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1
Mydin, Kutty Faridah. "First-generation student transition to university : an exploratory study into the first-year experience of students attending University Kebangsaan Malaysia." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2014. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/364628/.
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Transition is the movement, the passage of change from one role to another. This research offers an in-depth understanding of how the transition to university is experienced by first-generation students. To explore and understand the process of change underlying the transition process, this research uses qualitative research methods, semi-structured interviews and journal writing. Drawing from the data, a longitudinal case study followed the 16 students’ transition experiences for nine months, from the first semester to the end of the second semester of the first year. The research focused on three fundamental issues: higher education aspirations and decisions, the challenges encountered in the initial week of first year and the adjustment process, arguing that an understanding of these three aspects is necessary for a better understanding of the formation of learner identity. The research findings demonstrate that in the early weeks of university students experienced disjuncture between expectations held prior to commencing university and the reality they encounter. These phases are characterized as experiencing conflict with their new role and anxieties with their ability to manage the academic demands and expectations. Based on the evidence gathered, this is caused by inaccurate information they receive from third parties and during their prior educational experience. Early experience, whether positive or negative, is an important phase within this movement. Students become more active agents by being engaged and identifying difficulties and finding solutions. Student engagement both in class and out-of-class provides them with more accurate information on the knowledge and skills for their learning identity. Academic and non-academic support received both on and off campus comes from a range of sources including lecturers, peers and seniors, parents and family members, all of whom are identified as important contributors to the adjustment process of these first-generation students.
2
Luan, Yun. "Understanding first year undergraduate achievement in a post-1992 university science department." Thesis, University of Wolverhampton, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/2436/118248.
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The purpose of this study was to address the under-researched theme of achievement among students in a post 1992 university in the UK. The findings are based on a case study of a cohort of first year (FY) undergraduates in a science department in a post 1992 university. Three key research approaches were deployed within this case study, namely, grounded theory, phenomenography and survey research. These three distinctive approaches have been framed within a broad interpretivist perspective in which subjectivity is managed through researcher positionality and the triangulation of data where appropriate. The research findings demonstrate that the point of registration at higher education (HE) institutions does not constitute a successful student because such a constitution is a process of becoming, involving complex meaning-making processes over time. These processes are characterised by a movement from 'outsider and potential achiever' to 'insider and reflexive achiever'. Important phases within this movement are those of: attending; being engaged and solving self-identified difficulties. In the light of the evidence gathered and the review of the existing scholarship, a detailed exploration and theorisation of these phases is offered. The preoccupation with students who fail in some way has led to a lack of research into those who succeed. This research has sought to overcome this lack by exploring the active meaning-making processes that lead undergraduates to achieve. A dynamic is identified between students' reflexive management of their FY experience and aspirations to achieve and the institutional context. This dynamic is also held to undermine the notion of students as customers awaiting satisfaction, suggesting instead that students be regarded as reflexive actors in the shaping of undergraduate achievement. This study presents a novel alternative to the prevalent deficit model in the relevant research which tends to treat students as passive bearers of diverse levels of readiness for undergraduate study. It also offers an alternative to the prevailing research on why students fail to progress or stay at university.
3
Muckert, Tammy Deanne, and T. Muckert@mailbox gu edu au. "Investigating the Student Attrition Process and the Contribution of Peer-Mentoring Interventions in an Australian First Year University Program." Griffith University. School of Applied Psychology, 2002. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20030226.171200.
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This program of research had two related aims: (1) to explore the problem of student attrition in the context of an Australian higher education institution, and (2) to investigate the efficacy of peer-mentoring as a retention strategy. Participants in this program of research were students commencing first-year studies in the School of Applied Psychology across two cohort years: 1996 and 1997. In 1996, a classic pre-test/post-test experimental design was adopted, with students (N = 118) randomly assigned to either a peer-mentoring treatment group or a control group. In 1997, while a classic pre-test/post-test design was also adopted, all students from this year (N = 162) participated in the peer-mentoring program. Thus, it was intended that the 1996 control group would be utilised for comparison with both the 1996 and 1997 treatment groups. Students were surveyed pre- and post-intervention across a number of personal, demographic, and academic achievement (e.g., tertiary entrance rank, and grade point average) variables. Students academic integration, social integration, institutional commitment, and goal commitment were measured using the Institutional Integration Scales (adapted from Pascarella and Terenzini, 1980). Students participating in the peer-mentoring program also completed a range of measures in order to evaluate its efficacy. The first part of the research program focused on the measurement and prediction of student retention and academic performance. The results of confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a six first-order factor solution provided the most parsimonious explanation of students responses to the Institutional Integration Scales. The six Institutional Integration Scales demonstrated moderate to good levels of reliability, with results being comparable to those achieved in previous studies. The results of structural equations modelling analyses suggested that students peer group interactions influenced their interactions with faculty, and both of these factors, along with their faculty concern for student development and teaching, influenced students academic and intellectual development, which in turn influenced students institutional and goal commitments. These results were taken to indicate the potential value of peer-based processes in aiding students institutional and goal commitment and subsequently reducing levels of student attrition. Given that significant differences were found between the 1996 and 1997 cohorts on a number of pre-test measures and other key indicators, investigations regarding significant predictors of students re-enrolment into second year and their first year grade point average were conducted separately for the two cohorts. The results of logistic regression analyses indicated that students first year grade point average was the only consistent and significant predictor of their re-enrolment into the second year of study across the two cohorts. Multiple regression analyses revealed that students tertiary entrance ranks and previous university attendance were consistently significant predictors of their first year grade point average across the two cohorts. Equipped with a better understanding of the factors that affect student attrition and academic performance, as well as the relationship between those factors, the second part of the thesis focused on the efficacy of two formal, group-based peer-mentoring relationships in assisting first year students make a successful transition to university. However, given that significant differences were found between the 1996 and 1997 cohorts on a number of pre-test measures and other key indicators, it was not possible to evaluate the efficacy of the 1997 peer-mentoring program relative to either the 1996 peer-mentoring program or control group. Nevertheless, the 1996 treatment and control condition groups were found to be equivalent on pre-test measures and indices, and thus were able to be compared. Overall, the results of a series of one-way ANOVAs revealed that the 1996 peer-mentoring program was found to have a positive effect on enhancing students re-enrolment into second year, persistence intentions, academic performance and self-reported adjustment, which was consistent with the direction of findings in previous studies. However, for a range of reasons, the effect of the 1996 peer-mentoring program on a number of these variables was not strong enough to reach statistical significance. Although there were trends towards significant differences between the 1996 treatment and control groups on a number of variables (i.e., students in the 1996 peer-mentoring program evidenced higher grades in PB11002: Introduction to Cognitive and Biological Psychology; and PB11008: Research Methods and Statistics; as well as higher scores on the Peer Group Interactions scale than students in the control group), the only significant positive difference of the 1996 peer-mentoring program was the improvement of students academic performance in one first year subject (i.e., PB11006, Introduction to Research in the Behavioural Sciences). Finally, exploratory factor analyses and reliability analysis of a mentoring functions scale revealed strong support for the presence of one, highly reliable, general mentoring function. Both the 1996 and 1997 program participants ratings of the performance of this general mentoring function were significantly and positively correlated with their self-reported academic and intellectual development. In addition, the 1997 program participants ratings of the performance of this general mentoring function were significantly and positively correlated to their self-reported peer group interactions, institutional commitments, goal commitments, and persistence intentions.
4
Lippi, Angela Luisa. "Critical factors of success for first-year students in four-year institutions : a university, faculty and student initiative /." Abstract, 2009. http://eprints.ccsu.edu/archive/00000568/01/2008ABSTR.htm.
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Thesis (M.S.) -- Central Connecticut State University, 2009.Thesis advisor: H. Jane Fried. "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Counseling." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-53). Abstract available via the World Wide Web.
5
Abubu, Janiere. "Experiences of first-year University of the Western Cape nursing students during first clinical placement in hospital." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2010. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&action=viewtitle&id=gen8Srv25Nme4_5115_1363011548.
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In nursing education the clinical component comprises an important part of the students&rsquo
training. Clinical teaching and learning happens in simulated as well as real world settings. First&ndash
year students spend the first quarter of their first year developing clinical skills in the skills laboratory. In the second-term they are placed in real service settings. This study was aimed at exploring the experiences of first year nursing students of the University of the Western Cape (UWC) during their first clinical placement in the hospital. A qualitative phenomenological exploratory study design was used and a purposive sample of twelve nursing students was selected to participate in the study. The research question was &ldquo
Describe your experiences during your first placement in hospital?&rdquo
Written informed consent was given by every participant and ethical approval was obtained from the relevant UWC structures. In-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted, audio taped and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were coded and sub-categories, categories, and themes were extracted during the data analysis process. Trustworthiness of the data collection and data analysis processes were ensured. Many of the first year nursing students described theirexperience in hospital as being stressful. However, the first placement in hospital allowed them to work with real patients and provided them an opportunity to develop a variety of clinical skills. Even though the hospital environment was unfamiliar and the ward staff unwelcoming, the patients&rsquo
acknowledged and valued their contribution to patient care. Students tend to seek support from family members and lecturers. It is recommended that first year nursing students be prepared adequately for their first placement in hospital as well as to
provide practical and emotional support to students during their hospital placement
6
Frazier, Kimberly Grimes. "First-Year Experience Collaboration among Academic Affairs and Student Affairs at Public State University." Digital Archive @ GSU, 2007. http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/eps_diss/11.
