1. 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

2. 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

3. 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?

4. 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?

5. 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)

6. 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?

7. 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. 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? ? ? ? ?

9. 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)

10. Theoretical model Social support Coping Student support Adjustment
8/1/2018
Theoretical model
Social support
Coping
Student support
Adjustment
ECTS
Sec. school GPA

11. Method – student support
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Method – student support
Interviews student counsellors
Tutoring aspects (Topping, 1996)
10 dimensions
curriculum content
tutor characteristics
time
compulsory

12. Method – student variables
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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

13. 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

14. Results RMSEA = .091 SRMR = .048 Social support Coping Tutor
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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

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

16. Thank you for your attention!
8/1/2018
Thank you for your attention!