Years Of Higher Education Research Articles

Crossing the finish line? A review of college completion inequality in the United States by race and class

AbstractAlthough most students graduate from high school and enroll in college the following fall, rates of entry into higher education and completion of a bachelor's degree continue to be stratified by race and class. Because of the potential returns that accrue to individuals and society overall when students complete their 4‐year degree, these disparate trends should motivate more policy‐relevant research in this area. In this review, I show how a longitudinal perspective of the path to a BA degree helps to reconcile competing theories of college completion by race and class across disciplinary boundaries. Both human capital theory and status attainment theory largely examine college completion as the long‐term process of BA attainment, although they differ in their focal stages and mechanisms. In contrast, the theory of categorical inequality, as applied in this review, focuses on the years in higher education and describes the ways in which colleges and universities as organizations create, legitimate, and reinforce categorical distinctions in postsecondary schooling and how these processes independently shape college completion inequality. As public interest grows in holding colleges accountable for their graduation rates, more research is needed on how the formal and informal organizational policies and practices of colleges produce inequality.

Using photo elicitation to understand first-year student experiences: Student metaphors of life, university and learning

The transition from school to university is challenging and a greater knowledge of the first-year student experience will enable staff to better support their students. University- and government-run student surveys fail to capture the depth and breadth of the first-year experience and so qualitative research is needed to get a more nuanced and holistic understanding of students’ lives. The study described in this article used a photo elicitation method. We asked students to choose four images that represented their first year at university. The data – the chosen photographs and the students’ explanations of their choices – were thematically analysed, focusing in particular on the diverse metaphors students used to depict three dimensions of their experiences: life, university and learning. The findings highlight the dual nature of the transition to university – learning to be a university student and learning to be an adult – as well as the challenges and stresses of that process. The lack of agency that students felt is evident. The students likened their journey to a rollercoaster and talked of not being able to keep up with the fast-moving curriculum. They depicted themselves as passive acquirers of knowledge. The findings offer new ways for staff to understand the challenges that potentially disrupt student engagement in the first year. Both students and staff could benefit from recognising the metaphors in their thinking and, potentially, seeking new metaphors that might reveal different and more positive ways of experiencing the first year in higher education.

Alcohol Intake in Early Pregnancy and Spontaneous Preterm Birth: A Cohort Study.

Limited research has addressed whether maternal alcohol intake in early pregnancy increases the risk of spontaneous preterm birth. In the current study, we examined how alcohol binge drinking and weekly alcohol intake in early pregnancy were associated with spontaneous preterm birth in a contemporary cohort of Danish women. We included 15,776 pregnancies of 14,894 women referred to antenatal care at Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark, between 2012 and 2016. Self-reported alcohol intake in early pregnancy was obtained from a Web-based questionnaire completed prior to the women's first visit at the department. Information on spontaneous preterm birth was extracted from the Danish Medical Birth Register. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of spontaneous preterm birth according to self-reported alcohol binge drinking and weekly intake of alcohol in early pregnancy were derived from Cox regression. Women reporting 1, 2, and≥3 binge drinking episodes had an aHR for spontaneous preterm birth of 0.88 (95% CI 0.68 to 1.14), 1.34 (95% CI 0.98 to 1.82), and 0.93 (95% CI 0.62 to 1.41), respectively, compared to women with no binge drinking episodes. Women who reported an intake of≥1 drink per week on average had an aHR for spontaneous preterm birth of 1.09 (95% CI 0.63 to 1.89) compared to abstainers. When restricting to nulliparous women or cohabiting women with≥3years of higher education, this estimate was 1.28 (95% CI 0.69 to 2.40) and 1.20 (95% CI 0.67 to 2.15), respectively. We found no evidence that maternal alcohol intake in early pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of spontaneous preterm birth, neither for alcohol binge drinking nor for a low average weekly intake of alcohol.

Blinkered Learning, Blinkered Theory: How Histories in Textbooks Parochialize IR

AbstractCalls for a more “global” international relations (IR) based on theories grounded in world rather than Western histories have highlighted the Eurocentrism of history within the discipline. Global IR literature, however, neglects the role of tempocentrism in fostering that Eurocentrism. Tempocentric IR portrays the past as an extrapolation of the (Eurocentric) present, suggesting an inevitability and normality to Western dominance of international relations and obscuring non-Western significance. It also deprives IR theory-building of a broader pool of examples to inform existing theories. This article locates those centrisms in the textbooks of the discipline, while drawing on interdisciplinary research to reveal the disproportionate influence of the first years of higher education on students’ future worldviews. It is here that students are exposed to a historical grand narrative that establishes the boundaries of their inquiries and outlines what is, and what is not, significant. For a more “global” IR, therefore, it is suggested that textbook historical narratives require reconstructing in two ways. First, textbook history should be presented through connections and relations rather than substances. Second, historical chapters should reveal the multiple layers of time, including the deeper past, that have been instrumental in constituting the international relations of today.