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February 2003 was the inauguration of the Foundations of Excellence project with an open invitation to chief academic officers at approximately 900 of both the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and the Council for Independent Colleges (CIC) member institutions. The Policy Center on the First Year of College, under the direction of the Executive Director, John N. Gardner, invited the various campuses to develop standards and guidelines for the first year, which were termed as Foundational Dimensions or simply Dimensions. As a result, over 200 member institutions agreed to participate in the project by establishing campus-wide task forces to look at the initial list of six Dimensions developed by the Policy Center and Penn State research partners. These Dimensions were designed to be essential characteristics of institutional effectiveness in promoting the learning and success of every first-year student. This is a case study of one of the founding institutions of the Foundations of Excellence endeavor, Public State University (PSU). In particular, this study utilizes the Foundations of Excellence Dimensions Statements as a basis to assess Public State University’s first-year experience collaboration efforts. Furthermore, this research is specifically grounded in the 2nd Dimensions Statement of the Foundations of Excellence, looking at what the Public State University first-year experience program looks like through academic affairs and student affairs collaborative partnerships. This study specifically examines PSU’s established partnerships within the First Year Orientation and Advising Committee (FYOAC) and the University College Advisory Council (UCAC) and determines what participants mean by collaboration. Through the use of a rubric, the analysis of the data resulted in a significant finding in reference to collaboration literature. The findings indicated that the literature on academic and student affairs collaboration should include information on institutional culture and investigate whether the underpinnings of institutional culture are actually social systems that are inextricably tied to their external environments, which in turn have a direct impact on foundational benchmarks on collaboration for First-Year Experience programs. Implications of this study’s results are addressed, limitations of this study are discussed, and recommendations for future research are given.
7
Power, John James. "A study exploring disordered eating patterns in first-year university students : student and service needs." Thesis, Queen's University Belfast, 2014. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.675424.
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A qualitative study exploring disordered eating in a small group of first-year undergraduate students studying for professional health care related degrees (n=12) illustrating what support mechanisms and services are required for those 1st year students experiencing or at risk. Key issues emerging: Lack of understanding to the nature/risks associated with disordered eating and the use of disordered eating as a stress coping mechanism. For some of the students their patterns of disordered eating seemed to predate their arrival at university. Disordered eating was perceived negatively and as a mental health issue, they were consequently reticent to acknowledge to the university or in some cases to approach student counseling, being wary of the academic/ professional consequences. This was possibly reflected in a sometimes concealed /sub-clinical experience. Loneliness was an issue for some. A number of the students were evidently wary of eating in more public refectories. Almost all of the students felt very positive about their arrival at university and that their experience with disordered eating could potentially add to their repertoire as future health care professionals. Conclusion: The University could further develop its outreach to new students with a more consistently supportive program including stress training and more support via student buddying; and extend its program on positive mental health to reduce a sense of stigma within the student population. Personal tutors and student health care facilities need to be consistently trained in the understanding and person centered approach to students experiencing disordered eating, particularly the sub-clinical group. The University could consider some small changes and adaptations to the refectory eating areas to better facilitate at risk students. Finally the University could perhaps better use the first few months of student's arrival at university to help embed a program to develop a stronger sense of coherence and wellbeing.
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Colver, Mitchell C. "Why Do You Go to University? Outcomes Associated With Student Beliefs About the Purposes of a University Education." DigitalCommons@USU, 2018. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/7198.
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Students enter the realm of higher education with a wide variety of beliefs about the purposes of attending university, which often relate to or reveal their various motivations for pursuing a post-secondary education. Research demonstrates that some student motivations align more fully with intrinsic factors, such as the love of learning or quest for excellence, while other student motivations align with extrinsic factors, such as vocational preparedness and monetary incentives (Vallerand et al., 1989). Using a Bourdieusienne lens, this study sought to place these student motivations in the larger sociocultural context and argue for greater opportunities for democratic equity in post-secondary environments. Relying on Self-Determination Theory, the study investigated the relationship between student academic motivations and longitudinal academic performance at a four-year, research oriented university in the United States. More importantly, the study sought to determine if institutional interventions, specifically incoming student orientation and a first-year experience (FYE) course, were valuable in helping align student motivations with the central values of higher education. Using the Academic Motivation Scale for College (AMS-C) across two years, the study employed a Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) and Latent Transition Analysis (LTA) to extract several profiles or “types” of student motivation and examined developmental variability of these profiles across time. Students who shifted from a more controlled to a more autonomous motivational profile in connection with institutional intervention demonstrated the highest levels of first-year academic performance and retention. However, these results diminished during the second academic year. Implications for practice suggest the importance of providing students with a values-based intervention to enhance autonomy-oriented academic motivation and to do so in a manner that sustains this enhancement throughout the academic career.
9
Moleli, Malehlohonolo Florence. "Protective factors that could foster resilience in first year students." Thesis, University of the Western Cape, 2005. http://etd.uwc.ac.za/index.php?module=etd&.
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Large numbers of students tend to experience failure and dropout in their first year at university. The fundamental aim of this research was to explore protective factors that could foster resilience amongst first year students. It is hoped that resilience research can give young adults the skills and support to survive academic challenges with the help of the university. This study undertook to determine resilience traits that could contribute to academic success. Students who enrolled at the University of the Western Cape for the first time during the year 2003 participated in this study.
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Stier, Mark Martin. "The Relationship Between Living Learning Communities and Student Success on First-Year and Second-Year Students at the University of South Florida." Scholar Commons, 2014. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5133.
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The college experience for many students is an exciting and sometimes awe-inspiring journey. For the first time many students find themselves responsible for making life altering decisions that will determine the course of their adult lives for years to come. They are making the decisions to participate in specific academic majors, a variety of housing options and a multitude of extra-curricular activities. Unfortunately, without proper guidance and structure many of these students find themselves unable to cope with the new challenges of academia, faculty staff interaction, peer relationships and financial obligations. It is because of these challenges that institutions of higher education must take a proactive approach in addressing the unique needs of their students.
Of the estimated three million undergraduate college students entering higher education today ". . . nearly 30-40% of these students drop out without obtaining a college degree" (Enochs & Roland, 2006, p. 63). As a result of the challenges faced by these students, institutions are recognizing the importance of developing initiatives and support services to address the deficiencies in maturity, academics and social skills. One such initiative being implemented by institutions is the development and execution of living learning communities. The strengths of living learning communities are their adaptability, affordability and potential to address institutional concerns such as engagement, student persistence rates and academic success. Growing out of the college retention research of Alexander Astin (1993) and Vincent Tinto (1993), this current study examines the relationships between living learning communities and their influence on academic success and persistence rates of students who first matriculated in the Fall of 2010 or 2011, and were still enrolled in the Fall 2012 semester for first-year and second-year students at the University of South Florida.
11
Riley, Paul Anthony. "The beliefs of first year Japanese university students towards the learning of English." University of Southern Queensland, Faculty of Education, 2006. http://eprints.usq.edu.au/archive/00001495/.
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In the field of second and foreign language learning, beliefs, as one of the affective factors, remain relatively unexplored. Failure to address unrealistic student beliefs and expectations may increase student anxiety (Truitt, 1995; Young, 1991), hinder progress, and ultimately lead to a breakdown in learning (Ellis, 1996; Horwitz, 1985, 1987, 1988; Mantle-Bromley, 1995; Peacock, 1999). This study investigates the beliefs about language learning of first year university students in Japan, employing the Japanese language questionnaire developed by Sakui and Gaies (1999). Two student discussion groups were also formed to provide further data. In addition to describing student beliefs, the study explores differences between student beliefs and teacher beliefs, change in student beliefs during a course of study, and relationships between student beliefs and second language proficiency. A total of 661 first year students, and 34 of their class teachers, participated in this study, at a private Japanese university, between April 2002 and January 2003. Data were analysed using Pearson correlation, Cronbach’s alpha, t-tests, and a principal components factor analysis. The students in the study appear to hold a variety of beliefs, to varying degrees. Significant differences were found between student responses and teacher responses for more than half of the questionnaire items, with the four main areas of difference relating to translation, error correction, the difficulty of language learning, and motivation. In terms of belief change, significant differences were found in student responses to almost a quarter of the questionnaire items between two administrations in April and December, 2002. Some differences were also identified between the beliefs of students based on their proficiency scores, but the results here are inconclusive. This study contributes to the growing understanding of the role of beliefs in language learning. Further studies of other student groups, at other institutions in Japan, will enable a comparison of results to help produce a clearer picture of the beliefs and expectations about language learning of students at Japanese universities.
12
Mthembu, Mpho Princess. "The mentoring needs of final year student teachers during their first teaching practicum." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/76733.
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Student-teachers at the University of Pretoria are in desperate need of mentoring during their teaching practicum period. This is an essential need as they only get the opportunity to start their teaching practicum when they are in their final year of study. This study forms a part of a larger study that comes from a research project called the Peer Enhanced Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL). The aim of this project is to develop a mentoring intervention programme which will be used to develop student teachers into teachers. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify, explore and understand what the mentoring needs of final year student-teachers in the year 2016 and 2017 at the University of Pretoria were during their first teaching practicum. This study aims to do such, because the participants of this study had a late exposure to teaching practice, and as such when they started their teaching practicum, they experienced feelings of being uncertain, scared, and anxious.
