The long and winding road: Experiences of students entering university through transition programs

Abstract

This article presents outcomes of two studies which focus on the lived experience of transition by students entering higher education in NSW (New South Wales), Australia, from two divergent pathways: Technical and Further Education (TAFE) and a university based enabling program. The studies intersect in two fundamental ways. First, the theoretical foundations (Mezirow’s Transformational Learning Theory and Bourdieu’s Social Capital Theory) which emphasise the role of habits of mind and the habitus respectively in an individual’s life. Second, both studies have identified the primacy of the contribution of education to changing notions of self. The studies have found that successful students reappraise and reimagine their self-identity inclusive of possible future selves. The studies reject deterministic and often deficit models of socio-cultural influences on self-concept, and instead embrace the perspective that adult learning can not only realise, but also build upon latent capabilities, and ultimately that it is an empowering experience for many transitioning students.

School-to-University Transition: The Paradox of Motivated but Undecided Students

“…An additional implication of undecidedness concerns the fact that it may block students' agency conceived as either life plans competence or self-efficacy. This is verified by Millman and McNamara (2018) whose research has shown that the determination to act in an agentic way in challenging situations (such as the decision about university studies) is put in jeopardy whenever one is uncertain about his goals. Besides the fact that undecidedness puts students' first-year adjustment to the university in jeopardy and blocks their agency, it differentiates them in relation to how they approach university studies.…”

Gender and country differences in academic motivation, coping strategies, and academic burnout in a sample of Italian and Russian first-year university students

“…To help students positively adapt to the new context, universities usually implement actions aimed at creating optimal conditions for student well-being. The first year at university involves several important changes in the educational environment, such as unknown academic tasks, new relationships and social expectations, more academic competition, and a novel identity [ 1 , 2 ]. Moving to a higher level of education may cause concern among college students because it involves a transition to adulthood and a new, complex context that can negatively influence their ability or willingness to stay on an academic course [ 3 , 4 ].…”