Great Expectations

Abstract

This article feeds into the discussion of transitional issues begun in Volume 2 of Arts and Humanities in Higher Education. It draws on research into A-level students' expectations of university English and how these compare to the experiences of first-year students, university lecturers and A-level teachers. The data presented are drawn from innovative focus group sessions which gave pre-higher education and first-year university students a range of exercises to encourage them to focus on their expectations and experiences of studying English. These data were supplemented with teacher and lecturer interviews. The article concentrates on students' expectations of independent study and the experience of reading. The findings show that there is a mismatch between student expectations and the realities of university study. It is hoped that the outcomes of this research will contribute to a more informed transition from school to university by informing students' expectations before they enter university.

Student support through personal development planning: retrospection and time

“…Thus although the degree might be seen to be one phase, in practice there are at least two major transitions reported by students. While the teaching and learning literature on higher education recognises the importance of the first-year experience for student retention, and the potential difficulties of the transition from school to university (Tinto 1993;Yorke 1999;Pitkethly and Prosser 2001;Smith and Hopkins 2006), few theoretical connections have been made to students' experiences of time. Yet, as Smith and Hopkins (2006) show, students' expectations of classroom time are wildly discrepant with the pedagogical realities of higher education.…”

“…While the teaching and learning literature on higher education recognises the importance of the first-year experience for student retention, and the potential difficulties of the transition from school to university (Tinto 1993;Yorke 1999;Pitkethly and Prosser 2001;Smith and Hopkins 2006), few theoretical connections have been made to students' experiences of time. Yet, as Smith and Hopkins (2006) show, students' expectations of classroom time are wildly discrepant with the pedagogical realities of higher education. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that students find it so difficult to orientate themselves toward future relevance, implicit in the idea of personal development planning at a point in their lives when their past experiences are so dominant in their understanding of the chaotic present.…”

Building bridges: understanding student transition to university

“…Papers that analyse student expectations, aspirations and decision-making (Peel, 2000;Sander et al, 2000;Tranter, 2003;Smith & Hopkins, 2005;Longden, 2006;Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), 2007) indicate that students before transfer have difficulty envisaging university life and accurately predicting their student experience. There may be mismatch between the students' pre-transfer aspirations and the reality of their first year at university (Tranter, 2003;Smith & Hopkins, 2005), which causes difficulty in adapting to higher education.…”

“…There may be mismatch between the students' pre-transfer aspirations and the reality of their first year at university (Tranter, 2003;Smith & Hopkins, 2005), which causes difficulty in adapting to higher education. Uninformed decision-making regarding students' choice of institution and programme (James, 2000;Hillman, 2005) may lead to withdrawal, or potential withdrawal, from university (Yorke et al, 1997;Yorke & Longden, 2007).…”

A Level English Literature: Learning and Assessment

“…For Knights (2004, p. 28), teachers at different levels have become 'two discrete tribes, each entertaining stereotypical views about the work of the other, instanced in the overheard exhortation to first years on the lines of ''you're not in the sixth form now'''. More recently, Smith and Hopkins (2005) have described the difficulties students face when their expectations of university English, based on their experiences at A level, are confounded.…”