The research methodology that this study will utilize is the qualitative research approach using single case study design. Inductive thematic analysis will then be used to analyse the data gathered for this study. The student-teachers in this study were 2016 and 2017 fourth year B. Ed students (n=433) that were studying at the University of Pretoria (Groenkloof campus), in the year 2016 (170), and 2017 (263). The theoretical framework that guided this study is Hudson’s five-factor model of mentoring. The findings of the study revealed that student-teachers at the University of Pretoria need to be mentored, specifically by their mentor lecturers as they embark on their teaching practicum.Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2019.
Educational Psychology
MEd
Unrestricted
13
Scogin, Joseph M. "Predicting first year academic success of the student-athlete population at the University of Missouri." Diss., Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10355/4807.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007.The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on October 9, 2007) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.
14
Chidzonga, Midion Mapfumo. "Transition from high school to university : perspectives of first year students at the University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/95892.
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Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Introduction: Literature shows that the transition from high school to university is fraught with challenges and that there is need to appreciate these challenges from the students’ perspectives and devise ways of assisting the students navigate them smoothly. - Aim: To explore the perspectives of first year students at the University of Zimbabwe, College of Health Sciences (UZCHS) regarding their transition from high school to the UZCHS and propose possible ways to manage the transition phase based on the students’ perspectives. - Objectives : The objectives of this study were to determine the students’ perspectives with regards to various factors that are known to affect the transition from high school to university. - Design: An evaluative research study design was adopted using a mixed method research approach sequentially applying a quantitative and qualitative method. - Method: Four hundred and eighty six (486) self-administered survey questionnaires with 23 closeended questions were distributed to all first year students in the UZCHS. Only 16 questions were analysed for purposes of this research project. A total of 49 interviews were conducted for the in-depth structured questions interview on a randomly selected group of students from each of the programmes. - Results : The response rate was 51% (246/486) ; 81.4% of students were in the 19 to 20 years age group; 52% males and 48% females; 44.4% of the students were enrolled in the MBChB programme. The major challenges faced by the students were the heavy workload; poor counselling services; sticking to timetables; using the library; poor teacher-student relationships; poor sense of belonging; living with a diverse population Frustrations at the UZCHS were identified as arising from academic issues: examinations marks; poor facilities; inadequate high school preparation for university grades and poor feedback. Students’ financing at university was also of concern to the students. The students found the orientation week most useful. The motivation for joining the UZCHS was for career prospects, personal desires and parental influence. Preparatory information given by the UZCHS was considered adequate but not sufficiently detailed. Factors that helped students settle in were the initial reception, orientation week, and the relationships between students, staff and lecturers. The role of parents, peers and friends in settling in was also highlighted as important. - Conclusions : The students’ perspectives on transition are similar to those reported in the literature:need for pre-university information, better accommodation, improved library facilities, improved counselling services, lengthening the orientation week, more detailed information about UZCHS before admission, improve pre-university contact with students ,reduced workload in order to accommodate extra-curricular social life. Students’ preparation for life and learning at university should start during high school.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Inleiding: Uit die literatuur is ditbaieduidelikdat die oorgang van studentevanaf die skoolnauniversiteitbaieuitdagend is. Daar is derhalwe ‘n behoeftedathierdieuitdagingsvanuit die perspektiewe van die studentebeskou word in ‘n poging om hulle op die meeseffektiewemanierteondersteunentebegelei. - Doelstelling: Die doel van hierdie studie is om die perspektiewe van eerstejaarstudente aan die Universiteit van Zimbabwe se Fakulteit Gesondheidswetenskappe (UZCHS) te ondersoek wat betref die oorgang van hoërskool na die UZCHS, en wyses voor te stel om die oorgangsfase te bestuur, gebaseer op die studente se perspektiewe. - Doelwit: Die doelwitte van hierdie studie was om te bepaal wat die studente se perspektiewe was oor die verskeie welbekende problematiese faktore teenwoordig in die oorgang van skool na universiteit. - Ontwerp: ʼn Evaluerende navorsingsontwerp is onderneem deur ʼn gemengde navorsingsmetode te volg. Dit is opeenvolgend deur ʼn kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe metode toegepas. - Metode: ʼn Self-administrerende vraelysopname met 23 geslote vrae is ewekansig toegepas en versprei aan vierhonderd ses- en tagtig (486) studente van die UZCHS. Slegs 16 vrae is vir die doeleindes van hierdie studie geanaliseer. ʼn Onderhoud met in-diepte gestruktureerde vrae is ook gevoer met ʼn ewekansig geselekteerde groep studente (49) van elk van die programme wat aangebied word by die UZCHS. - Resultate: Die responskoers was 51% (246/486); 81.4% van die studente was in die ouderdomsgroep 19 tot 20 jaar; 52% was manlik en 48% vroulik; 44.4% van die studente was geregistreer vir die MBChB program. Die uitdagings deur die studente ervaar was onder andere die swaar werklading, swak studente-ondersteuningsdienste, om by te bly by die rooster, die gebruik van die biblioteek, swak dosent-student verhouding, ʼn swak gevoel van behoort aan, en om deel te wees van ʼn diverse samelewing. Frustrasies by die UZCHS het hul oorsprong gehad by akademiese kwessies: eksamenpunte; uitslae en swak terugvoering. Studente-finansiering aan die universiteit was ook ʼn bron van kommer by studente. Studente het die oriëntasieweek die nuttigste gevind. Die motivering om aan te sluit by die UZCHS het verband gehou met loopbaanvooruitsigte, persoonlike behoeftes en ouer-invloed. Voorbereidende inligting verskaf deur die UZCHS is beskou is voldoende maar sonder genoeg besonderhede. Faktore wat studente gehelp het om tuis te voel was die aanvanklike ontvangs, oriëntasieweek, en die verhoudings tussen studente, personeel en lektore. Die rol van ouers, portuurgroep en vriende om hulle te laat tuis voel, is aangedui as belangrik. - Gevolgtrekkings: Die studente se perspektiewe op oorgang is soortgelyk aan dié wat in die literatuur gerapporteer word. Daar is ʼn behoefte aan beter studentebehuising en biblioteekfasiliteite en studente-ondersteuningsdienste, en meer gedetailleerde informasie oor die UZCHS voor toelating. Studente glo ook dat die oriëntasie week verleng moet word en dat die werklading verminder moet word om hul buitemuurse sosiale lewe te akkommodeer. Studente se voorbereiding vir die studentelewe en universiteitstudies behoort reeds op hoërskool te begin.
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Aguirre, Marco Antonio. "First-Generation Latinos at Pacific Northwest University: Their Adjustment and Experience during Freshman Year." PDXScholar, 2013. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/1025.
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This thesis details the lived experiences of ten first-generation Latino students at a large public university in the Pacific Northwest. Their experience and adjustment reveal that they relied on their friends and family, especially their parents for the male participants, for support and encouragement. The help these students received in the form of caring and social capital from faculty and staff during their freshman year ensured that they made a successful adjustment to college. Participants cite influential people and programs that motivated them to succeed and become comfortable in the college student role.
16
Henry, Melanie. "The online student experience: An exploration of first-year university students’ expectations, experiences and outcomes of online education." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2018. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2059.
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Online higher education presents a critical opportunity to extend and diversify the student body. The Online Student Experience (OSE), and online student outcomes, however, remain shrouded in ambiguity. The literature presents conflicting reports of online education (OE) quality, confounded by a lack of appreciation for potential differences between online and on-campus education, and a diversity of interpretations for what constitutes OE. The present research conceptualises OE as representing university courses that require students to interact with instructors and course materials via the internet, with no expectation of attending a university campus. A broad student-centred perspective is notably lacking from the OE literature, with limited consideration of students’ expectations and perceptions, students’ experiences beyond the curriculum, and the role of students’ experiences in online student outcomes. Instead, prior research has relied on assumed benefits and limitations, or researcher-determined measures of online student suitability and online course quality. The first-year transition may be especially challenging for online students, furthermore, yet understanding of the online first-year experience has been limited to extrapolations from on-campus literature. In the absence of a deep, student-centred understanding of first-year online students’ expectations and experiences, combined with clear evidence for what may contribute to a quality OSE; it remains unclear whether OE presents a viable method of education, and how online student outcomes might be enhanced.
A deeper understanding of the OSE is critical to ensure universities attract and retain a diverse range of students. The present research contributes to this understanding, offering a rich description of how first-year students at an Australian public university constructed their lived experiences of OE, and attributed meaning to these experiences. Adopting qualitative inquiry and phenomenological case study methodology, online students’ expectations, experiences and outcomes were explored through in-depth online interviews with 43 students; and resultant transcripts analysed using thematic analysis.
Six themes were identified to describe students’ lived experiences of OE: learner Motivation, Ability and Circumstances; and institutional Interaction, Curriculum and Environment, forming a Motivation, Ability, Circumstances – Interaction, Curriculum, Environment, or MAC-ICE, thematic structure of the OSE. Discrete expectations and experiences formed sub-themes corresponding to each of these themes. Students’ experiences varied considerably, nonetheless, with no consistent explanation for how all first-year university students might experience OE, corresponding to frequent inaccurate expectations.
