Understanding the Transition of New Students into New Zealand Tertiary Education

Abstract

Drawing on both organizational socialization and first-year experience (FYE) literature, this research examined the transition experience of tertiary first-year students at The University of Auckland (UoA), with a special focus on the differences between domestic and international students. Through longitudinal mixed-method pilot and main studies, this research explored the change trajectory of students’ adjustment through understanding of the role and social domains and academic English requirements and usage; examined the relationships between language, ethnicity, self-directed learning disposition and adjustment understanding and academic achievement; and evaluated an intervention orientation program that provided a realistic preview and skills training to improve coping and resilience. Eight hundred first-year students from the School of Business at UoA attended the intervention orientation and were invited to the survey with four measurement points across the first semester of 2014. A total of 643 orientation attendees completed the first questionnaire (week 0), out of which 234, 162, and 182 returned the second, third, and fourth questionnaires at semester weeks 3, 7, and 16 respectively. The results provided insights on the challenging and demanding nature of first-year students’ transition experience, and identified where the intervention orientation program was effective. Furthermore, the results supported quadratic change trajectories of newcomers’ adjustment understanding; and suggested that self-directed learning and English as a first language were significantly positively associated with adjustment understanding and its change trajectories as well as academic performance, whereas being Asian was not significantly related to either of these outcome variables. Moreover, adjustment role understanding reported at the end of the semester was positively associated with the overall semester academic achievement. The strengths and limitations are discussed, and recommendations provided for future research and practice.