Student transitions to university in Wales: a mixed-method study of the enablers and barriers of first-year engagement
Student transitions to university in Wales: a mixed-method study of the enablers and barriers of first-year engagement
This mixed methods study examines the transition to university and draws on questionnaire and focus group data to explore the experiences and perceptions of first-year Education students making the transition to Welsh universities. It focuses on their preparedness for and engagement with their studies. Findings identify a significant variation in students’ experiences of post-16 educational provision and the academic, social and digital competencies they acquired before joining university. Students in the study experienced significant academic and social upheaval due to the pandemic. They had to adjust to new ways of learning, felt disconnected from others and missed out on key transition activities. The move to remote learning enhanced digital competencies for those with suitable devices and digital access, yet limited opportunities to develop competencies reliant on social interactions and experiential opportunities. We reconceptualise transition as a process that occurs over a longer timeframe than currently recognised and conclude with recommendations identified by students that smooth the university transition and support engagement with learning as they develop their academic identity and sense of belonging at university.
Academic competencies, Student engagement, University preparedness, University transition
Smith, Emma Rawlings
587730f7-d234-4421-8dc9-48e1705b5a92
Hodgkin, Kieran
171a70d2-ec08-46a2-83cb-02497cdb6336
Young, Nick
df0d9c89-98f4-432e-bc0e-9b9921aeb2e0
28 November 2022
Smith, Emma Rawlings
587730f7-d234-4421-8dc9-48e1705b5a92
Hodgkin, Kieran
171a70d2-ec08-46a2-83cb-02497cdb6336
Young, Nick
df0d9c89-98f4-432e-bc0e-9b9921aeb2e0
Smith, Emma Rawlings, Hodgkin, Kieran and Young, Nick
(2022)
Student transitions to university in Wales: a mixed-method study of the enablers and barriers of first-year engagement.
International Journal of Educational Research Open, 3, [100216].
(doi:10.1016/j.ijedro.2022.100216).
Abstract
This mixed methods study examines the transition to university and draws on questionnaire and focus group data to explore the experiences and perceptions of first-year Education students making the transition to Welsh universities. It focuses on their preparedness for and engagement with their studies. Findings identify a significant variation in students’ experiences of post-16 educational provision and the academic, social and digital competencies they acquired before joining university. Students in the study experienced significant academic and social upheaval due to the pandemic. They had to adjust to new ways of learning, felt disconnected from others and missed out on key transition activities. The move to remote learning enhanced digital competencies for those with suitable devices and digital access, yet limited opportunities to develop competencies reliant on social interactions and experiential opportunities. We reconceptualise transition as a process that occurs over a longer timeframe than currently recognised and conclude with recommendations identified by students that smooth the university transition and support engagement with learning as they develop their academic identity and sense of belonging at university.
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 10 November 2022
e-pub ahead of print date: 28 November 2022
Published date: 28 November 2022
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Welsh Government for this study as part of the National Strategy for Educational Research and Enquiry Collaborative Evidence Network Programme. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Welsh Government.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022
Keywords:
Academic competencies, Student engagement, University preparedness, University transition
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 482217
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/482217
PURE UUID: 47c6c4e5-421d-4a48-8e86-8e3e63d7cc91
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Date deposited: 21 Sep 2023 16:49
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 04:15
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Author:
Emma Rawlings Smith
Author:
Kieran Hodgkin
Author:
Nick Young
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