They give us homework! Transition to higher education: the case of initial teacher training

This article examines some issues surrounding transition to higher education. It is based on the case study of a cohort of Year 1 students in a modern university in England. The purpose of the study was to ascertain any potential transitional issues and therefore any areas for development in our Year 1 programmes to aid student progress. Data were gathered via semi‐structured questionnaires distributed to Year 1 initial teacher training students and their lecturers and through focused conversations with a group of students. The main findings of the study indicate that independent study and assessment processes pose challenges for students in their first year at university, and it is hoped that the outcomes of this research will contribute to a more informed transition from school to university through developing a clearer understanding of prior educational experiences that inform first‐year undergraduate expectations and needs.     

Secondary school science predictors of academic performance in university bioscience subjects

In 2009 the Faculty of Health Sciences at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia is introducing a common first year for 11 different undergraduate courses in the faculty. Current prerequisite science entry requirements vary with course and range from none to at least two science or mathematics subjects and from ～50 to 99 in Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank (ENTER) scores. Under the previous structure, students in different courses completed a variety of different subjects at first year. Concern about the ability of such disparate groups to complete a common first year led to the current investigation of the relationships between year 12 (final year of secondary school) science subjects and performance in first year university bioscience subjects. Year 12 results for all science‐related units and ENTER scores were obtained for all Victorian students enrolling in a first year course in the Faculty of Health Sciences in 2005 and 2006. Regression and other analyses were conducted for five first year bioscience subjects. The ENTER score was the best predictor of academic performance in all units except regional anatomy. Performance in many secondary school science subjects was highly predictive of performance in physiology, combined systematic physiology and anatomy and biomechanics units, but again not for regional anatomy units. It appears that year 12 performance in science subjects and ENTER scores may be important predictors of success in physiology, but not regional anatomy subjects at university. It is possible that regional anatomy is an entirely new subject area that requires new types of learning unrelated to year 12 science subjects. Anat Sci Ed 2:113‐118, 2009. © 2009 American Association of Anatomists.     

DELINQUENCY AND THE SCHOOLS

Primary teachers in their first year of teaching, and two groups of students in their final year of university, were surveyed in order to determine the nature of attitude changes during teacher education and in the first teaching year. One group of students was followed into its first year of teaching. The attitudes of the trainee teachers and novices were contrasted with those of experienced teachers and non‐education students over a two‐year period, using a semantic differential instrument.

The overall finding was that Lortie's contention that the attitudes of American teachers are based on their own early experiences as pupils in school holds for Australian teachers also. While there was some change in student attitudes during the final university year, towards the ‘progressive’ orientations of the university course, this orientation did not persist far into the first year of teaching.     

F. M. Courtis Collection: A Window on Teacher Education at Bendigo,Australia

For the best part of the last millennium collections have been used in universities in Europeto support teaching and research. European authors have referred to university collections as ‘windows on the university’. This article uses the European context to historically situate art collections in Australian teacher education institutions. The F.M. Courtis Collection at La Trobe University exemplifies how such teaching collections continue to contribute to teaching and learning today.     

Recent reforms in Australian higher education with particular reference to institutional amalgamations

The recent reforms in Australian higher education system envisaged the creation of a unified national system at the expense of the binary system with a smaller number of larger institutions through institutional mergers. The Green Paper quoted the La Trobe Lincoln merger as an exemplar. This paper examines the outcomes of these reforms in general with particular emphasis on La Trobe Lincoln merger, based on an evaluation of relevant archival material and interviews with all key personnel of both institutions and the merged university including the goals and academic rationale set for the merger and the progress made during the first three years, along with future trends.     

Catching them before they fall: a Vygotskian approach to transitioning students from high school to university

University enabling programs, worldwide, generally target high school students who excel at school, or post-secondary students who have underperformed in their university entry examinations. Murdoch University provides an access program for Year/Grade 12 students who are not on a university pathway during their final year of high school. This intervention engages students at a transitional stage of cognitive development to: (a) determine their readiness to move to the next level of their cognitive thinking; (b) facilitate that process through collaborative learning; (c) support and nurture university aspirations and (d) provide a direct transition pathway from secondary to higher education. The influence of Vygotsky's zones of proximal development in the context of this program is discussed, and by comparing the performance of these students in their first year of university with other domestic-entry students, we argue that this enabling program prepares them for successful transition into higher education.     

Australian and international mature students: the daily challenges

In this paper, we explore the learning climate and possible obstacles faced by mature students enrolled in Australian universities. More specifically, using the Experience Sampling Method devised by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, we chart the daily activities of Australian and international students and examine these for factors which may facilitate or detract from their studies. Our sample comprised students who had taken mathematics as part of their first‐year load. Most were thus enrolled in science and related courses. Multiple data gathering methods were used. These provided coherent synopses of the participants' activities, lifestyles, motivations, and attitudes to study that allowed us to focus on individual as well as group experiences.     