How do we integrate skills and content in classics? An inquiry into students’ use of sources

Engagement with primary sources is a key feature of arts and humanities subjects, particularly classics and ancient history. Recent instructional trends emphasise integrating skills with content, particularly in the first year of higher education. We investigate how successfully first-year university students used a variety of sources in an integrated skills and content course, through analysis of 84 final essays. Most students used four to nine sources in a 1500 word essay, but only one type of ancient source. The findings express the need to move from debates about whether to integrate skills or not, to greater discuss how key discipline-specific skills are integrated into content-based courses. Cognitive apprenticeship theory, and a thematic approach used in museum education, are used to reflect on the findings and discuss how teachers might better support students in this key aspect of the discipline.

Cartel Control of Attorney Licensure and the Public Interest*

Abstract The purpose of regulating any profession is to assure competent practitioners, particularly where its absence can cause irreparable harm. Regulatory “licensing” ideally achieves such assurance, while at the same time avoiding unnecessary supply constriction. The latter can mean much higher prices and an inadequate number of practitioners. Regrettably, the universal delegation to attorneys of the power to regulate themselves has led to a lose/lose system lacking protection from incompetent practice while also diminishing needed supply. The problem is manifest in four regulatory flaws: First, state bars—in combination with the American Bar Association—require four years of largely irrelevant higher education for law school entry. Most of this coursework commonly has nothing to do with law. Second, and related, these seven-years of mandatory higher education (that only the United States requires for attorney licensure) impose extraordinary costs. Those costs now reach from $190,000 to $380,000 in tuition and room and board per student—driven by shocking tuition levels lacking competitive check. Third, attorney training focuses almost entirely on a few traditional subjects, with little attention paid to the development of useful skills in most of the 24 disparate areas of actual practice (e.g., administrative, bankruptcy, corporate, criminal, family, taxation, et al.). And schools often pay scant attention to legislation, administrative proceedings, or the distinct areas of law that will be relevant to a student’s future practice. Fourth, state bars rely on supply-constricting bar examinations of questionable connection to competence assurance. In the largest state of California, the bar examination fails about 2/3 of its examinees. This system has fostered an opportunistic cottage industry of increasingly expensive preparatory courses that further raise the cost of becoming an attorney—even after 7 years of higher education. Meanwhile, the bars regulating attorneys in the respective states: a) Do not treat negligent acts as a normal basis for discipline (outside of extreme incapacity); b) Do not require malpractice insurance—effectively denying consumer remedies for negligence; c) Do not allow clients injured by malpractice to recover from “client security funds”; d) Do not require post-licensure “legal education” in the area of an attorney’s practice; e) Do not test attorneys in the area of practice relied upon by consumers—ever; and f) Respond to cost-effective, technology-centric solutions to legal problems not by regulation to assure consumer benefit, but by attempts to categorically foreclose them in favor of total reliance on often unavailable/expensive counsel. No area of state regulation has more openly violated federal antitrust law than has the legal profession. The United States Supreme Court held in 2015 that any state body controlled by “active market participants” in a profession regulated is not a sovereign entity for antitrust purposes without “active state supervision.” Yet four years later, attorneys continue to regulate themselves without such supervision, overlooking the threat of criminal felony and civil treble damage liability.

Student engagement with feedback and attainment: the role of academic self-efficacy

Academic self-efficacy, the belief that one can achieve desired academic goals plays an important role in learning. This study aimed to determine the extent to which academic self-efficacy mediates relationships between students’ perceptions of feedback and their academic attainment. An opportunity sample of 232 students (123 female) in their first year of higher education reported their academic self-efficacy and evaluated their assessment experience, including the perceived quantity and quality of feedback and the extent to which this feedback elicited an active response. Positive associations were observed between academic attainment and students’ confidence that they could achieve their desired grades and adopt appropriate study behaviours. A negative association was identified between attainment and confidence to talk about their studies. Attainment was not related to the perceived quantity or quality of feedback, but did bear a significant association with the reported use to which feedback was put. Positive associations were generally identified between academic self-efficacy and perceptions of feedback. Path models revealed that inter-relationships were best represented by a model wherein academic self-efficacy mediated links between students’ perceptions of feedback and academic attainment. The findings highlight the need to incorporate characteristics of the individual into an understanding of student engagement with feedback.