Each theme was perceived to have informed students’ outcomes, either directly contributing to their learning, performance, satisfaction or retention, or facilitating experiences conducive to these outcomes. In addition, where students’ expectations were met (or exceeded), or they were supported to manage inaccurate expectations, they felt more satisfied with their experience, and vice versa. Online student outcomes were also interconnected, with retention informed by students’ academic performance and satisfaction; satisfaction informed by learning and academic performance; and academic performance informed by students’ learning. A quality OSE, therefore, appears highly complex, dependent on a range of experiences connected to both the learner and their institution. This interconnectedness of the OSE was summarised through a MAC-ICE thematic matrix.
The findings bring together a fragmented and piecemeal understanding of OE, presenting a holistic and student-centred depiction of a quality OSE. The present research combines and builds upon Constructivist Learning Theory (Lesgold, 2004; Richardson, 2003), Expectation-Confirmation Theory (Bhattacherjee, 2001), and Kember’s Longitudinal-process Model of Drop-out from Distance Education (1989), to form a holistic and student-centred understanding of the OSE, enabling propositions that may clarify and enhance OE theory, and contribute to improved online student outcomes. The resultant MAC-ICE thematic structure and matrix furthermore, offer means through which prior research may be further scrutinised, and the OSE thoroughly examined, enabling researchers, policy-makers and universities alike, to identify, investigate and implement strategies that may ensure a quality OSE.
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Rygg, Matthew J. "The Experiences of High-Achieving, Undergraduate Students Who Departed from Bowling Green State University in the First Year: A Case Study." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1404298009.
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McGhie, Venicia F. "Factors impacting on first-year students' academic progress at a South African university." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/20090.
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Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Research project explored the learning experiences of two groups of first-year students in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, University of the Western Cape during the course of 2009/2010. The aim was to obtain insight into the learning challenges that these students encountered and the reasons why some of them were less successful in the learning process, while others were successful. The perspective of this study was therefore student centred. The project was undertaken against the backdrop of a higher education institution that caters mainly for so-called ‗disadvantaged‘ and ‗underprepared‘ students. Such students come predominantly from marginalised and poorly resourced education environments and socio-economic backgrounds, which suggests that they would find higher learning challenging and, as a result, would most likely experience failure in the learning process. The objective of the research project was two-fold: firstly, to identify and determine which factors have an impact on failure or successful completion of the first year of study in this faculty; and secondly, to derive from the data a socially situated, supportive and holistic learning approach that could assist more students to be successful in the learning process. The argument in the study was that learning is socially situated and constructed. To realise the objective, Vygotsky‘s social cultural theory and Bandura‘s social cognitive theory were used as theoretical orientation of the study. This qualitative, interpretive inquiry was characterised by multiple data collection methods. Qualitative data concerning the perceptions of the participants were generated via written reflective pieces, a questionnaire and individual interviews and content analysis. In addition, quantitative data were collected and this further contributed to the triangulation of rich, in-depth data. An ‗open coding‘ strategy for the content analysis was used, but the approach for the analysis was not purely inductive. A student-centred analytical framework based in part on theories and findings of five studies conducted on student learning, failures and dropouts, and the context of UWC as HBU served as a framework for the analysis but new sub-themes also emerged from the data collected. The results of these two Case studies revealed that some of the students experienced multiple learning challenges simultaneously which increased in severity during the course of the academic year, and that, in Case 1, these challenges became too overwhelming and severe for the students and that was why they were less successful; while in Case 2, the students managed to overcome and deal with these challenges successfully. The findings of this project, while specific to the context in which it was undertaken, contribute to the growing body of knowledge in the field of higher education and in the identification of enabling factors that could assist more students to be successful in their first year of study at a higher education institution. The findings provide guidelines for a socially situated, supportive and holistic learning approach that could help higher education institutions to mitigate the cumulative effects of learning on students‘ personal, academic and social lives.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingsprojek ondersoek twee groepe eerstejaarstudente se leerervaring gedurende 2009/2010 in die Fakulteit Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe aan die UWK. Die doel was om insig te verkry in die leeruitdagings waarvoor hierdie studente te staan gekom het en die redes hoekom party van hulle min sukses in die leerproses behaal het, terwyl ander suksesvol was. Die perspektief in die projek was daarom gerig op die studente en hoe hulle the leerproses ondervind. Die projek is onderneem teen die agtergrond van ‘n instelling van hoër onderwys wat hoofsaaklik vir sogenaamd ‗benadeelde‘ en ‗swak voorbereide‘ studente voorsien. Sulke studente kom meestal uit ‘n gemarginaliseerde opvoedkundige en sosio-ekonomiese agtergrond met gebrekkige bronne, wat daarop dui dat hoër onderwys vir hulle ‘n uitdagings sal wees en dat hulle gevolglik heelwaarskynlik in die leerproses sal misluk. Die doelwit van die navorsingsprojek was tweevoudig: eerstens, om te bepaal watter faktore ‘n invloed het op die mislukking of geslaagde voltooiing van die eerste studiejaar aan hierdie fakulteit; tweedens, om uit die inligting ‘n sosiale gestruktureerde, ondersteunende en holistiese leerbenadering af te lei wat meer studente kan help om in die leerproses sukses te behaal. Die projek berus op die uitgangspunt dat die leerproses ‗n sosiaal gebaseerde en gestuktureerde proses is. Die teoritiese raamwerk was daarom gebaseer op Vygotsky se sosiale kulturele teorie en Bandura se sosiale kognitiewe teorie. Hierdie kwalitatiewe, vertolkende ondersoek word deur veelvoudige metodes van inligtinginsameling gekenmerk. Kwalitatiewe inligting oor die deelnemers se waarnemings is verkry deur middel van nadenkende skryfwerk, ‘n vraelys en individuele onderhoude, en die ontleding van die inhoud daarvan. Ook kwantitatiewe inligting is ingesamel, wat tot die triangulering van ryk, diepgaande inligting bygedra het. Daar is ‘n ‗oopkode‘-strategie vir die ontleding van die inhoud gebruik, maar die ontledingsbenadering was nie suiwer induktief nie. Ontleding het plaasgevind binne ‘n studente gebaseerde ontledingsraamwerk wat gegrond is op teorieë en bevindings uit vyf studies oor leer, mislukking en uitsakking onder studente asook die konteks van die UWK as historiese Swart inrigting. Unieke temas het ook uit die inligting in hierdie studie na vore gekom het. Die resultate van hierdie twee gevallestudies het getoon dat studente veelvoudige leeruitdagings tegelykertyd ervaar het wat al hoe meer geword het deur die loop van die jaar en dat hierdie uitdagings in die een geval te oorweldigend en straf vir die studente geraak het, sodat hulle min sukses behaal het. In die ander geval het die studente daarin geslaag om hierdie uitdagings te hanteer en dit suksesvol te oorkom. Hoewel die bevindings van hierdie projek gekoppel is aan die konteks waarin dit onderneem is, dra dit nietemin by tot die groeiende kennisbasis oor die terrein van hoër onderwys en oor die bepaling van bemagtigende faktore wat meer studente sou kon help om in hulle eerste studiejaar aan ‘n instelling van hoër onderwys sukses te behaal. Die bevindings bied riglyne vir ‘n sosiale ondersteunende holistiese leerbenadering vir akademiese steun wat instellings van hoër onderwys moontlik sal help om die kumulatiewe effek op die studente se persoonlike, akademiese en sosiale lewens in die leerproses te help verlig.
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Darby, Denise. "Relationships between Major, Performance, Time on Academic Activities, Social Activities, and Gender of First-Year Traditional Students." Scholar Commons, 2019. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7774.
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Higher education institutions are tasked with providing opportunities in and out of the classroom that provide students opportunities for a successful college experience. First year student expectations of the college experience initially influence selection of academic and social activities. Unmet or unrealistic expectations may lead to poor academic outcomes, stunted social development, and attrition.
This study focused on traditional first year students at the onset of their college career. Through selection of anticipated field of major study, GPA, and extracurricular activities, students initially identify potential academic activities and potential social activities. This study provided quantitative data in an effort to identify possible relationships between and among those intentions. Student selection of major field of study may drive academic progress and influence selection of social activities.
This study used the College Student Expectations Questionnaire (CSXQ) responses of 3272 first time in college (FTIC) students who attended a large public university in the southeast during the fall 2012 semester.
Results, conclusions, significance, and implications of the work to the discipline are reported here.
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Gilbert, Alicia R. "Who are millennial family members of first year students and how are they affecting the business of student affairs?" Virtual Press, 2004. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1286401.
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This qualitative study was designed to investigate Millennial Family Members and their impact on higher education. The goal of this research was to richly describe the institution-student-parent relationship. Eighteen interviews were conducted with parents of first year students in order to gather descriptive data. The researcher had contact with the family members through "The Conference on Student Success."Five conclusions emerged. Millennial Family Members:1. Have a very different role in their student's higher education process than their parents did.2. Have expectations that the University guarantee safety, provide life lessons and career development.3. Communicate regularly with their students regarding all aspects of their lives including academic work, social issues, community concerns, and financial issues.4. Believe that they have a strong and essential influence on their college student.5. Interact with Student Affairs and Academic Affairs departments on behalf of their students.Implications of these findings and future directions for research were discussed.Department of Educational Studies
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Killion, Sean Patrick. "ROOMMATE MATCHING FOR HOUSING SELECTION AND THE IMPACT ON FIRST-YEAR STUDENT SUCCESS." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2015. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/318837.
