Transition to University: How an International Foundation Year helps to improve the first year experience European First Year Experience Conference 4 th -6 th April 2016 Ghent, Belgium Alistair McNair (University of Brighton International College) Stephanie Fleischer (University of Brighton)

Introduction Enhancing international student success and retention in UK HE (HEA, 2008) International Students: non-native English speaking EU and non-EU students Many universities work in partnership with ‘pathway’ colleges with International Foundation Year (IFY) programmes IFY can help prepare international students to start their degrees by teaching or providing the necessary skills and confidence to experience a smooth transition (KAPLAN, 2013; McNorton and Cadinot, 2012; Gu et al. (2009, p20).

Background Transition to first year HE studies may be affected by earlier contrasting experiences of school/college (HEA, 2008) Students who have been used to Confucian or didactic educational customs can struggle to adjust to Socratic educational customs in UK HE. (Lee, 2010; Li et al., 2009; Jones and Fleischer, 2012) Other challenges relate to insufficient: English skills Early constructive feedback Effective working relationships with academic and support staff Emotional and academic support from peers/friends (Wilcox et al. 2005; Gu et al., 2009; Jones and Fleischer, 2012)

Research Aims and Objectives Researching influences of four universities (two Russell Group and two post 1992) and international partner college pedagogy and support practices to understand what are the variations in experiences of first year international students who: a.have completed an IFY? b.have not completed an IFY? c.are studying in different disciplines? d. are studying in varied UK universities?

Mixed methods approach Qualitative: In , 19 semi-structured interviews with male and female EU and non-EU International students studying Business, Engineering and Science disciplines so far 28 semi-structure interviews in four different Universities adding the discipline of Arts and Design Qualitative cross-sectional content analysis methods applying pre and open coding. Quantitative: In 2014 an online survey was circulated to first year UK and International students at one university 2016, online survey of only 1 st year International students at 4 different universities Statistical analysis described associations between variables, and potential differences between groups, International students with previous IFY and non-IFY

Findings Adjustment to living in the UK Challenges for most International students : Overwhelmed by managing life Finding accommodation Colder weather High cost of living Food Travel to university Homesickness Friends are a crucial support (Wilcox et al., 2005; Gu et al., 2009; Jones and Fleischer, 2012) “I’ve had friends and family who are here already before I came, which helped me out in many things. Slowly I started depending on myself and realised that you have to live on your own. The International College team also helped me a lot in starting to settle.” (Participant 19)

Previous experience of education overseas Several non-EU participants described teaching in previous schools as didactic and authoritarian, but found independent learning and critical thinking practised in UK HE a challenging, but positive change. “Here [at University], they always look up to you to go ahead – go beyond the boundaries, which is a very good thing. So it might be new to me, but I’m actually trying to work on it, and it’s working well for me. It gives me a better understanding...” (Non-EU Participant 3) “In the school for example, they gave us their notes and in KAPLAN they gave us notes as well. In University you have to make your own notes. You have to be independent. You have to do everything on your own. It’s very different.” (Non-EU participant 19)

Helpfulness of completing the IFY during the first year of a University degree Similar protocol, procedures and levels of support English language classes (83.4% of previous IFY survey respondents found these useful or very useful) Essay writing Academic skills e.g. referencing Giving presentations Group discussion Curriculum content (similar but degree at a higher level) Semester 2 more difficult – students less prepared

Engaging learning and teaching at University Most International survey respondents (82.8%) agreed they were enjoying their course and that it had met their expectations before starting their degrees. Aspects of teaching and learning that interview participants commonly described as engaging included: Examples of working with peers: Class discussion Working in a team including sharing ideas, contributing strengths, managing conflicts Group lab work PASS sessions (peer assisted study skills) Studying with friends/peers Teaching that provides: Time for class discussion, explanation and questions Clear learning outcomes Expert knowledge Interaction Real life examples

Support 32.3% of International respondents agreed they needed more support compared to: 23.1% of IFY students, 38.9% of Non-IFY students and 37.5% of UK students. 70.9% of International students rated Personal Tutor support as useful/very useful A higher percentage of previous IFY respondents compared to non-IFY respondents found most aspects of support useful/very useful. Supported by Wilcox et al. (2005) international students benefited from informal support from friends in the context of University study % of International and EU students, 52.9% of IFY students and 77.8% of Non-IFY students.

