Understanding student engagement and transition

Recently completed research into the progress of Foundation Year students has identified factors that are apparently predictive of non-completion of the course. In a recent study we showed that those who subsequently did not complete had reported lower expectations of their own performance and were less engaged than those who did complete. Engagement was assessed by commitment to attendance. If psychometric measures could be used to identify those at risk of withdrawal during the first year of undergraduate study as well as during the foundation year, it would be possible to target support appropriately to reduce attrition and thereby improve retention.

This study, across two Higher Education institutions, replicated the methodology with first year undergraduates. Data were collected from new undergraduates during the autumn term of their first year and will be compared with data from the examination boards at both HEIs at the end of the students' first year to ascertain the measures' diagnostic power. Therefore in this paper we are reporting a preliminary analysis of the qualitative data. Group interviews were conducted to identify the influence on withdrawal of aids and barriers to student engagement. Findings from these group interviews are reported, a new model for understanding successful transition is proposed and suggestions for improving retention through engagement identified.

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