Abstract
Establishments of Higher Education (HE) are generally recruiting a more diverse student population. This research has specifically examined differences in the undergraduate student experience of direct and re-entry students. One hundred and twelve undergraduate direct and re-entry students took part in the study. A six-part questionnaire was used to investigate the impact of age, gender, past experiences of school and motivations for participating in HE on current global self-esteem, academic self-concept and academic stress. Re-entry students reported the most negative experiences of school overall and there was also evidence to suggest that females experienced more negative academic self-concept overall than males. If the reason to participate in HE was for career goals, academic stress levels were the highest. W hen the reason to participate was for cognitive interest, academic self-concept was positive and these individuals reported the most satisfaction with HE overall. Multiple regression analysis revealed a complex interrelationship of variables relating to academic self-concept, self-esteem and academic stress. These findings suggest that the different experiences of students in HE cannot be simply explained by age stratification.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