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Educational LeadershipEd.D.
The college roommate experience can be one of the most important aspects of a students' undergraduate experience. As colleges and universities across the country have seen a steady increase in enrollment over the past three decades, so has the demand for living on-campus. In recent years, concerns have arisen as to the benefit and value of these experiences especially considering the significant costs of higher education. As such, it becomes increasingly necessary for institutions of higher education to ensure that the on-campus living experience is positive and beneficial. One aspect of this experience is a student's relationship with his or her roommate. In the past, roommate selection was a largely random process controlled by the institution's office of housing. In recent years, new processes have been created that place more of the control in the hands of the student. The purpose of the present dissertation is to investigate one of these roommate matching programs, the RoomSync Roommate Matching Program.
Temple University--Theses
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Samuels, Laura Elizabeth. "The Effectiveness of Web Conferencing Technology in Student-Teacher Conferencing in the Writing Classroom: A Study of First-Year Student Writers." NCSU, 2006. http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/theses/available/etd-03152006-165554/.
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In the past few years, composition theorists have become increasingly interested in the role of computers in the first-year writing classroom. This explorative, case study investigates the use of Web conferencing software as a medium for student-teacher writing conferences. Using qualitative methodology, this researcher conducted out-of-class Web conferences with three first-year writing students about their performance on the first major writing project of the spring 2006 semester. The researcher was also the students? English 101 instructor. Following the Web conferences, the researcher used in depth interviewing techniques to discuss the students? experiences. Data from the recorded Web conferences and transcripts of the post-conference interviews were analyzed to determine answers to the following two research questions: What benefits and challenges do students and teachers find with online Web conferencing and how do these benefits and challenges affect the cyber replication of a face-to-face conference? The results of this study indicate that it is possible to replicate a face-to-face student-teacher conference through Web conferencing technologies. Some of the benefits of Web conferencing include (but are not limited to) the constant availability for students and instructors to have conferences (outside of the traditional business hours that most university buildings are available) and the ability to have an oral discussion in place of a text-based discussion, where it is often difficult for instructors to encapsulate their overall response. Additionally, this study investigates some of the challenges to Web conferencing, such as the lack of a physical presence of the two participants and the inability to conduct global writing revisions due to the lack of screen space available on the computer monitor. Finally, this study has important implications for conferencing in the first-year writing classroom and opens the door for future Web conferencing studies to be conducted on a larger scale with different population samples.
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Rothschild-Checroune, Ezechiel. "Academic Engagement of First Year Student Athletes: University Football as a Serious Leisure Community of Practice." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/28675.
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Students must engage in communities supportive of academia to achieve success at university. Academic engagement is crucial for success, given that low levels of engagement have been shown to develop risks for a variety of adverse consequences, including absenteeism and dropping out of school. Students with a supportive environment have been shown to have higher levels of academic engagement. The purpose of this research was to use a phenomenological approach to explore how participation in a Serious Leisure (Stebbins, 1992) Community of Practice (Wenger, 1999) affects academic engagement. This research may be practical for coaches, educators, student athletes and researchers aiming to promote student athletes' academic engagement. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve first year student athletes in the University of Ottawa's Gee Gees varsity football program. Results showed that football participation is so demanding that it may inhibit academic engagement. Conversely, football participation has helped individuals enter university, create a new home, integrate into a brotherhood/pseudo-family, develop an identity, time manage wisely, and become academically motivated. Although athletic pressure may be detrimental, the social support from the football program has proven helpful towards academic engagement.
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Hoffman, Matthew D. "Change in CHANGE: Tracking first-year students' conceptualizations of leadership in a themed living, learning community." Miami University Honors Theses / OhioLINK, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=muhonors1272422327.
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Thompson, Brandon L. "The impact of a first year seminar on the college success of African American males at Eastern Illinois University /." View online, 2010. http://repository.eiu.edu/theses/docs/32211131524874.pdf.
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McGinty, Samantha. "First year Humanities and Social Science students' experiences of engaging with written feedback in a post-1992 university." Thesis, University of Wolverhampton, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2436/210189.
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First year Humanities and Social Science students’ experiences of engaging with written feedback in a post- 1992 university This thesis examines students’ experiences of engaging with written formative feedback in a post-1992 university. A body of literature on ‘engagement with feedback’ in higher education presents the student as somehow lacking the motivation to engage with feedback. The principles of a feminist methodology were adopted in an attempt to present the underrepresented views of students on the issue of their engagement with feedback. Participants were from two first year undergraduate modules which provided formative feedback on assignments. Qualitative research methods were used: 24 semi-structured interviews, 50 reflective writing documents and 83 questionnaires were collated for open-ended responses and descriptive patterns. Following an analysis of this data, an innovative model was developed. The ‘Student perspective on engaging with feedback model’ was based on the three phases students moved through when engaging with feedback, which was influenced by the type and style of feedback they required at different stages of their transition. This transition involved a period of liminality (a state of betwixt and between) as individuals waited to go through a rite of passage, which often led to students finding themselves in ‘stuck places’ and experiencing feelings of ‘being wrong’. The model demonstrates how firstly, students used the feedback as a ‘sign’ to confirm their learner identities. Secondly, students used the feedback to improve. They valued a personalised dialogue to enable them to do this successfully. Thirdly, they focused on future-orientated feedback, relating to employability and grades. These findings provide the basis for recommendations to HE tutors suggesting that changes to assessment practices and feedback comments may be beneficial for first year undergraduates as they navigate their transition to learning in higher education. First year Humanities and Social Science students’ experiences of engaging with written feedback in a post- 1992 university This thesis examines students’ experiences of engaging with written formative feedback in a post-1992 university. A body of literature on ‘engagement with feedback’ in higher education presents the student as somehow lacking the motivation to engage with feedback. The principles of a feminist methodology were adopted in an attempt to present the underrepresented views of students on the issue of their engagement with feedback. Participants were from two first year undergraduate modules which provided formative feedback on assignments. Qualitative research methods were used: 24 semi-structured interviews, 50 reflective writing documents and 83 questionnaires were collated for open-ended responses and descriptive patterns. Following an analysis of this data, an innovative model was developed. The ‘Student perspective on engaging with feedback model’ was based on the three phases students moved through when engaging with feedback, which was influenced by the type and style of feedback they required at different stages of their transition. This transition involved a period of liminality (a state of betwixt and between) as individuals waited to go through a rite of passage, which often led to students finding themselves in ‘stuck places’ and experiencing feelings of ‘being wrong’. The model demonstrates how firstly, students used the feedback as a ‘sign’ to confirm their learner identities. Secondly, students used the feedback to improve. They valued a personalised dialogue to enable them to do this successfully. Thirdly, they focused on future-orientated feedback, relating to employability and grades. These findings provide the basis for recommendations to HE tutors suggesting that changes to assessment practices and feedback comments may be beneficial for first year undergraduates as they navigate their transition to learning in higher education. First year Humanities and Social Science students’ experiences of engaging with written feedback in a post- 1992 university This thesis examines students’ experiences of engaging with written formative feedback in a post-1992 university. A body of literature on ‘engagement with feedback’ in higher education presents the student as somehow lacking the motivation to engage with feedback. The principles of a feminist methodology were adopted in an attempt to present the underrepresented views of students on the issue of their engagement with feedback. Participants were from two first year undergraduate modules which provided formative feedback on assignments. Qualitative research methods were used: 24 semi-structured interviews, 50 reflective writing documents and 83 questionnaires were collated for open-ended responses and descriptive patterns. Following an analysis of this data, an innovative model was developed. The ‘Student perspective on engaging with feedback model’ was based on the three phases students moved through when engaging with feedback, which was influenced by the type and style of feedback they required at different stages of their transition. This transition involved a period of liminality (a state of betwixt and between) as individuals waited to go through a rite of passage, which often led to students finding themselves in ‘stuck places’ and experiencing feelings of ‘being wrong’. The model demonstrates how firstly, students used the feedback as a ‘sign’ to confirm their learner identities. Secondly, students used the feedback to improve. They valued a personalised dialogue to enable them to do this successfully. Thirdly, they focused on future-orientated feedback, relating to employability and grades. These findings provide the basis for recommendations to HE tutors suggesting that changes to assessment practices and feedback comments may be beneficial for first year undergraduates as they navigate their transition to learning in higher education.
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Mntuyedwa, Vuyokazi. "First-Year Students’ Experiences of Peer Groups and Peer Pressure in the Residences of a South African University." UWC, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/7552.
