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Understanding student engagement and transition

Understanding student engagement and transition. Dr Carolyn Mair , Dr Lalage Sanders & Rachael Street London College of Fashion, UAL & Cardiff Metropolitan University. Key concerns: retention and success. 8% students leave UK universities in first year of study ( HESA 2009-10 )

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Understanding student engagement and transition

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  1. Understanding student engagement and transition Dr Carolyn Mair, Dr LalageSanders & Rachael Street London College of Fashion, UAL & Cardiff Metropolitan University

  2. Key concerns: retention and success • 8% students leave UK universities in first year of study (HESA 2009-10) • Negative personal, economic, ethical and legal implications • Correlation between students’ confidence in academic abilities and positive social relationships (Bean & Eaton, 2001)

  3. Factors affecting dropout • Lack of parental experience of HE • Poor entrance qualifications • Intention to live at home while at University • Low confidence in suitability of course (Cook, 2004) • Poor attendance (Newman, Ford, et al. 2009, Woodfield, et al. 2006) • Lack of engagement (Tinto, 1993; Yorke, 2012) • Unrealistic expectations (Smith and Wertlieb, 2005; Mair, 2012)

  4. Staff can improve the situation • Build relationships with students (Cook, 2004; Thomas, 2002) • Identify problems and apply potential solutions locally (Yorke & Thomas, 2003; Newman-Ford, et al., 2009) • Help students to formulate realistic view of what is expected at University (Smith & Wertlieb, 2005)

  5. Our study • Extension of Foundation Year student study • Understanding Student Engagement and transition funded by BA/Leverhulme • Diverse samples • Direct entry UG student samples • Fashion (Arts university) • Health Sciences (traditional multidisciplinary university)

  6. Materials • 2 psychometric measures • Performance Expectation Ladder (PEL) • Academic Behavioural Confidence Scale (ABC) • (Sanders et al. 2012)

  7. Performance Expectation Ladder • Instructions to students • Please look ahead to think about what will be likely outcomes for you and your group during the first year and at the point of graduation in 2016. • To help you make this decision we have highlighted an average mark for degrees across all UK Universities • Using the table below, for each yearplease indicate: • What you think will be the average mark for your year group by writing 'YG' • What you think will be your own average mark by writing 'ME

  8. Performance Expectation Ladder

  9. Academic Behavioural Confidence Scale

  10. Method • Ethical clearance • 6 groups of Y1 UG students • Small group interviews • Engagement and withdrawal • Thematic analysis (Braun and Clark, 2006)

  11. Data Collection

  12. Analysis Framework(Sanders, Daly & Regan, 2012) • Themes: • Investment Value for money Justifies effort required to complete degree Threats undermining value • Community Being able to identify with, support and relate to peers • Confidence Evident throughout • Identity Not evident at all!

  13. Results: Investment • It’s an expensive course … it’s a lot of money when you calculate it in our own local currency and the cost of living, it’s really expensive, so I think that could be a factor, .. But everything else is so nice, why would you drop out. (Group F, student 1) • Yeah you’ve already paid for the first year so you may as well do it and if you don’t like it from there well (.) you have this year to decide, so just do this one year and if you don’t like it by the time it gets to second year then don’t do second year. (Group B, student 2)

  14. Results: Community • If ever you don’t understand there is always somebody who is like “Okay I’ll explain it to you”, We’re really good at helping each other (Group A, student 3) • But then you realise everyone is on the same page. We are all very clueless about what’s going on. So it’s really nice to have each other around I think (Group E, student 2) • Community helps build confidence

  15. Results: Confidence • Prevalent throughout • I was worried that everyone was going to know so much more than I did. (Group E, student 1) • I don’t know until I get feedback because it’s a completely new thing to me, until I get feedback I don’t really know if I’m doing well or not (Group B, student 2) • Confidence underpins investment and community

  16. Investment Community Confidence Engagement Theoretical model Proposed Interplay between themes and engagement

  17. Conclusions • Explanatory interpretative framework • Potential scaffold for intervention • Tutors can build students’ confidence in their investment and their community • Appraising current practice may help facilitate engagement and ease transition into higher education

  18. Limitations • Preliminary analysis • Challenges of recruitment • Contacts • Colleagues • Two sites

  19. Further work • Exam board outcome • Ethical dilemma of identifying those at risk of dropping out • Understanding confidence and expectations • What we expect of our students • What they expect of university

  20. Please contact us! • Dr Carolyn Mair • c.mair@fashion.arts.ac.uk • Dr Lalage Sanders • lsanders@cardiffmet.ac.uk • Rachael Street • rstreet@cardiffmet.ac.uk

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