Breaking the Ice: the first year transition to university

Katie/K Liston, Gavin Breslin, Roisin McFeely

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

“International research on student transitions to university highlights the importance of this key period in their academic life, as those who have difficulties with the transition may perform poorly and/or disengage at an early stage from university life” (Gibney, Moore, Murphy and O’Sullivan, 2011, p.352). In particular, three main themes have emerged from research on the first year university experience, these being: student motivation and transition; student expectations (of themselves, of lecturers and of the ‘new’ learning environment); and time management/allocation within the context of a shift away from the highly structured nature of post-primary education. These three themes are briefly considered next in order to demonstrate the ways in which they informed the design and delivery of an enhanced bespoke induction programme by the academic staff, in consultation with a learning facilitator from Amazing Brains NI.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)23-42
JournalPerspectives on Practice and Pedagogy
Volume4
Publication statusPublished (in print/issue) - 6 Sept 2013

Bibliographical note

Reference text: Anderson, R. (2007) Thematic Content Analysis (TCS): descriptive presentation of qualitative data. http://www.wellknowingconsulting.org/publications/pdfs/ThematicContentAnalysis.pdf [Accessed 29/06/2013]
Baines, L. (2008) A teacher’s guide to multisensory learning. USA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Barefoot, B., Gardner, J., Cutright, N., Morris, M., Schroeder, C., Schwartz, S., Siegel, M. and Swing, R. (2005) Achieving and sustaining institutional excellence for the first year of college. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Bergenhenegouwen, G. (1987) Hidden curriculum in the university, Higher Education, 16 (5), 535-543.
Breslin, G., Liston, K. and Prentice, G. (2013) Making the transition to university: an enhanced first year induction programme. Paper presented at University of Ulster, Centre for Higher Education Practice Conference, 25 January 2013.
Bryson, C. and Hand, L. (2007) The role of engagement in inspiring teaching and learning, Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 44 (4), 349-362.
Cooke, R., Bewick, B., Barkham, M., Bradley, M. and Audin, K. (2006) Measuring, monitoring and managing the psychological well-being of first year university students, British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 34 (4), 505-517.
Darmody, M. and Smyth, E. (2008) Full-time students? Term-time employment among higher education students in Ireland, Journal of Education and Work, 21 (4), 349-362.
Deci, E. and Ryan, R. (1985) Intrinsic motivation and self determination in human behaviour. New York: Plenum.
Fazey, D. and Fazey, J. (2001) The potential for autonomy in learning, perceptions of competence, motivation and locus of control in first-year undergraduate students, Studies in Higher Education, 26 (3), 345-361.
Gibney, A., Moore, N., Murphy, F. and O’Sullivan, S. (2011) The first semester of university life: will I be able to manage it all?, Higher Education, 62, 351-366.
Goldfinch, J. and Hughes, M. (2007) Skills, learning styles and success of first-year undergraduates, Active Learning in Higher Education, 8 (3), 259-273.
Grosset, J. (1991) Patterns of integration, commitment, and student characteristics and retention among younger and older students, Research in Higher Education, 32 (2), 159-178.
Harvey, L. (2005) Embedding and integrating employability, New Directions for Institutional Research, 128, 13-28.
Hockings, C., Cooke, S. and Bowl, M. (2007) “Academic engagement” within a widening participation context - a 3D analysis, Teaching in Higher Education, 12 (5), 721-733.
Krause, K. Hartley, R., James, R. and McInnis, R. (2005) The first year experience in Australian universities: findings from a decade of national studies. Canberra: Department of Education, Science and Training.
Lowe, H. and Cook, A. (2003) Mind the gap, are students prepared for higher education? Journal of Further and Higher Education, 27 (1), 53-76.
McInnis, C. (2001) Researching the first-year experience: where to from here? Higher Education Research and Development, 20 (2), 105-114.
McLean, A. (2009) Motivating every learner. London: Sage.
Pearce, J. and McLaughlin, S. (2005) Off campus events for induction. The Star Project: Student Transition and Retention. University of Ulster. Available at www.ulster.ac.uk/star/resources/star_guidelines.pdf. [Accessed 29/06/2013]
Scanlon, L., Rowling, L. and Weber, Z. (2007) “You don’t have like an identity … you are just lost in the crowd”: Forming a student identity in the first-year transition to university, Journal of Youth Studies, 10 (2), 223-241.
Schmidt, U., McGuire, R., Humphrey, S., Williams, G. and Grawer, B. (2005) Team cohesion, in Taylor, J. and Wilson, G. (eds) Applying sport psychology: Four perspectives. Champaign: Human Kinetics Publishers, 171-183.
Winn, S. (2002) Student motivation: a socio-economic perspective, Studies in Higher Education, 27 (4), 445-457.

Keywords

  • motivation
  • induction
  • higher education

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Breaking the Ice: the first year transition to university'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this