Abstract
Transitioning from high school to university presents a significant challenge for many students on multiple fronts, including language learning. This mixed-method study draws on an ecological perspective to investigate students’ English learning experiences during the transition from high school to university in China, focusing on teaching content, teaching approach, assessment and feedback, and self-regulated learning. Data is collected from six universities at three different academic levels in China, and analyzed using both statistical and thematic analysis. The research finds that there are differences between high school and university English language education in the above-mentioned four areas, and students’ ecopotentials are of critical importance for their adaptation to university English learning. These findings suggest the necessity of the continuity of teaching content, the promotion of individualized curricula, and the cultivation of self-regulated learning capacities to support students’ sustainable English learning during the transition from high school to university.
Highlights
The first year in university is challenging for students
The National Matriculation English Test (NMET) is largely responsible for the exam-oriented English teaching practices in high school; since reading comprehension always accounts for the largest proportion of marks in exam papers, it has become an essential part of high school English teaching
The information load of high school English teaching is greater than that in universities, this overemphasis on reading and vocabulary narrows the scope of affordances for high school students, which is unfavorable for the development of their ecological niches
Summary
The first year in university is challenging for students They have to adapt to their new academic and social environment, and many experience difficulties in adjusting to the teaching style and greater degree of autonomy in higher education [1,2,3,4,5]. As students have to learn discipline-specific skills and ways of thinking in higher education, using these skills independently becomes one of the difficulties in their academic transition from high school to university [6]. The integration of ICT into the English language teaching ecosystem has greatly influenced students’ ecological niches and created more challenges for students in adapting to university English learning. The continuity of teaching content, individualized curricula, and self-regulated learning capacities are found to be important in the improvement of teaching and learning outcomes, and the sustainable development of English language education
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