The luetic neighbour

The Australian Physiotherapy Association and many physiotherapy teaching staff have been vigorously seeking the transfer of physiotherapy education to a medical school. The move is opposed by La Trobe University, which obtained the course when the Lincoln Institute of Health Sciences joined the University. The merger was the occasion for a continuing argumerit over the control of physiotherapy education. The beginnings of this dispute are considered. The physiotherapists say their course requires a high quality medical sciences base that only can be provided by a medical school. Their opponents maintain that the professional association is more interested in status seeking than in educational improvement. There is a third interpretation, which is developed here. Associating physiotherapy and medicine confirmed a natural order of health occupations, with physiotherapy being defined by its medical identity. The prospect of future contact with chiropractic reinforced the physiotherapy conviction that La Trobe incorporation had to be resisted.     

‘Some people might say I'm thriving but … ’: non-traditional students' experiences of university

The expansion of neo-liberal policies' framing higher education has contributed to an increase in participation rates of students from non-traditional backgrounds. While an increase of a wider range of students might be seen as contributing to a more just and equitable higher education system, research has shown that broadening entry points does not necessarily ensure inclusion or positive experience for these students. This research investigated the experiences of first in family, rural and international students as they transitioned into their first year of university. Focus group interviews and surveys were used to collect data. Using Bourdieu's theory of field, habitus and capital as well as Weiss's dimensions of loneliness findings illuminate a number of poignant experiences for non-traditional students. We suggest that facilitating the transition for non-traditional students might require a cultural change by universities and a move away from the notion that the students need to ‘adapt’ to university. Rather, the evolving university might provide for increasingly diverse student cohorts by embracing their habitus and unique features.     

International students in the first years of senior secondary schooling in Australia: Longing for belonging

Most research on international students’ experiences has focused on tertiary settings and consistently shows that this cohort negotiates significant risks during their time abroad. This paper draws on data from the first year of a three-year Australian Research Council funded study to address the un(der)examined cohort of young people who complete their secondary school education as international students and temporary sojourners in Australia. We analyse the data from the initial interviews undertaken with 60 Year 10 international students during their first year of the senior secondary schooling. Drawing upon the theoretical resources associated with the politics of belonging, we ask if, and in what ways, students felt themselves to be marked as ‘other’ to constructed educational and social norms. We note the significant role that online activity played in helping students deal with feelings of disconnect and exclusion.     

中澳两国高校计算机专业本科生课程设置的比较研究

比较澳大利亚的拉筹伯大学和中国的南通大学在计算机专业本科生课程设置方面的异同，发现澳方具有中方值得借鉴的优势：重视实验和实践这一教学环节；选修课学分在总学分中所占比例明显偏高；学习条件比较好；软件工程项目、程序设计项目注重理论联系实际；重视职业道德教育，反对抄袭行为；重视每门课程的教学质量；课程设置量少、实用、信息量大。     

The interrelationship between student learning experience and study behaviour

This study examined the interrelationship between student learning experiences and study behaviour in explaining academic achievement. The participants were 541 final year students from a university in Hong Kong. Students' learning experiences and study behaviour were measured using the Course Experience Questionnaire and the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory. Structural equation modelling demonstrated that different learning experience factors have differential influences on student study behaviour. Students' perception of teaching quality and generic skills development were found to be most influential in terms of motivation and attitude towards study, which were most predictive of academic performance. The implications for curriculum design and instructional practice on university student learning are discussed.     

Organisational Change and Development: An Australian Case Study

This paper traces the theoretical perspective of organisational change and development and relate it to an Australian case study. It starts with a review of literature on various types of change, strategies, and processes of change advocated by different scholars and organisational experts. It is followed by another review of literature on organisational development and how organisational change and development could be related to institutional mergers in higher education. This theoretical analysis is followed by the results of a research project on the merger between the La Trobe University and the Lincoln Institute of Health Sciences in Melbourne. For the collection of data, a case study approach has been adopted employing mainly qualitative methodologies. Thus the results are based on an analysis of the archival material, interviews with key personnel in both institutions and the amalgamated institution as well as observations by the researcher. On the basis of what has been achieved within a period of two years, it has been concluded that the amalgamation has been a qualified success and has contributed towards change and development of the amalgamated university.     

Pathways to performance: an examination of entry pathway and first-year university results

Although diversity at universities has increased dramatically over the past 150 years, many groups are still under-represented relative to their proportion in the general population. Initiatives to improve diversity have included the increased use of entry pathways other than direct admission from secondary school. As admissions via these alternative entry routes have increased, concerns have grown that alternative-entry students are not well prepared for university study. Here, we describe the outcomes for students entering university via one alternative entry pathway and compare them with those of students entering from secondary school. We used quantile regression with restricted cubic splines to examine the relationship between secondary school performance (quantified by the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank; ATAR), pathway of entry to university, and performance during first year university. Entry pathway significantly affects the conditional distribution of first-year marks. Outstanding performance is largely confined to students entering university from secondary school (Year 12 entry), rather than from an institution for technical and further education (TAFE). Concomitantly, for any given ATAR, the risk of failure is higher amongst Year 12 entry students than among TAFE entry students. The results have substantial implications for changes in admission criteria and for the public funding of universities.     

