ERIC Number: EJ1132755
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Mar
Pages: 18
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0018-1560
EISSN: N/A
From Further to Higher Education: Transition as an On-Going Process
Tett, Lyn; Cree, Viviene E; Christie, Hazel
Higher Education: The International Journal of Higher Education Research, v73 n3 p389-406 Mar 2017
This paper argues that transition is not a one-off event that occurs when students first enter universities but is an on-going process that is repeated over time. We draw on qualitative data from a longitudinal project on "non-traditional" students who entered a research-intensive university in Scotland direct from further education colleges. This cohort of 45 was asked about their views on college and university learning in a study that was conducted throughout their time at university; a sub-sample of 15 was then followed up 10 years later. Our data suggest that four significant transitions, or set of critical moments, can be identified: the loss of a sense of belonging on coming to university, learning to fit in by the end of the first year, changing approaches to learning and belonging in the final years of study and changing selves in the years following graduation. At each point, positive relationships with peers and staff made a significant difference to how these transitions were managed. Moreover, the changes experienced continued to have an impact on the personal and professional lives of the cohort.
Descriptors: Higher Education, College Freshmen, Nontraditional Students, Research Universities, Longitudinal Studies, Foreign Countries, Adult Education, Cohort Analysis, Student Attitudes, Student Development, Sense of Community, Student Adjustment, Attitude Change, Educational Attitudes, Self Concept, Outcomes of Education, Semi Structured Interviews, Academic Persistence
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom (Scotland)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A