing to the study, following class and taking notes, and processing learning content outside class) and four integration themes (feeling competent, feeling stressed, feeling prepared, and feeling supported). Further analyses showed that although some of the nine themes of academic experiences appear to be more important at different times in the first semester, they all seem to be meaningful throughout the whole semester.

Fostering Early Preclinical Experiences for Developing Knowledge, Skills, and Confidence in Key Residency Competencies Through Participation in a Medical Student Research Training Program

Periods of academic transition are challenging and require medical students to adjust to new environments and expectations. Commonly cited areas of struggle include integrating into the interprofessional health care team, communication, organization and time management, and self-regulated learning. Consciously designing opportunities early in the preclinical curriculum to help students gradually build these competencies can be achieved within existing research training programs or projects. This perspective article reflects on how the medical student research training program at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine supports student growth in these areas beginning in the first year, so that students can directly apply these skills as they progress to the clinical years and beyond.

Influence of Curriculum and Pedagogy on Adjustment of Form One Students to Secondary Schools: A Case of Nandi County, Kenya

Purpose: The objective of study was to establish the influence of curriculum and pedagogy on adjustment of form one students to secondary schools. School transition being an education milestone is a process that may expose students to numerous challenges thus positive or negative impacts on the learning outcomes. The study adopted Piaget’s Cognitive Learning Theory which suggests that the learner is an active participant in the process. Methodology: The research adopted survey research design and adapted a five-point summative Likert scale student questionnaire. Purposive and stratified random sampling methods were used to select a sample size of 375 form one students. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze data. The descriptive were frequencies, means and standard deviation whereas inferential was Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient.Finding: Data was statistically computed with the findings (r=0.763, ρ<0.05) indicating a strong positive relationship between Curriculum and Pedagogy and form one adjustment to secondary school.Conclusion: The study established that the introduction of many and new subjects using different approaches at form one level can result to academic dip especially to high achievers hence jeopardizing their future careers, employment prospects and life chances in general.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommends curriculum and pedagogy harmonization from primary to secondary schools by curriculum developers for smooth academic transition hence completion of basic education by learners. There is need for all stakeholders to prepare students psychosocially prior to transition to secondary school

The Level of Social and Academic Adjustment among Syrian Refugee Students in Jordan and its Relation with Underachievement students

Research on the level of social and academic adjustment and the ties between both Syrian refugee students in Jordan is still insufficient due to the lack of research and interest among academics and researchers. This is happening even though the rise of refugees has impacted students from the Syrian Refugee Education Center SREC in Jordan in the last five years. Therefore, the current study examines the connection between social adjustment and academic adjustment among Syrian refugee students in SREC in Jordan. A total of 108 SREC-contained students from one school were studied. The results of the study showed that social adjustment is poor (52%) and academic adjustment is small (67 %). Furthermore, there is a statistically important negative association (-0.522) between the overall social adaptation and the total academic transition. In this report, the findings, shortcomings, and recommendations were also addressed.