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Philosophiae Doctor - PhDIn general, peers have a tendency to influence others positively and negatively. In the main, transition from school to higher education causes some students to experience stress; to respond negatively to new conditions; and to engage in risk behaviour, which hinders epistemological access, negatively affects performance, and often delays graduation. Nonetheless, participation in peer group activities has advantages and potentialities, which are often neglected in popular scholarly discourse. The main research question of the study was to investigate the experiences of peer pressure among first-year students? This study adopted a mixed-method research design and presents findings for both quantitative data which was collected through an electronic survey and qualitative findings from focus group interviews with three different groups: females, males, and, mixed gender. The population comprised first-year students living in two residences of a selected South African university. The qualitative data was analysed through thematic analysis, while the quantitative data was analysed through descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as Spearman’s Rank correlation was used in the study. In consideration with the transition theory, social learning theory, and student involvement theory. Findings reveal that first-year students join different groups and they encounter both positive and negative experiences. Positive experiences were observed in relation to academic performance and sense of belonging. Negative experiences indicate that peers influence others to adopt anti-social behaviour, experience undue materialistic pressure, have poor class attendance, and depend on peers for decisions. Overall, it is found that academic success depends on students’ interconnectedness, sense of belonging, peer support, acceptance, and recognition. The findings can be utilized to inform practical strategies and policies to empower first-year students to deal productively and progressively with peer pressure within the higher education sector. The study recommends the implementation of a First-year Student orientation programme which is called University 101 that can assist first-year students with better transition to higher education and can increase retention output. The programme should address the crucial areas that will assists the first-year with better transitions such as diversity, well-being, self-esteem, academic excellence and peer pressure.
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Schuster, Maximilian Thomas. "Compartmentalized Cultures, Integrated Transitions| Exploring First-Year Student Transition Through Institutional Culture at a Middle Atlantic University." Thesis, University of Pittsburgh, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10645782.
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Donahoe, Jennifer E. "Evaluation of the freshman seminar program at Eastern Illinois University and its perceived impact on first-year student development /." View online, 2000. http://ia301519.us.archive.org/1/items/evaluationoffres00dona/evaluationoffres00dona.pdf.
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Bennett, Elizabeth A. "The Relationship between First-Year Student Retention and Type of Faculty at a Four-Year Public Research University: A Profile of Three Academic Colleges." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou149018318877505.
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McGuire, Melissa. "Predicting Latino Male Student Retention: the Effect of Psychosocial Variables on Persistence for First-year College Students at a Southwest University." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2015. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc801960/.
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The purpose of this study was to investigate and predict Latino male student retention using ACT’s Engage College survey at a research university in the southwestern region of the U.S. ACT’s Engage survey was designed to predict first-year college retention using 10 psychosocial measures. However, no empirical study exists to support ACT’s claim especially for Latino male students. Data from a four-year research university between 2009 and 2011 were analyzed with logistic regression. Logistic regression analysis was performed for the whole sample (N = 8,061) and for the Latino male subsample (n = 860). In the entire sample’s first regression model, high school grade quartile and SAT score as well as demographic variables were used as predictor variables. In this model, the independent variables of high school grade point average quartile, SAT score, gender, and race made statistically significant contributions to the model (Nagelkerke R2 = .031, p < .01). In the entire sample’s second regression model, ACT’s 10 psychosocial variables were added to the first regression model as predictor variables. Results indicated the instrument was valid for the freshmen as a whole because five out of 10 psychosocial measures displayed statistically significant odds ratios (ORs) for predicting retention: (a) Commitment to College (OR = 1.006, p < .01), (b) Academic Discipline (OR = 1.005, p < .01), (c) Social Activity (OR = -.997, p < .01), (d) Social Connection (OR = 1.004, p < .01), and (e) Academic Self-Confidence (OR = -.997, p < .01). Regarding the subsample of 860 Latino males, none of the 10 psychosocial measures produced statistically significant results. The findings indicate the need to determine a new way of identifying at-risk Latino male students because current methods have failed to build a robust predictive model for this student population.
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Chaffin, Couch E. RenΘe. "Trends in Sophomore Students' Perceptions of Academic Advising Services at East Tennessee State University." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2004. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/945.
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The purpose of this study was to determine sophomore students' perceptions of academic advising at ETSU as reported in fall 2002 and trends in sophomore students' perceptions of academic advising at ETSU from 1994 to 2002. Four research questions and seven hypotheses were examined.
The ACT Survey of Academic Advising was the instrument used in this study. This survey was administered to ETSU sophomores enrolled in 2000-level English literature classes during the fall semesters of 1994, 1998, and 2002. Data obtained from the survey regarding topics of discussion with advisors, satisfaction with assistance received, and impressions of advisors were analyzed to determine student perceptions and satisfaction. Variables of age, sex, college residence, type of advisor, and transfer status were examined in the 2002 data to determine any significant differences in these student subgroups. Comparative analysis was used to determine differences between ETSU sophomores surveyed in 2002 and sophomores included in a national normative study. Means scores obtained in 1994, 1998, and 2002 were tested to determine trends in students' perceptions since 1994. This study utilized a descriptive research design. All hypotheses were tested using an alpha level of .05.
The results of this research indicated that continued improvements in academic advising services were needed at ETSU. The data in this study showed that ETSU students were satisfied with assistance received from their advisors in some areas. Students' impressions of their advisors were less than favorable. There were few statistical differences between ETSU student subgroups. There were few statistical differences between ETSU and students in the normative study in satisfaction with advisors' assistance. ETSU students had significantly less favorable impressions of their advisors than those in the normative study. Regarding trends in ETSU students' perceptions of academic advising at ETSU, students were significantly more satisfied and had significantly higher impressions of advisors in 1998 and 2002 than in 1994. There were no significant differences in responses of sophomores surveyed in 1998 and those surveyed in 2002 on any items.
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Lemmens, Juan-Claude. "Students’ readiness for university education." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/26675.
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The aim of the thesis is to investigate the readiness characteristics that determine risk for either failure or withdrawal before students enter university. These relationships are investigated and explained with a literature discussion that includes readiness for university education, student transition, retention and withdrawal theory. The motivation for this research emanates against the challenges that the South African Higher Education in general faces as well as the demands placed on the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences to supply for the high demand for well equipped financial service professionals. The research project was completed in three phases. In the first phase a structured questionnaire was developed to measure the non-cognitive factors relating to readiness for university education. The purpose of the ‘Academic Readiness Questionnaire’ is to function as a screening test for first-year students that enter university. The Academic Readiness Questionnaire went through a scientific process of test development and standardisation. The overall Cronbach’s alpha for the questionnaire is 0.87, which indicates good internal consistency reliability for the scale with this sample. In the second phase the Academic Readiness Questionnaire was administered to the 2008 cohort of first-time entering students from the faculty of Economic and Management Sciences during the first-year orientation week. The total number of students in the sample is 829 students. In the third phase the students who withdrew from their studies were interviewed telephonically. A total of 42 students were interviewed to determine the salient reasons for withdrawal. Quantitative data were analysed using various descriptive and inferential statistical methods. These include factor analysis, regression analysis and multiway frequency analysis. The telephonic interviews were analysed with content analysis. The main findings reveal that the readiness characteristics show a direct relationship with academic success and intention to withdraw. The number of variables able to predict risk for either failure or withdrawal differ. More variables show a significant relationship with risk for failure than for withdrawal. Furthermore, the research results show that African students have higher academic achievement and are less likely to withdraw, when compared to white students. African students also tend to have higher academic success, compared to white students. The differences in academic success and withdrawal rates among African and white students are due to high school achievement and the number of credits the students register for. White students are also more likely to withdraw voluntarily, mostly within the first couple of weeks or months mainly due to choosing an incorrect study choice.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011.
Psychology
unrestricted
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Orth, Ashley Mark. "International students' perceptions of their experience of higher education in Australia: A focus on Saudi Arabian students in their first year of a business course in a major Australian university." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2015. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/84623/4/Ashley_Orth_Thesis.pdf.
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This study examined perceptions of international students from Saudi Arabia living and studying in Australia. As a qualitative study that featured case study methodology, the thesis discusses the experiences of Saudi Arabian students in the light of two important factors: students' expectations prior to coming to Australia and the impact of intercultural competency on students' experiences. The study found that while study participants reported mostly positive experiences, there were challenges faced such as coping with English language and culture shock. The thesis culminates in a comprehensive list of implications for educators in the light of the study's findings.
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Morgan, Kristy. "The college transition experience of students with ADHD." Diss., Kansas State University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/13741.
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Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Special Education, Counseling, & Student Affairs
Kenneth Hughey
This qualitative study explored the college transition experience of eight first-year students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder at a midwestern research university. Using a three-interview-series model, students participated in structured interviews designed to explore their backgrounds, discuss their current experiences on campus, and discover what they have learned from their college transition experiences. The findings reveal that these students with ADHD did not adequately plan their college transitions, relied heavily on family for assistance with their transition and medical treatment, did not utilize many campus resources available to them, and lacked strategies to manage their ADHD symptoms. Additionally, they found the process of becoming college students to be stressful due to the many responsibilities inherent in the role. Findings also indicate that students relied on medication to perform academically in college; however, they lacked knowledge of medication and treatment options. The results contribute to research addressing individuals with ADHD across the lifespan, particularly in college, as well as research of college students and college environments. Recommendations for practice and future research are discussed.
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Reetseng, Mmakgoshi Prescilla. "An assessment of the attitudes of undergraduate students towards information literacy training : Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) Library as case study." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/58606.
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ABSTRACT
Information literacy skills training should be utilised by libraries as a strategy for transforming non-library users into constant users by teaching them appropriate skills that can impact on their knowledge and attitudes towards the utilisation of library resources. Although libraries do provide training aimed at making students conscious of the range of library resources and services and how to use them in their studies and career development, it has regrettably been observed that the skills and services are not well utilised by many.
