Economics Education Seminar
Speaker: Andrew Mearman (Leeds)
Title: Three studies on student transitions into and through university
Format: Hybrid
Homepage: https://business.leeds.ac.uk/departments-economics/staff/132/dr-andrew-mearman
Organiser: Mike and Anastasia
Abstract: In this seminar I will present preliminary findings from three studies of student transitions into and through university. The first, which has been completed, investigated expectations of mainly new undergraduate students at a UK university via semi-structured interviews. It found various sources of expectations, which are often unreliable, a generalised challenge of independence, and the effect of socio-cultural capital in affecting both. The second study is ongoing, and evaluates a pilot support scheme in which postgraduate researchers acted as ‘welcome tutors’ to new postgraduate taught students, using interviews and focus groups. The data suggest students found the scheme beneficial in providing general information via experienced peers, which helped students settle in; but it also highlighted some concerns about the labelling of the scheme, language, and structures of welcome. The third, also ongoing, study collects quantitative data embedded in virtual learning environments for years 1 and 2 of a set of business school students. It suggests that whilst the effects of not having done A level economics and/or mathematics wears off in terms of self-reported self-efficacy, whereas being female does not. We also explore the effects on/of self-efficacy of in-module activity and feedback, and extra-curricular activity. The seminar aims to explore these studies individually, as well as exploring connections between them.
For more information please contact the organiser.