Professional learning for academics teaching first-year undergraduate students

ABSTRACT Professional learning is an essential component of the institutional conditions required for a high-quality first-year student experience. Initiatives to improve students’ determinative first year in higher education have expanded but one area notably absent in the literature pertains to professional learning tailored to meet the needs of academics teaching first-year students. The aims of this study were to explore what academics need to do and understand to effectively teach first-year students and design professional learning that would support them in their teaching role. Evidence-based practice was the methodology chosen for the project as this enabled relevant literature to inform academic practice. Findings from the study revealed that professional learning is intrinsic to being an academic. To be effective teachers and make a positive impact on first-year students’ learning necessitates that academics have an ability to draw on key knowledge, skills and attributes. However, these constructs are not finite and to be responsive to the evolving needs of students, professional learning for academics should be multi-faceted, ongoing and integral to everyday practice. Based on these findings two frameworks are presented that could be used by staff teaching first-year students to guide their professional learning.

The first year in higher education: the role of individual factors and the learning environment for academic integration

The transition to higher education and the initial phase of studying play a crucial role in future educational decisions and academic development. To successfully manage this transition, a certain degree of integration into the new environment is required. For this reason, and drawing on the conceptual framework of Tinto’s model of student departure, the study examines academic integration as an important first-year experience. Going beyond Tinto’s approach and most of the previous research, both individual and contextual factors were analysed by estimating multilevel structural equation models. Data were taken from a panel study of new entrants to higher education institutions in Germany (N = 10,697), which is part of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS). The results corroborate previous findings and confirm the importance of psychological attributes like self-esteem and conscientiousness. They also provide evidence that a cognitively activating learning environment enhances academic integration considerably. However, direct instruction was found to negatively affect academic integration. The study concludes with a discussion of limitations and implications for practice and future research.

A roadmap to professionalism: Advancing occupational safety and health practice as a profession in the United States

Like many disciplines, modern occupational, safety, and health (OSH) in the US is the result of years of professional maturation by three main drivers: practitioners/best practices, professional associations (i.e., certifications, education standards, etc.) and a series of external events (law, policy, accidents, etc.) i.e., that continue to influence the collective development of the profession. This paper reviews each driver and its contribution to the evolution of OSH in the US. In the US, what is recognized as the OSH profession was originally a sub-discipline in the engineering field. However, defining the scope and function of OSH, laying the foundation for OSH as a unique discipline did not begin until the early 1960’s when the ASSP launched the Professionalism Project. It took several years for higher education to eventually create academic degree programs in OSH that focused on developing a capable and adequate workforce. Till that time, the discipline had been unregulated (i.e., anyone could claim to be a safety professional, with or without an education and with or without a professional credential) and unstructured (i.e., it was impossible to identify standardized approaches to identify and mitigate workplace life and health risks). Education standards for degree programs and professional standards for practitioners were significant responses to the lack of structure. For example, ABET accreditation and the creation of the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) and its CSP credential became the first bona fide metrics against which to determine professional competence. The paper culminates with a roadmap for OSH to follow to achieve occupation closure as an ultimate expression of professionalization.

Understanding the Multidimensional Nature of Student Engagement During the First Year of Higher Education.

In the description of the complex relationship between individual students and their education context, as well as understanding of questions related to progression, retention or dropouts in higher education, student engagement is considered the primary construct. In particular, the significance of the first year of higher education in terms of engagement is decisive. We aim at developing a multidimensional conceptualization of engagement and utilized network analysis. Data were collected as part of the annual Student Barometer survey in Finland during the 2012–2013 academic year, and we gathered a nationally representative sample (n = 2422) of first-year students in different disciplines at 13 Finnish universities. Network analysis confirmed the multidimensional process model of engagement and its six dimensions. The central dimensions of engagement are identity and sense of belonging, which develop in the interplay between individual and collective dimensions as a long-term process. Additional network analyses with covariates identified positive and negative factors that affect engagement. The study adds new perspectives to existing knowledge of engagement. It is important to understand the process-like nature of engagement and make visible factors affecting the process. Based on these findings, we provide novel practical recommendations for interventions for university students who struggle with engagement during their first year.