Making friends Number of average friends made UK home students International and EU students IFY Non- IFY Number of friends on the course Number of friends outside the course Number of friends made before the course started n

Origin of friends Percentages of friends on the course by origin Friends were mainly from UK home students International and EU students IFY students Non-IFY students International students of my origin International students of other origin UK students International and UK students TOTAL 100 n

Challenging and de-motivating aspects of the first year Workload (24% Semester 2) Academic writing (22% Semester 2) Accommodation (22% Semester 1) Giving presentations (20% Semester 1) Money (20% Semester 2) Exams (18% Semester 1) Disappointing grades /feedback (18%) Communication with lecturers (18% Semester 1) Group work and assignments – integrating, working with other nationalities especially home students, managing conflicts, lack of contribution from members Large classes and lack of individual attention from lecturers (Particularly IFY students) Not engaged by teaching Adjusting to UK HE Adjusting to new environment in UK

Stress level Stress induced by challenges during the first year is a key factor that can de-motivate International students and affect retention (Jones and Fleischer, 2012) On average more International (EU and non-EU) students experienced high or medium stress levels (96.6%) than UK students (89.8%). On average more non-IFY students (100%) experienced high or medium stress levels than previous IFY students (91.7%).

Confidence  A higher percentage of International students (25.9%) agreed that they were very worried about passing their degrees than UK students (15.4%). A higher percentage of non-IFY students (35.3%) were very worried about passing exams in comparison to previous IFY students (10%). But….a higher percentage of International students feel confident in most aspects of study in comparison to UK students. A higher percentage of previous IFY students in comparison to non-IFY students, also agreed that they felt confident or very confident in relation to most aspects of study.

What helps to increase confidence Supported by other recent research (Tinto, 2003; Wenger, 2009; Jones and Masika, 2014) : Academic success Previous knowledge of course content Being prepared for lectures in advance Understanding the lecturer Contributing to class discussion Participating in a peer-learning community Teamwork through working in a group Receiving moral support and encouragement from friends and academic staff Leadership opportunities through being a student ambassador Public speaking experience through giving presentations Subject-specific professional skills development enhancing employability

How can the University develop ways to help students settle in and experience a smooth transition? Students’ suggested the following: Orientation and adjustment support/training Additional tutorial support/explanation from academic staff Additional peer support both face to face and online Discipline specific academic skills support ( including academic writing) International/home student integration activities Interactive teaching that included pair/group discussion, practical or active student participation and entertaining examples using varied audio-visual resources Small group teaching providing opportunities for discussion with the lecturer and group Revision sessions where students can ask questions More constructive early detailed individual feedback relating to exams and course assignments both face to face in tutorials and in writing

Conclusion An IFY provides skills and confidence to prepare International students for University, cope with the transition and reduce stress. Challenges faced by all International students relate to: Adjustment to living in the UK Integration with UK students Adjustment to new experiences of UK HE learning and teaching Discipline specific academic writing Challenges faced by all students include: Workload Deadlines Exams and assignments Disappointing grades Inconsistent experiences of learning, teaching, feedback and communication with academic staff Money and accommodation issues

References Gu, Q., Schweisfurth, M. and Day, C. (2009) “Learning and growing in a ‘foreign; context: intercultural experiences of International students.” Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 40 (1) 7-23 Higher Education Academy (HEA) (2008). ‘The first-year experience of higher education in the UK – Final Report’. Higher Education Academy, York Jones, J. and Fleischer, S. (2012) ‘Staying on course: factors affecting first year International students’ decisions to persist or withdraw from degrees in a post-1992 UK university.’ Practice and Evidence of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Vol. 7, No. 1, October 2012, pp Jones, J. and M. Masika (2014) ‘Belong and engaged: first year students’ experiences of discipline-focused retention and success interventions’, Proceedings of the International Consortium for Educational Development Conference, Stockholm, 2014 Kaplan (2013), International College at the University of Brighton web pages, Kingston, E and H. Forland, H. (2008) “Bridging the Gap in Expectations Between International Students and Academic Staff.” Journal of Studies in International Education, 12(2) Lee, J. (2010) “International students’ experiences and attitudes to a US host institution: Self-reports and future recommendations.” Journal of Research in International Education 9 (1) McNorton, H. and Cadinot, S. (2012) ‘Enhancing the International Foundation Programme student experience: staying ahead of the game.’ InForm, Issue 9, 2012, pp5-8 Tinto, V. (2003). ‘Learning better together: The impact of learning communities on student success’, Higher Education Monograph Series, Vol.1, no.8 Wenger, E. (2009). ‘A Theory of Learning’ (Chapter 15) in K. Illeris (ed), Contemporary Theories of Learning: Learning Theorists...In Their Own Words, Routledge: Abingdon and New York Wilcox, P, Winn, S. and Fyvie-Gauld, M. (2005). “It was nothing to do with the university, it was just the people’: the role of social support in the first-year experience of higher education.” Studies in Higher Education, 30(.6)

Contacts Research team: Jennie Jones Alistair McNair Stephanie Fleischer Rachel Masika