Impressions of disadvantage: I — school versus university study orchestration and consequences for academic support

This study investigates the study orchestrations of engineering students who enter three universities from disadvantaged school backgrounds and are admitted to academic support programmes. The first part of this study examines the characteristics of the entry group as a whole and, on the basis of an analysis of the self-reported study orchestrations of the individuals involved, it is concluded that a significant subgroup of individuals enter university with manifestations of undesirable study behaviour that has serious consequences for academic support.The second part of this study examines the relationship between school study orchestration (as manifested on entry to university), subsequent study orchestration at two stages during the first year of study, and final outcome as evidenced in the end of year examination result. It is concluded that study orchestration is a relatively stable phenomenon for most individuals in the transition from school to university and that its early recognition can be a potential indicator of subsequent academic achievement depending on the nature of the assessment procedures employed in academic support programmes. The third part of this study investigates sources of variation in two subgroups of individuals whose study orchestrations change during the course of their first year. It is concluded that statistically significant, but different, sources of variation are associated with subgroups of individuals whose study orchestrations are either improving or deteriorating.The overall conclusions of this study are seen to be far reaching in terms of informing the selection procedures and the educational practice of academic support programmes as well as of undergraduate education in general.