Een nieuw screeningsinstrument voor leesonderzoek bij Nederlandse studenten: de Leestest 1-minuut studenten (LEMs)

More and more students with dyslexia start in higher education. There is a growing need for valid and standardized diagnostic tools for this group (Tops, Callens, Lammertyn, van Hees, & Brysbaert, 2012). In this study, we developed and validated a new Word Reading Test for Students. The norms are based on the reading results of 200 Dutch students in their first bachelor year of higher education. Results showed that this new test is valid and reliable. Both sensitivity and specificity are high (> 80%). It was confirmed that Dutch first year bachelor students with dyslexia read slower than their typically developing peers. Reading performance of first bachelor students strongly relates to the education that they had in high school. The more theoretical their education, the better they read.

Mental health first aid and exciting opportunities for peer-support networks within universities with prospects of influencing public health and treatment

Promoting mental health and preventing ill mental health are worldwide concerns, with many personal and societal implications. While there are different initiatives to reduce stigma and discrimination, and prevent and treat mental health, the initiatives appear to fall short. This short communication situates the problems around mental health, after and during higher education years, and reviews Mental Health First Aid Training and its potential in university contexts through peer support schemes. Literature on (1) Mental Health First Aid Training and (2) peer support in higher education was explored separately and in association. Reviewing the literature revealed that the association between Mental Health First Aid Training and peer support did not exist in academic literature, deterring a potential interposition of greater public health. The article describes a radical and innovative way to enhance mental health across cultures and societies and collectively through universities to impact mental health positively for current and future generations.

Academic identity, confidence and belonging: The role of contextualised admissions and foundation years in higher education

This article presents a cross‐national exploration of responses to widening participation (WP), with a specific focus on the provision of foundation year (FY) programmes and the use of contextualised admissions (CA) in selective Irish and UK institutions. There remains a dearth of research on these routes, with little understanding of the characteristics of students who utilise them, of why students use these routes and little knowledge of their effect on students’ experiences in university and their overall sense of belonging. A year‐long longitudinal comparative case study design examined three alternative entry routes in two selective higher education institutions (HEIs) in England and Ireland: a well‐established FY; a newly formed FY; and a CA pathway. Data were collected through a mixed‐method approach. Questionnaires and in‐depth focus groups were employed at fixed points with participating students in each route. Results indicated that FY students had lower levels of familial educational history and parental occupation. FY students’ sense of belonging significantly increased over the year, with students reporting increased confidence and sense of belonging due to the relationships established during the FY. CA students’ sense of belonging remained the same, with students reporting feeling different and isolated. Results indicate that while students utilising FYs may be ‘more disadvantaged’ than CA students, their experiences helped establish a sense of belonging; illustrating the need for diverse WP routes catering to a wide range of needs. Results highlight the importance of providing opportunities to develop social and bridging social capital for all non‐traditional students.

A validade preditiva do desempenho acadêmico no primeiro ano para a performance final no ensino superior

O presente estudo procura verificar a relação entre os indicadores de desempenho ao final do primeiro ano do ensino superior e aqueles que resumem a performance final, quando da conclusão do Curso para os mesmos sujeitos. O que se quer, portanto, é verificar a validade preditiva que aquela variável tem para esta segunda. A intenção do estudo que se coaduna com tal objetivo surge da preocupação com a descoberta de indicadores que permitam um diagnóstico antecipado das tendências de desempenho acadêmico, permitindo, assim, atuação da Administração Universitária no sentido de intervir com ações de gestão acadêmica mais ativa para tratar dos casos tempestivamente. Para a realização da análise foi feito estudo de caso incidente sobre os dados dos ingressantes nos Cursos de Administração, Direito e Pedagogia de uma Universidade Federal no ano de 2009. Após coleta das informações de performance acadêmica dos sujeitos, operações para verificação de correlação foram feitas entre o desempenho na conclusão do primeiro ano e na conclusão do Curso para verificar se aquele fator antecipa este. O estudo de caso quali-quantitativo, com ênfase na segunda componente do título metodológico, identificou que em todos os recortes existe forte correlação (resultados de r variando entre 0.7 e 0.9) entre as variáveis, apontando que – ao menos para os casos em análise – o desempenho no primeiro ano seria forte preditor da tendência de desempenho global dos estudantes.

Intergenerational relationships, emancipation and independence of Chilean students

(analytical): This analytical paper highlights the contemporary transformations in intergenerational relationships, emancipation and independence of Chilean youth who are in their last year of secondary education or the final year of higher education. The methodology involved holding conversation groups in different regions in the country. Relationships with adults tend to be co-figurative and are seen as counter-reference point. Their view of the adult generation is more analytical and, at the same time, in the process of transformation. Unpredictability and uncertainty lead to processes of emancipation and independence that can be reversible and asynchronous. The current moment in history, social polarization and being either a secondary or higher education student are factors that create major differences in the perspectives of how these young people believe their lives will develop.