Astronomy alternative conceptions in pre-adolescent students in Western Australia

ABSTRACT

Alternative conceptions in astronomy are a road block to new learning. Astronomy content is included in the Australian Curriculum (AC) from Year 3 and then intermittently in Year 5, Year 7 and Year 10. In accepting that science is socio-culturally constructed, it is important for teachers to have a clear understanding of the alternative conceptions that students bring with them to the science classroom. This article reports on the alternative conceptions elicited from 546 students ranging from Year 5 through Year 7 using a modified form of the Astronomy Diagnostic Test [Danaia, L. (2006). Students’ experiences, perceptions and performance in junior secondary school science: An intervention study involving a remote telescope (Doctoral dissertation). Charles Sturt University, Bathurst]. Results show that some well identified alternative conceptions, such as the ‘eclipse model’ to explain the phases of the Moon, exist before students enter high school and prior to any formal learning on the topic. In addition, this research identified a number of alternative conceptions held by pre-adolescent students in Western Australia that were based on knowledge that should have been consolidated by students in Year 3, viz., the relative movements of the Earth, Moon and Sun. Armed with students’ alternative conceptions as a part of their pedagogical content knowledge, teachers can construct active learning experiences that will challenge students’ existing constructs in order to allow for new learning. This sample suggests that we need to identify the reasons behind the lack of consolidation of the foundation astronomy content of the Australian Curriculum outlined for students in Year 3.     

First year expectations and experiences: student and teacher perspectives

Transitioning from high-school to university can be difficult, and many university teachers feel students are often ill-prepared for the change. To investigate this 233 Humanities and Science students at the University of Adelaide were surveyed 6 months into their first year regarding experiences of teaching and learning at university. 189 students were also surveyed 18 months after commencement, to gain retrospective views of their transition year, as were lecturers and tutors of both groups. Results were compared to similar Orientation Week questionnaires that focused on expectations. Questions included reasons for selecting degrees, quality of teacher feedback and perceived impact of outside commitments. Even though student expectations, student experience, and teacher views differed, remarkable similarities emerged across the two degree programs (Science and Humanities). Our findings thus highlight a call for non-specialised transition programs to meet the needs of first year students and facilitate the transition from secondary to tertiary education. All authors contributed equally to this work.     

From sixth form to university: motivation and transition among high achieving state‐school language students

This paper reports on a research project involving a sample of 19 state‐educated students in their first year of a German course at Oxford University. The project is one of a number of research studies into widening participation issues funded by the Higher Education Funding Council of England (HEFCE) and the Sutton trust. The paper describes the students' motivation for applying to study German at Oxford and their experiences of the transition from school to university. This is part of a larger scale study looking at access and transition data. The findings, based on data from semi‐structured interviews, suggest that the students had instrumentally oriented motivation for wanting to do a language course which was qualitatively different from the one experienced at A level. Although several factors might have alienated the students, most managed to adapt to the academic requirements at Oxford. It is argued that the students' ability to adapt and succeed is due to a high level of preparedness and to a flexibility of motivational orientation. The study contributes to the widening participation debate in general by commenting on issues of transition in terms of how well matched certain prestige university courses are to the aspirations of the applicants.     

从拉筹伯大学教育实践课程看澳大利亚教师职前培养的特点

澳大利亚教师职前培养非常重视实践训练，其实践课程计划明确了课程结构、教学实习内容、指导教师角色以及实习教师评价等多方面要求。由此可以看到澳大利亚教师职前培养的特点：以教学实习的序列计划促进教师职业技能的逐步获得；重视实习准备，丰富实习教师的感性认识；明确时实习教师的评价标准与预期；实习教师、学校指导教师和大学指导教师角色任务明晰，在大学与中小学校舍作中实现共同的职业发展。     

“Eighty Per Cent is Not Enough for Chinese‐Australians but Seventy Per Cent is Okay for Anglo‐Australians"—Some Disturbing Consequences

In a doctoral study undertaken at Edith Cowan University the author set out to investigate the influence of home and school environments on the academic performance and educational/occupational aspirations of high school students from eight Chinese‐Australian and Anglo‐Australian families residing in a middle class suburb of Perth metropolitan area. These students graduated from a high school where the author conducted this research as a teacher‐researcher. In this longitudinal study data were collected by employing ethnographic techniques such as participant observation, semi‐formal interviewing and document analysis. The author spent 500 hours in the homes of the participating students, observed and interviewed them at school for 2 years, and collected data on their educational performance from Year 8 to Year 12.

Pivotal to this research was the key question: Do Chinese‐Australian and Anglo‐Australian high school students perform differently? If so, how do we account for this difference? An investigation of the home experiences and attitude towards school revealed the existence of “Asian high achieving syndrome” in Chinese‐Australian students and “self‐deprivation syndrome” in Anglo‐Australian students. Nonetheless, the unexpected finding is that excessive parental pressure takes its toll on the mental health of Chinese‐Australian students and deprives them of the other opportunities that Australia offers. On the other hand, the leisure and sports oriented life style of Anglo‐Australian parents leads to low educational expectations and their children fail to reach their full potentials. To substantiate this claim the experiences of students from four families are discussed.