Students in many institutions still rely heavily on the librarian even after receiving training. This has also been observed at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) library. This study titled, An assessment of the attitudes of undergraduate students towards information literacy training: Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) Library as case study, therefore addressed the following research problem: To what extent does the information literacy skills training offered at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) Library affect students’ attitudes towards information literacy training and use of information retrieval systems?
The study was aimed at offering 2015 first year students at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University and the librarian responsible for information literacy skills training an opportunity to express their perceptions and feelings about the library’s information literacy skills training programme and the use of information retrieval systems. The study also aimed at determining barriers that students experience in independently and effectively utilising library services and systems and identifying possible gaps in the training. The study also looked at aspects of the training that influenced students positively.
A case study of first year students from the Schools of Medicine, Pathology and Pre-Clinical Sciences, Oral Health Sciences and Health Care Sciences at SMU was conducted using a mixed methods approach, collecting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data. It employed questionnaires (for quantitative data), focus group interviews (for qualitative data) and an interview with the librarian responsible for information literacy training (qualitative data). Data were collected from the 14th October to the 06th November 2015. A total of 394 questionnaires were distributed, 225 questionnaires were returned and 219 were sufficiently completed to be useful. Four focus group interviews were held with 18 first year students; all schools were represented.
Students contributed ideas and voiced their opinions about the value of information literacy skills training for their studies, future career and their everyday life. They shared perceptions on their satisfaction with the skills learned and had the opportunity to rank the skills they have improved as a result of the training. Students confirmed that the training programme was indeed valuable and required for various aspects of their life, studies and career. They learned the skills needed when searching for information. Their effort and time for searching, locating, finding, accessing, evaluating and using information from the shelves, catalogue, internet and databases had also been decreased.
Some of the gaps identified by students were that they struggled with acquiring new skills as they had no prior exposure to libraries and computers, the classes were overcrowded and uncontrollable, the scope covered was too wide for one session, the training was overwhelming and the timing of the year wrong. Students also made suggestions and recommendations, for example continuous or monthly training, online training sessions, small group sessions, facilitation training for the trainers and including basic computer training.
The practical recommendations from the study, which include the student recommendations, can be utilised to improve information literacy skills training at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University Library, and also hold value for other academic contexts. From a theoretical viewpoint, theories of self-efficacy and affordance theory can be explored in further work.Mini Dissertation (MIT)--University of Pretoria, 2016.
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Information Science
MIT
Unrestricted
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Matoti, S. N. "Assessing the level of preparedness, preferences, and fears of first-year science students at the Central University of Technology, Free State." Journal for New Generation Sciences, Vol 8, Issue 1: Central University of Technology, Free State, Bloemfontein, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/11462/555.
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Published ArticleThis exploratory and descriptive study examines the perceptions of first-year science students regarding their preparedness for the programme, their preferences and their fears as they embark on university education for the first time. A questionnaire was used to collect data from all the first year students enrolled in the programme in 2008. Seventy students answered the questionnaire from a class of 78. Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods were used to analyse and present data in the study. The results showed that students differed in their preparedness for the programme, their preferences regarding teaching methodologies, learning methods, and classroom climates, and the kinds of fear or apprehension about the programme and university education. Some recommendations regarding the teaching and learning of science are made.
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Arnekrans, Allison K. "Tinto's Student Integration Model & Diathesis Stress Model: Adverse Childhood Events, Resilience, & Retention in a First Year University Population." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1396182197.
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Beukes, Johannes Andreas Gerhardus. "A study of the emotional intelligence levels of first year student teachers at the Central University of Technology, Free State." Thesis, Bloemfontein: Central University of Technology, Free State, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11462/676.
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Thesis (M. Ed. (Education)) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2014The goal of the education system is to increase cognitive capacity, competencies and skills such as acquiring new knowledge, recalling facts and figures and applying this information to reasoning, understanding and solving problems. To achieve all these competencies teachers and lecturers traditionally use Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains. The competencies and skills as described by Bloom are measured by standardised intelligence tests. Society takes it for granted that the higher a person’s IQ (Intelligence quotient), the better he/she will perform at school level. But what happens after school? While cognitive intelligence may be able to predict quite accurately how one will perform at school, it predicts very little else in the way of social performance and interaction after school. As such, IQ is a rather weak predictor of performance in interpersonal relations, at work and in coping with a wide variety of challenges that surface in the course of one's life on a daily basis (Wagner, 1997). Some writers makes a strong case that people owe their success in their professional careers to much more than mere IQ. Wagner reviews data and offers convincing cases to show that an IQ above 110, fails as an accurate predictor of success in a career. In other words, you need to be smart enough to handle the cognitive complexity of the information you need for a given role or job, be it engineering, law, medicine, or business. But after reaching this threshold of “smart enough,” your intellect makes little difference. Wagner concludes that IQ alone predicts just 6 to 10 percent of career success. It has been argued for over a century, as early as Charles Darwin that something is missing from the human performance formula that is needed to explain why some people do very well in life while others do not, irrespective of how cognitively intelligent they may be. One of the first attempts by psychologists to identify additional predictors of performance in other aspects of life was made by Edward Thorndike (1920) when he described "social intelligence" as the ability to perceive one's own and others' internal states, motives and behaviours, and to act towards them appropriately on the basis of that information. Mayer, Salovey and Caruso (2000:273) state that emotional intelligence includes “the ability to perceive, appraise and express emotion accurately and adaptively; the ability to understand emotion and emotional knowledge; the ability to access and generate feelings where they facilitate cognitive activities and adaptive action; and the ability to regulate emotions in oneself and others”. All of these skills are necessary for the teacher to function successfully in the classroom. The question is: does the modern teacher have the necessary EI skills? This dissertation explores and describes the level of Emotional Intelligence of the first year student teachers at the Central University of Technology, Free State. Seventy-nine (79) students were tested during 2012 and 2013 to establish whether they have the necessary levels of Emotional Intelligence to ensure that they will be able to become good classroom leaders upon entering the teacher’s profession. Traits of Emotional Intelligence were assessed by means of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue). The study investigates the Emotional Intelligence attributes and skills that a teacher will need to become a good classroom leader. The study examines the four main areas tested in the TEIQue, namely the well-being, the emotionality, the sociability and the self-control of the student teacher. Findings suggest that the student teachers still need to develop their emotional intelligence as their results fall in the lower level of the acceptable range.
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Humphreys, Henry James. "The Psychosocial Effect of Residentially-Based Learning Communities on First Year Honors Students in a Highly Selective Private University." Thesis, Boston College, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/2345/1327.
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Thesis advisor: Karen ArnoldColleges and universities in the United States are currently in the midst of a debate on how to integrate students' academic and social lives in a manner similar to the centuries old model of Oxford and Cambridge. One of the major initiatives by colleges and universities is the re-establishment of residentially-based learning communities whose use has ebbed and flowed throughout the history of American higher education. The fundamental purpose of these communities is to facilitate intentional interactions with faculty and peers within the residence halls. The purpose of this study was to determine quantitatively if first year honors students at Boston College who participated in a residentially-based learning community exhibited greater psychosocial development versus first year honors students who reside in traditional residence halls. The Student Developmental Task and Lifestyle Assessment (SDTLA), based on Chickering's theory of development, was employed to measure the psychosocial growth of the students. The experimental group consisted of 32 first year honors students who resided in the Honors House and the control group was comprised of 64 first year honors students who resided in the traditional residence halls. Results of the study revealed that residing in a residentially based learning community was not the sole contributing factor affecting the participants' psychosocial development. Male and female honors students who resided in the Honors House and the traditional halls experienced similar patterns of developmental growth over the course of their fall semester. It was also found that the mean scores of the participants in this study were consistently higher than the normative data on all tasks, subtasks and scales of the SDTLA. Despite the small sample size, the results appear to indicate that multiple factors, including the intentionality of Boston Colleges' Honors program and institutional value for student formation, contributed to the participant's psychosocial development
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010
Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education
Discipline: Educational Administration and Higher Education
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Bonneville, Jacqueline K. "A comparison of adjustment factors between undeclared and declared first-year students at UW-Eau Claire." Online version, 2009. http://www.uwstout.edu/lib/thesis/2009/2009bonnevillej.pdf.
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Kimball, Jorja Lay. "A study of engineering student attributes and time to completion of first year required courses at Texas A&M University." Diss., Texas A&M University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/6015.
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For many years, colleges of engineering across the nation have required that a foundational set of courses be completed for entry into upper division coursework or into a specific engineering major. Since 1998, The Dwight Look College of Engineering at Texas A&M University (TAMU) has required that incoming first-time enrolling students complete a Core Body of Knowledge (CBK) with specific cumulative grade points required for specific majors. However, considerations of the time to completion of coursework and other student characteristics and academic factors have not been taken into consideration by TAMU, like most institutions. The purpose of this study is to determine for first year engineering students at TAMU the relationship of gender, ethnicity, engineering major, unmet financial need, cumulative grade point average, and total transfer hours on time to completion of CBK courses. The results of the analysis showed that cumulative grade point average (CGPA) had the strongest relationship to completion of CBK of any independent variable in this study. Statistical significance was found for the following variables in this study: CGPA, gender, ethnicity, and unmet financial need. For the study's variable of major, statistical significance was found for Chemical, Electrical, and Computer Engineering majors. The one variable in this study that did not show statistical significance in relation to time to completion of CBK was transfer credit. Findings with implications for recruitment and retention of underrepresented in engineering is a statistical significance indicating that on average females are taking less time than males to complete CBK. The conclusion from the study is that efforts to attract more women into engineering have merit as do programs to support underrepresented students in order that they may complete CBK at a faster pace. Further study to determine profiles of those majors where statistical significance was found for students taking a greater or lesser amount of time for CBK completion than the mean is recommended, as is ongoing data collection and comparison for current cohorts of engineering majors at TAMU.
