The bigger picture: undergraduate voices reflecting on academic transition in an Irish university

Abstract

Though the majority of students make a successful transition to higher level education, mass education and the strategic marketing of universities have seen academic interest in the transition process receive significant attention in recent years. In Ireland, following two years of focused examination preparation, students are considerably underprepared for transition. This qualitative study uses student reflective journals in the first semester of first year as an innovative approach to examining transition to higher education through lived experience and the student voice. A total 36 undergraduate students kept an academic reflective journal relating to their learning. They were encouraged to describe their feelings in relation to their learning, how it differed to their previous learning experiences and to reflect on two increasingly deeper levels. A grounded theory analysis found students addressed these issues by basing them on previous school relationships, such as making friends. This approach to transition revealed that group work was problematic as learning from peers differed significantly from their educational experience at secondary school. They also reflected on the use of the journal during the semester thereby providing a unique insight into the transition process. Results indicate that transition should be viewed both as an ongoing process during an undergraduate programme and an integral part of lifelong learning.