Student transition into higher education: Time for a rethink within the subject of sport and exercise science?

Abstract

The first year of higher education (HE) marks one of the most significant transitions in a student’s life. Within the U.K., the subject area of Sport and Exercise Science (SES) has a problem with effectively supporting and retaining students as they transition into HE. If students’ capabilities to successfully transition are to be fully understood and resourced, it is necessary for research to foreground students’ lived realities. Utilising letter to self-methodology, 58 s- and third-year undergraduate SES students wrote to their younger self, providing guidance on how to successfully transition into HE. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Six themes and four sub-themes were identified. Following the development of a single composite version of an “Older, wiser self letter” to represent the identified themes, this resource was integrated into the institution’s pastoral care resources and sessions where personal tutors connected with their tutees. Student member reflections were completed to gather feedback regarding the resource’s effectiveness. The composite letter provides an authentic account of how to face obstacles encountered as students transition into HE. Students’ member reflections highlighted that the letter was a valuable resource as a prompt for discussion regarding their experiences of transitioning into HE. When in the student journey the letter was read was particularly important. The value of this composite letter lies in the implementation of tutor-tutee and student peer-peer conversations at key “moments” throughout their journey in HE, helping students understand the challenges and opportunities for success during transition.

Student Transition in Higher Education in Western Counties Revisited: Addressing and Mediating Challenges, A Holistic Approach

“…Furthermore, for successful transition the students' lived-experience needs to come to the foreground of research (Gale and Parker, 2014) and focus should be placed on making the most of their own perspective (Maunder et al, 2013). Such a project, conducted by Timmis et al (2022), utilized a letter to self that undergraduates addressed to their younger selves offering advice and guidance on effective transition. This 'older & wiser self" letter was employed by the institution's pastoral care resources with connection sessions arranged between personal tutors and tutees and students' reflections gathered as feedback.…”

“…As was the case with the above-mentioned study, themes identified by students can be turned into digital resources for new students to delve into and familiarize themselves with prior to HE entry, which can take place much earlier than welcome week. Moreover, to help with the sense of belonging, students could be allocated a level 5/6 Welcome Buddy (Timmis et al, 2022) offering social and academic support with clear emotional advantages to freshmen. However, more research will be necessary to evaluate the impact of this intervention on retention.…”

“…The student will need to integrate into the college structure (organizational and academic) while at the same time grow personally and develop a social profile sufficient to keep them afloat, which in turn requires remarkable social and emotional adjustment (Young et al 2019). Shifting from the controlled environment of school and family to taking on accountability for personal life is not only highly demanding (Belfield et al 2017) but also amounts to a significant developmental step in their journey into adulthood (Young et Tinto (1975) speaks of transition in a linear way whereby successfully transitioning entails social assimilation first and academic next (Timmis et al, 2022) with background factors -family, personal attributes, and preschooling experiences-constituting the basis of the model. Individual qualities, as described, impact individual commitment which will influence the next phases.…”

“…Like in Tinto's model, personal characteristics are crucial to commitment and will shape the next phases. Encounter refers to adjustability, being able to change initial beliefs/knowledge to match actual context, which requires making sense of one's coping ability and building relationships with others (Timmis et al, 2022).…”