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Wiese, Melanie. "A higher education marketing perspective on choice factors and information sources considered by South African first year university students." Thesis, Pretoria : [s.n.], 2008. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-11262008-080801/.
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Amos, Trevor. "The development of academic literacy in the first-year psychology course at Rhodes University: an assessment of the tutorial programme." Thesis, Rhodes University, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002432.
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This research is concerned with the cognitive development of students in higher education. Specifically, it is recognised that the demands facing students are different to those previously encountered in secondary education. These demands include being able to master what Strohm Kitchener (1983) calls ill-structured problems and learning the groundrules of their academic disciplines. This is termed academic literacy. Current thought in academic development proposes that students need to be shown how to mobilise their cognitive processes to meet these demands. It is argued that this is best accomplished when such activities are integrated into the discipline itself as opposed to being an add-on process. Taking into account the social and dialectical nature of learning (Vygotsky, 1978), academic development and academic literacy are seen to best occur within the tutorial system. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the 1997 first-year Psychology tutorial programme at Rhodes University, Grahamstown to assess how academic literacy was being developed. A qualitative research approach was followed, guided by the ten stage evaluation model of education programmes (Jacobs, 1996) and an adapted version of the Context, Input, Process and Product approach to evaluation (Parlett and Hamilton cited in Calder, 1995, p.25). Using indepth interviews, data was gathered from eight first year students, seven staff members and one programme co-ordinator. Focus groups were used to gather data from nine tutors. Further data collection techniques included observation of tutor briefing sessions and tutorials as well as documentary research. Data was analysed using qualitative data analysis techniques (Coffey & Atkinson, 1996). The Psychology Department at Rhodes University aims to integrate the development of academic literacy into mainstream teaching at the first year level through its tutorial programme. The Department has conceptualised its understanding of academic development as the development of academic, vocational and professional literacy which is rather unique. Academic literacy is defined and conceptualised further in a list of pre-determined skills (reading, writing and general skills) to be developed incrementally. This conceptualisation of academic literacy tends to neglect to include the mobilisation of relevant cognitive processes explicitly and the implementation tends to remain implicit. A lack of tactical strategies to implement academic development is evidence of the difficulty in moving from the philosophical level of academic development to the practical level. The programme is perceived as disorganised and lacking in a co-ordinated or incremental development of the predetermined skills.
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Smith, Marian Ford. "The Relationship Between Registration Time and Major Status and Academic Performance and Retention of First-time-in-college Undergraduate Students at a Four-year, Public University." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2014. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc700089/.
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This quantitative study utilized secondary data from one large four-year, state university in the southwestern US. The relationship between registration time and academic performance was examined as well as the relationship between registration time and retention of first-time-in-college (FTIC) undergraduate students during their first semester of enrollment at the university. The differences between decided and undecided students were tested regarding students’ academic performance and retention of the same population. The study population for the fall 2011 semester included 6,739 freshmen, and the study population for the fall 2012 semester included 4,454 freshmen. Through multiple and logistic regression models, registration time was shown to statistically have a relationship with academic performance and retention (p < .05). Later registrants showed to have a negative relationship with GPA and were less likely to return the following spring semester. The explained variance (R2) for both measures of academic performance and retention along with descriptive statistics are also presented. A Mann Whitney U test and chi square test indicated that a statistically significant association between decided and undecided students exists for academic performance and retention (p < .05). Decided major students performed better as measured by semester GPA performance and were more likely to return the following spring semester. Recommendations and implications are issued regarding future research, policy, and practice.
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Kahrig, Tammy. "An Evaluation of the Residential Learning Communities Program at Ohio University: An Analysis of Student Involvement, Satisfaction, Academic Success, and Retention." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2005. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?ohiou1125442887.
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Parsonson, Katrina. "Exploring cyber-bullying : a retrospective study of first year university student : a thesis submitted to the Victoria University of Wellington in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education /." ResearchArchive@Victoria e-Thesis, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10063/1250.
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Tswane, Silvesta Sisonke. "An analysis of how university management and administration staff deal with the social, cultural, economic and political differences that exist between urban and rural first year male students: an NMMU case study." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020898.
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This study is a qualitative review to identify factors impacting on the management of student development and support at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in a developing country. For the purpose of the study student development and support includes all developmental and supportive services and interventions for rural and urban students within an institution of higher learning, regardless of the current structuring of the functions. The study first contextualises the scenario of a developing country in terms of the socio-economic, political, higher education, labour and other factors that set the scene for student development and support and then continues with a systematic exposition of factors that have direct relevance and impact on the future of student development and support. A systematic investigation of NMMU by means of interviews with student affairs professionals make it possible to identify factors that have direct relevance and impact on the future management and provision of student development and support. The result of the study is a construction of the specific factors identified on the international, national and institutional levels as well as the intricate relationships between rural and urban students. This research provides a potential framework for future management and provision of strategic focus areas for student development and support functions within NMMU and higher education in a developing country to ensure that it effectively positions the function within higher education as a key component of the core agenda.
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Mak, Barley Shuk-yin Chan. "An investigation into the relationship between speaking-in-class anxiety with instructor behaviour and classroom practices among Chinese ESL (English as a Second Language) first year undergraduates in a Hong Kong university." Thesis, University of Hull, 2003. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:5615.
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This study investigates the relationship of instructor behaviour and classroom practices with Chinese ESL speaking-in-class anxiety of a group of first-year university students in Hong Kong. The factors contributing to second language learning speaking-in-class anxiety (SA) are identified by means of interviews,a questionnaire and discussion. The relationship between sex, majors, students' second language (English) proficiency, self-evaluation of their first language (Chinese) and second language (L2) proficiency with SA are examined with the help of a questionnaire. A further aspect of the study explores the kinds of classroom practices and teacher behaviour that help students reduce SA by means of an experiment, comparison of data gathered from pre-and-post experiment questionnaires, participant observation, interviews, classroom activity records, audio recording and comparison of students' English oral grades before and after the experiment. Factor analysis identified five factors contributing to SA. They are - speech anxiety and fear of negative evaluation - comfortableness when speaking with native speakers - negative attitudes towards the English class - negative self-evaluation and - fear of failing the class/consequences of personal failure. Speaking in front of the class without preparation, being corrected when speaking, inadequate wait-time and not being allowed to use the first language in a second/foreign language class were also indicated by this group of first-year Chinese ESL university students as important elements leading to SA. Results suggested that teacher behaviour such as creating a warm and easy going atmosphere in the classroom, upholding teaching professionalism, providing specific help to students and providing pleasant language experience are useful to encourage spoken English in an ESL classroom. Classroom practices such as adopting appropriate tasks and activities that address varied leaning styles and strategies in the classroom, adopting appropriate modes of assessment and correction, allowing preparation in advance before asking students to speak in front of the class, providing adequate wait-time and allowing the use of the first language help lower students' SA. The thesis concludes with an examination of the methodological and theoretical implications of the study. The present research has highlighted the importance of considering the cultural elements, wait time and the use of LI in the L2 classroom, elements which have been neglected in previous anxiety research. A number of tentative and practical recommendations from the study are proposed together with suggestions for future research.
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Vawda, Aamena. "The learning styles of first year university students." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/358.
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There has been a shift in the South African education system from a purely grade-oriented system to that of a learner-centred outcome-based system of education which challenges higher educational institutions and their faculties to adjust their goals to this system. In South Africa there is evidence of poor academic performance at higher education institutions. Among other things, noncognitive factors may be important mediators of academic success. With the expansion of higher education and the increased emphasis on access, retention and life-long learning, it is a good reason to explore the nature of different learning styles (Healey & Jenkins, 2000). Learning styles and personality types has been identified as significant predictors of academic performance. The present study aimed to contribute to this body of research in general and to Kolb’s (1981) theory of experiential learning and his conceptualisation of learning styles in particular. The aims of the study were to explore and describe the learning styles of first year university students (Aim 1), to explore and describe the learning styles of first year university students per faculty (Aim 2), and to explore the relationship between learning styles and academic performance for students in the various faculties (Aim 3). The study used an explorative descriptive and correlational research method and was conducted within a quantitative framework. Participants were selected using a non-probability convenience sampling technique. The sample was comprised of 391 first year university students to whom Kolb’s Learning Style Indicator was administered as part of the Explore programme during orientation week. Descriptive statistics were used in order to explore and describe the learning style of the learners for the sample as a whole and per faculty. Data for the learning styles and academic performance categories were cross tabulated so as to comment on the relationship between learning styles and academic performance per faculty. Small cell sizes made it impossible to analyse the latter data statistically. Across the six faculties the Accommodator learning style was the most represented, followed by the Diverger learning style. No significant relationship was found between learning styles and academic performance. The implications of the findings for counselling and teaching students are highlighted and suggestions to expand the research through using larger samples are also made.