University student support and first-year adjustment and achievement 8/1/2018 University student support and first-year adjustment and achievement Marjolein Torenbeek University Centre for Learning & Teaching University of Groningen m.torenbeek@rug.nl
Introduction Study on student support, adjustment, achievement 8/1/2018 Introduction Study on student support, adjustment, achievement Additional study in PhD project PhD project: Fit in pedagogy between secondary school and university, and it’s impact on FY achievement
8/1/2018 Research question What is the effect of student support on first-year achievement? Hypothesis: student support adjustment achievement What do we know from previous studies?
What is the effect of student support on first-year achievement? 8/1/2018 What is the effect of student support on first-year achievement? Hypothesis: student support adjustment achievement What do we know from previous studies?
Adjustment and achievement 8/1/2018 Adjustment and achievement FY adjustment positively related to FY achievement Overall adjustment Yazedjian (2009), Chong (2009), Wintre & Yaffe (2000), Sennet et al. (2003) Academic adjustment Conti (2000), Chong (2009), Wintre & Yaffe (2000), Sennet et al. (2003) Personal-emotional adjustment Chong (2009), Wintre & Yaffe (2000), Sennet et al. (2003) Social adjustment Sennet et al. (2003)
What is the effect of student support on first-year achievement? 8/1/2018 What is the effect of student support on first-year achievement? Hypothesis: student support adjustment achievement What do we know from previous studies?
Student support and adjustment 8/1/2018 Student support and adjustment Use of support services related to adjustment Overall adjustment Grant-Vallone et al. (2004) Social adjustment Larose et al. (2005) Institutional Attachment
8/1/2018 What is the effect of student support on first-year achievement? Hypothesis: student support adjustment achievement What do we know from previous studies? ? ? ? ?
Other explaning variables 8/1/2018 Other explaning variables Coping and adjustment: Aspinwall & Taylor (1992) Social support and adjustment: direct Tao et al. (2000); Aspinwall & Taylor (1992); Feenstra et al. (2001); Wang et al. (2006); Zea et al. (1995) Social support and adjustment: through coping Tao et al. (2000) High school GPA and FY achievement Bruinsma & Jansen (2007); Pike & Saupe (2002); Jansen (2004); Jansen & Bruinsma (2005)
Theoretical model Social support Coping Student support Adjustment 8/1/2018 Theoretical model Social support Coping Student support Adjustment ECTS Sec. school GPA
Method – student support 8/1/2018 Method – student support Interviews student counsellors Tutoring aspects (Topping, 1996) 10 dimensions curriculum content tutor characteristics time compulsory
Method – student variables 8/1/2018 Method – student variables 933 first-year students seven courses M age = 18.9, 59% females Secondary school GPA, ECTS first-year Instrument Social support 13 questions, 2 sources, good internal reliability Problem-focused coping 2 scales, good internal reliability Adjustment SACQ (short and adapted), 3 scales, suff. internal reliability
SACQ Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) 8/1/2018 SACQ Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) Baker & Siryk (1984, 1989, 1999) Good measurement properties: subscales internally consistent, concurrent and predictive validity (e.g. Baker & Siryk, 1989; Beyers & Goossens, 2002) Four scales: Academic adjustment Social Adjustment Personal-Emotional Adjustment Institutional Attachment
Results RMSEA = .091 SRMR = .048 Social support Coping Tutor 8/1/2018 Results Social support .37 Coping .07 Tutor n.s. .36 Adjustment .12 ECTS Compulsory .28 n.s. .13 Frequency .35 .47 Sec. school GPA Content RMSEA = .091 SRMR = .048 .15
Conclusions Mentoring first-year student 8/1/2018 Conclusions Mentoring first-year student Teacher vs. senior student Content vs. skill-focused Compulsary Student characteristics very important? Strong effect prior achievement
Thank you for your attention! 8/1/2018 Thank you for your attention! m.torenbeek@rug.nl