Exploring transitions into the undergraduate university world using a student-centred framework

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a small-scale qualitative study, which addressed stories of ‘becoming an undergraduate student’. The work took place in one university in the South West of England and involved 4 researchers, 4 co-researchers (undergraduate students) and 12 students from a Faculty of Arts and Humanities. Stories of ‘becoming student’ were perceived and experienced by the researchers as containing complex histories, intertwined with problematic systemic processes, which combined to create challenging, political and diverse realities for students. There was a consensus amongst the researchers that institutional practices did not work to uncover these lived experiences, nor aim to understand them. The study aimed to gain further insight into what becoming a student entails, how ‘student’ is positioned by the academy and to consider how future practices could make transitions into the student world more visible, shared and understood. The work highlights how processes and experiences of becoming an undergraduate student are wide, varied and complex but there are common matters of concern; issues of resources, the importance of student networks and the impact of external perceptions. The authors suggest that if these aspects of the student world were made more visible and understood, Higher Education (H.E) may be better prepared to support positive student transition, success and overall experience.     

Mature and younger students' reasons for making the transition from further education into higher education

This paper reviews findings from a longitudinal study of students making the transition from FE to an ancient university. This paper compares the younger and older students' reasons for higher education study. Our analysis of the quantitative data suggests that the older students had different reasons for entering university. We use the qualitative data to investigate the meanings participants attributed to higher education study in order to make sense of the patterns in the quantitative data, drawing on Wenger's perspectives on identity development as encompassing participants' trajectories in relation to communities of practice. The findings show a positive picture of the motivations of the whole cohort but the mature students seemed to have a particularly rich understanding of the meaning and relevance of their studies. The study therefore has implications for policy-makers and teachers as they seek to make use of the positive aspects of greater diversity.     

Characteristics of support for beginning teachers: evidence from the new Teacher Induction Scheme in Scotland

The Teacher Induction Scheme, introduced in Scotland in August 2002, guarantees beginning teachers a year’s structured support from a more experienced colleague, a reduced timetable and opportunities for professional development. This article places the Scheme in the wider context of recent policy developments in Scotland and reports on research carried out into the early implementation of the Scheme. The personal and professional characteristics sought by the probationers in their supporters and suggested by the supporters themselves are analysed both in terms of the literature on mentoring and of the guidelines accompanying the Scheme. The structures set up in schools to support beginning teachers are also described. The implications of the data are discussed and proposals made for the development of a more extended model of mentoring in Scotland than the one currently in operation.     

Archetypes in Thoroughbred dirt racetracks regarding track design,clay mineralogy,and climate

In Thoroughbred dirt racetracks, clay content plays a critical role in moisture management and influences mechanical properties. We hypothesized that different dirt track designs developed in response to the track materials used, particularly the clay content of the material. These designs are in turn a function of the local climate, in particular the amount of rainfall and the evaporation rate. X-ray diffraction makes it possible to determine whole rock and clay mineralogy for 26 tracks that were assigned to one of three track designs: shallow sand (SS), false base (FB), or false base with a pad (FBP). Results demonstrate that SS tracks occur in areas with the highest annual precipitation and have the lowest average clay content, whereas FBP tracks have the lowest annual precipitation and the highest average clay content. FB tracks have intermediate levels of precipitation and clay relative to other track styles. Understanding the effects of clay minerals in dirt and how different racetrack designs have evolved to handle differing levels of clay and moisture can aid in quantifying track maintenance decisions.     

Kindergarten Scores,Storytelling, Executive Function,and Motivation Improved through Literacy-Rich Guided Play

This study explored the effects of literacy-rich sociodramatic guided play on kindergarten student literacy performance and behavior. Kindergarten students of varying socioeconomic status attending two elementary schools in the same school district participated in this repeated measures, counterbalanced design study. Students received the mandated grade-level literacy instruction with a supplemental 15 min block of time designated for play-based literacy integration during which the intervention took place. During this short time, students working in small groups were given materials (miniature items, toys, letter tiles) to practice initial letter sounds and consonant–vowel–consonant rhyming word families using either an assigned activity (control condition) or a student-invented game that practiced the same literacy concepts (experimental activity). Students instructed through the experimental condition scored significantly better on the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) assessment with a medium effect size. Additional positive academic results included practice in story-composing, sequencing ideas into a complex cause and effect chain of events; application of new vocabulary; repeated practice of phonics and phonemic awareness skills to new examples; self-regulation of emotions; communication and negotiation with peers; and imagination, fantasy, humor, and creativity. Students evidenced preference for the experimental condition, continuing to repeat their games during recess or free time and to record them in their journals. Examples of student-generated literacy games are provided.     

Developing a Tiered Response Model for Social-Emotional Learning Through Interdisciplinary Collaboration

A tiered response model for social-emotional learning (SEL) is needed to address the significant mental health needs of young people in this country. In collaboration with other school mental health professionals, school psychologists have a unique expertise that situates them to be systems change agents in this work. This article describes a pilot project that focused on augmenting existing SEL services with SEL assessment within a tiered system of support in one elementary school. Using a consultation-based model grounded in principles of empowerment evaluation, an interdisciplinary school team used SEL data collected during one school year to inform the delivery of SEL interventions and supports. Data from SEL, academic, and behavioral assessments were examined retrospectively to illustrate the potential value of integrating assessments and interventions across domains. The discussion offers implications for ongoing efforts to develop and implement tiered response models through interdisciplinary collaboration among school mental health professionals.     

The effects of classroom noise on children: Evidence for sex differences

To clarify the relationship between classroom noise and children's intellectual performance, 156 first-, third-, and fifth-grade children worked on a matrix task in either a noisy environment (70dbA) or in a quiet environment (40dbA). Children's performance on the intellectual task increased with age. Moreover, in the environment with classroom noise, boys consistently solved more complex matrix problems than did girls.