What has LSAY found?

1. What has LSAY found? Sheldon Rothman Principal Research Fellow

2. What has LSAY found? • The First Year Experience • Attitudes, Intentions and Participation • General findings of LSAY

3. The First Year Experience • Examines the transition from Year 12 to the first year of post-school study • Combines university and TAFE study • Who stays / changes / leaves? Why? • How do members of equity groups fare?

4. Satisfaction + difficulties • High overall levels of satisfaction among those who stayed to end of the first year

5. Satisfaction + difficulties Strongly agree Agree TAFE University

6. Satisfaction + difficulties Satisfaction + difficulties • High overall levels of satisfaction among those who stayed to end of the first year • Some areas of difficulty reported: • Juggling study and work • Time for other activities

7. Satisfaction + difficulties

8. Satisfaction + difficulties • High overall levels of satisfaction among those who stayed to end of the first year • Some areas of difficulty reported: • Juggling study and work • Time for other activities • Higher satisfaction levels among those not working and those working part-time

9. Satisfaction + difficulties ‘Paying course and other fees, purchasing books and other materials, and managing accommodation and transport costs are burdens that most students are willing to shoulder, provided that they are satisfied with their learning, mixing well with other students and fell that they are a member of a community.’

10. Enrolment changesin the first year • 1% changed institution • 2% changed course • 6% withdrew • 4% deferred (after starting)

11. Reasons for withdrawal:‘a consideration’

12. Reasons for withdrawal:‘main reason’

13. How do interests affect decisions about tertiary study? • Main reasons for changing institution • Main reasons for changing course • Main reasons for withdrawing from study • Main reasons for deferring study

14. Findings for equity groups:Continuing in first course

15. Findings for equity groups:Main points • Low-SES: fees and family commitments • Disability: balance between study and other commitments • NESB: remain in first course, but no difference in satisfaction

16. Findings for equity groups:Main points • Women: generally fitting in well • Men: balance between study and other commitments

17. Findings for equity groups:Main points • Rural and isolated: study-related costs • Indigenous: withdrawal, study-related costs and commitments

18. Findings for equity groups:Main points • Although students from some groups continue to be underrepresented in tertiary study, they report levels of satisfaction and difficulties similar to those of other first year students

19. Findings for all first-year students • General satisfaction • Enrolment changes related to interests • Difficulties generally related to juggling study and other commitments • Once in, equity groups fit in well

20. Attitudes, Intentionsand Participation • What are the effects of attitudes to school on intention to complete Year 12 and on actual participation in Year 12? • How much do attitudes to school influence participation directly, and how much do they operate through intentions to participate?

21. Theory of Planned Behaviour Attitudes Subjective norm Intentions Behaviour Perceived control

22. Theory of Planned Behaviour Attitudes Subjective norm Intentions Behaviour Perceived control

23. Theory of Planned Behaviour Attitudes Subjective norm Intentions Behaviour Perceived control

24. Theory of Planned Behaviour Attitudes Subjective norm Intentions Behaviour Perceived control

25. Theory of Planned Behaviour Attitudes Subjective norm Intentions Behaviour Perceived control

26. Attitudes, intention and participation in Year 12 Intention to do Year 12 Background: location, language, parent education, SES, gender Participation in Year 12 Attitudes to school Year 9 achievement: literacy, numeracy

27. Attitudes, intention and participation in Year 12 Intention to do Year 12 Background: location, language, parent education, SES, gender Participation in Year 12 Attitudes to school Year 9 achievement: literacy, numeracy

28. Attitudes, intention and participation in university Participation in Year 12 Intention to go to uni Background: location, language, parent education, SES, gender Participation in university Attitudes to school Year 9 achievement: literacy, numeracy

29. Results for participation in Year 12 Intention to do Year 12 non-metro LBOTE parents uni SES female Participation in Year 12 Attitudes to school Year 9 literacy Participation in university Year 9 numeracy

30. Findings on influences on continuation in education • Attitudes predict intention • Intention predicts participation • No significant direct effect of attitudes on participation • Mediated effect (intention) very strong

31. Findings on influences on continuation in education Intention to do Year 12 non-metro LBOTE parents uni SES female Participation in Year 12 Attitudes to school Year 9 literacy Participation in university Year 9 numeracy

32. Findings on influences on continuation in education • Direct effects on participation • Literacy and numeracy achievement • Language background other than English • Non-metropolitan locations

33. Findings on influences on continuation in education Intention to do Year 12 non-metro non-metro LBOTE LBOTE parents uni SES female Participation in Year 12 Attitudes to school Year 9 literacy Year 9 literacy Participation in university Year 9 numeracy Year 9 numeracy

34. Findings on influences on continuation in education • Importance of intentions in later behaviours • Intentions mediate between attitudes (and other factors) and actions • Positive attitudes to school influence intentions to participate in post-compulsory years, which in turn influence participation

35. Findings on influences on continuation in education ‘Other things being equal, students who are positively oriented to their schools and are actively engaged in its academic work and other activities are more likely to develop an intention to continue through school and beyond. ... Attention to what happens in the middle and early secondary years of school can influence educational intentions and subsequent participation.’

36. General findings of LSAY • Importance of a good foundation in literacy and numeracy • Timing of school leaving • Selection of Year 12 subjects • Scores for university entrance • Participation in tertiary education • Employment / unemployment

37. General findings of LSAY • Young women have higher participation in education, but lower job market pay-off to education • Indigenous and rural youth have lower rates of participation in education • Family cultural factors more important than economic factors

38. General findings of LSAY • School practices make a difference • Completing secondary school pays off, even for low achievers • A poor start in the job market has long-term costs • Combining education and work while at school has benefits

39. 19 School, study, work 43 4 Work, study, work Tertiary graduates 7 Currently in study 3 Work & study combined Study, brief interruption/work 7 3 Study, extended interruption/work Full-time work 11 Training then work 7 7 Study then work 14 Brief interruption/work Non tertiary graduates Extended interruption/work 7 57 Mainly part-time work 3 4 Mainly unemployed 4 Mainly not-in-labour-force Value of longitudinal studies:After 7 post-school years ... 100 Year 10 students

40. The latest research reports The First Year Experience: The Transition from Secondary School to University and TAFE in Australia, by Kylie Hillman (LSAY Research Report no 40) Attitudes, Intentions and Participation,by Siek Toon Khoo and John Ainley (LSAY Research Report no 41) Scheduled for release 29 September 2005 Pathways from School to Further Education and Work: Examining the Consequences of Year 12 Course Choices, by Sue Thomson (LSAY Research Report no 42)