Work-related learning in the transition from higher education to work: The role of the development of self-efficacy and achievement goals.

Work-related learning is particularly important at the start of graduates' careers. Preparing students for work-related learning is a chief aim of higher education, demonstrating its relevance when investigating the transition to work. This study aimed to investigate the role of personal factors for work-related learning during the transition from higher education to work. This study took a longitudinal and person-centred approach by examining differences in work-related learning between different motivational profiles based on the conjoint development of self-efficacy and achievement goals. Questionnaires were administered four times, starting in the beginning of students' final year of higher education until 4months after graduation (N=814). In order to assess the development of the personal factors, different multi-indicator latent growth curve models were estimated. Afterwards, a multidimensional latent class growth analysis was used to identify latent profiles of participants with similar growth trajectories. Differences in work-related learning were investigated by a multivariate analysis of variance. The results revealed an average increase in self-efficacy, learning-goal, and performance-approach orientation, indicating that the transition to work triggers change in these personal factors. Performance-avoidance orientation decreased on average. Four distinct motivational profiles were discerned: strongly efficacious and approach-oriented, moderate efficacious and approach-oriented, moderate efficacious and learning-oriented, and undecided profile. Furthermore, differences were found concerning work-related learning, in which the strongly efficacious and approach-oriented profile reported more participation in formal and informal learning activities using personal sources, while the undecided profile showed least participation in the latter.

Effectiveness of blended learning in the first year of fashion education

ABSTRACTFashion programmes have increased the use of e-learning and blended learning to enhance the levels of understanding of students on complex issues. The first year in higher education is important because it significantly affects future academic success and the completion rate of students. The effectiveness of blended learning for undergraduate students in their first year of study is explored by comparing the actual grades of students in a blended learning and in a traditional face-to-face classroom. Two first-year subjects, goal-setting and sewing, with blended learning activities are introduced. No significant difference exists in the actual grades of students who used the blended learning modules compared to the control group students. First-year fashion students are interested in blended learning with a positive uptake rate to enhance self-regulated learning. The diverse educational backgrounds of students and their prior learning experiences and needs must be considered to increase their engagement in online modules.

Autonomy Supportive Contexts, Autonomous Motivation, and Self-Efficacy Predict Academic Adjustment of First-Year University Students

Aim. The purpose of this study was to provide a better understanding of undergraduate students' academic adjustment in the first year of higher education, by testing a predictive model based on self-determination theory with the inclusion of self-efficacy. The model posits that perceived autonomous forms of support from parents and teachers foster autonomous motivation and self-efficacy, which in turn predict academic adjustment. Method. A two-wave prospective design was adopted. Freshman students at an Italian university (N = 388; 73.5% females, M age = 21.38 years ± 4.84) completed measures of autonomous motivation, perceived autonomy support from parents and teachers, self-efficacy, and intention to drop out from university at the start of their academic year. Students' past performance and socioeconomic background were also measured. At the end of the first semester, information about number of course modules passed and credits attained for each student were collected from the department office and matched with the data collected in the first wave by an identification number. Results. Findings of structural equation modeling analysis supported the proposed model for first-year university students, after controlling for the influence of past performance and socioeconomic background. Specifically, autonomous motivation and self-efficacy predicted dropout intention and academic adjustment a few months later. Autonomous motivation and self-efficacy were encouraged by autonomy supportive behaviors provided by teachers and parents. Conclusion. According to our findings, in order to promote higher degree of academic adjustment in freshman students, interventions should aim to encourage autonomous motivation and self-efficacy through autonomous supportive behavior from the university and the family contexts.

Students’ perceptions toward online learning and face-to-face learning courses

The implications of online learning versus face-to-face learning have been discussed for several years in higher education. This study examined the issues of student perception toward online learning and face-to-face learning in the context of social presence, social interaction, and satisfaction in Indonesia Open University, Taiwan branch (n = 107). The comparison of the online group and the face-to-face group conducted to explore student-learning perceptions regardless of the course delivery method and the online environment. The result of this study indicate that face-to-face learning perception was higher than online learning in term of social presence, social interaction, and satisfaction. However, there is no statistically significant difference in learning preference found among level of student. Meanwhile, some students were very comfortable in online learning since it led them to the chance to being innovative by using computer technology.