Proposal Title
Student Success and the High School–University Transition
Session Type
Presentation
Start Date
7-7-2011 10:30 AM
Keywords
student success, study approach, study skills, academic transition, high school to university, learning outcomes
Primary Threads
Teaching and Learning Science
Abstract
Each year, students arrive at post-secondary education institutions from high school with high grades and high expectations. For some, the transition is relatively smooth, but for others it can be extremely traumatic: research at this institution shows that 25% of students completing their first undergraduate chemistry course see their grades drop by 30 to 60 percentage points relative to their high school grades. Why is this, and what can teachers, university instructors, and students do to mitigate against such poor outcomes?
This presentation will review findings from the science education literature and a continuing research study examining factors affecting the high school–university transition, including grades, high school curriculum and assessment practices, study skills, and student approaches to learning. The first phase of this study (since completed) pointed to the importance of acquiring appropriate study skills prior to attending college or university. Preliminary results obtained from a mixed-mode study involving student interviews and the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) questionnaire will be presented and discussed. Although the current study concerns chemistry, the results are broadly applicable to students in all science subjects.
Additional information can be found at the study web site at http://www.chem.utoronto.ca/~dstone/Research/ROP299.html
Student Success and the High School–University Transition
Each year, students arrive at post-secondary education institutions from high school with high grades and high expectations. For some, the transition is relatively smooth, but for others it can be extremely traumatic: research at this institution shows that 25% of students completing their first undergraduate chemistry course see their grades drop by 30 to 60 percentage points relative to their high school grades. Why is this, and what can teachers, university instructors, and students do to mitigate against such poor outcomes?
This presentation will review findings from the science education literature and a continuing research study examining factors affecting the high school–university transition, including grades, high school curriculum and assessment practices, study skills, and student approaches to learning. The first phase of this study (since completed) pointed to the importance of acquiring appropriate study skills prior to attending college or university. Preliminary results obtained from a mixed-mode study involving student interviews and the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) questionnaire will be presented and discussed. Although the current study concerns chemistry, the results are broadly applicable to students in all science subjects.
Additional information can be found at the study web site at http://www.chem.utoronto.ca/~dstone/Research/ROP299.html