Bridging the gapResearching the transition from Secondary Vocational Education to Higher Education, to find grounds for decreasing dropout rates in the first year of higher education.

Rozan NijlandROC van Twente (Secondary Vocational Education)

Marije Nije BijvankSaxion University of Applied Sciences (Higher Education)

Content

Introduction

Research Questions

Data collection methods

Results

Recommendations

Discussion

IntroductionDutch educational system

Figure 1. Reprinted from The Netherlands’ education system at a glance (n.d.), by Center on International Education Benchmarking.

HE Saxion

SVE

IntroductionSaxion University of Applied Sciences

Saxion Strategic Agenda 2012 – 2016 (Saxion, 2012):

‘Excellent education and the best possible academic success as a base’ (p. 10).

‘…., we make an effort to limit dropouts in the first year so that these do not exceed the current level (26%), without making concessions to the quality and intensity of the programmes (p. 11).

IntroductionThe transition

IntroductionFirst year dropout rates (in HE)

SVE = (Senior) Secondary Vocational EducationSSE = Senior Secundary EducationUPE = University Preparatory Education

Table 1.

Dropout rates in the first year of higher education, per type of previous education

Development of first year dropout HE students

Development of first year dropout Saxion students

 Mbo= SVE

Havo=SSE

Vwo= UPE  

Mbo= SVE

Havo=SSE

Vwo= UPE

2009 19.9% 12.7% 6.2% 2009 20.8% 9.7% 2.2%

2010 21.0% 12.5% 6.1% 2010 20.9% 11.8% 9.7%

2011 22.7% 13.3% 6.0% 2011 24.2% 11.5% 5.8%

2012 21.4% 11.6% 5.2% 2012 22.4% 9.7% 3.7%

2013 23.1% 11.6% 5.8% 2013 25.0% 10.7% 5.8%

Source: 1cijferHO 2014, Vereniging Hogescholen (association for higher education)

Figure 2. Dropout rates first year Saxion students, per type of previous education (dropout of institution)

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

'10 - '11 '11 - '12 '12 - '13 '13 - '14

Mbo

Havo

Vwo

Research questions

Central research question:How do (aspirant) students with a SVE background experience the transition from SVE to HE?

1. What are the reasons of first year students with a SVE background for dropping out during the first year in HE?

2. Which factors influence dropout of first year students with a SVE background?

3. What do current first year students that made the transition from SVE to HE suggest to improve in the match between both educational environments?

4. What is the level of satisfaction of first year students with a SVE background about the match between their previous and current study?

5. What are succes- and risk factors for a SVE-HE preparatory module to succeed according to students? (case masterclass Economics)

6. What are succes- and risk factors for a SVE-HE preparatory module to succeed according to teachers? (case masterclass Economics)

Data collection methods

Research questions

• Digital questionnaire among first year Saxion students with a SVE background (N = 531).

• At the end of the first year we matched questionnaire data to dropout data

1. Reasons for dropout2. Factors that influence dropout3. Students’ own suggestions for improvement

• Two focusgroups with study career counselors (N = 9)

1. Reasons for dropout2. Factors that influence dropout

Research methods

• Two expertinterviews 1. Reasons for dropout2. Factors that influence dropout

• The National Student Survey (N = 2870) 4. Students’ level of satisfaction

• Panelinterviews with students from the SVE-HE Masterclass Economics (N = 44)

5. Succes- and risk factors of SVE prep. modules according to students

• Two focusgroups with teachers from the SVE-HE Masterclass Economics (N = 12)

6. Succes- and risk factors of SVE prep. modules according to teachers

Results

1. Descriptive results

2. Predictors for dropout

3. Reasons for dropout

4. Level of satisfaction

5. Students’ suggestions

1. Descriptive Results

    % Mean Age (in years)   21.33Gender Male 40.3%  Female 59.7%  SVE institution ROC van Twente 46%

ROC Aventus 16.6%Graafschap College 10.2%

  ROC Landstede 6.4%  School (Saxion) AGZ 14.1%

AMA 11.7%

ABRR 11.5%

AMM 11.1%ACT 9.8%HBS 8.3%BBT 7.9%LED 7.2%APO 6.8%MIM 6.4%FEM 5.3%

Attended a SVE-HE preparatory module No 89.4%  Yes 10.6%  Study progress Continue 79.3%

Switch 5.6%  Dropout 15.1%  

Table 2.

Descriptives of the research sample (N = 531)

2. Predictors for dropout

Figure 3. Predictors of dropout of first year HE students (based on logistic regression analysis)

The extent to which expectations differed from

reality(p<0.001)

Level of motivation to study (p<0.001)

Experienced gap between SVE and HE (p<0.001)

Level of consideration of study options and consequences

(p<0.01)

Student dropout

3. Reasons for dropout

Reasons for student dropout Percentage

The study programme takes too much of my time 28%

The study programme is too difficult 26%

The school gave me the advice to quit after disappointing study results 24%

The field of profession is not suitable for me 12%

Table 3.

Reasons for dropout among first year HE students with a SVE background

4. Level of satisfaction

Table 4.

Results from the National Student Survey; first year Saxion students with a SVE background are less satisfied about aspects of the transition to HE than students from SSE and UPE background (on a schale from 1 to 10; p< .01).

Aspects of education

Secondairy Vocational Education

Senior Secondary Education

University Preparatory Education

Experienced fit between SVE and HE 6.4 6.7 7

Independent studying 7 7.3 8

Writing reports 6.5 6.7 7.5

5. Students’ own suggestions

‘There is a large difference in level of difficulty between SVE and HE study programmes. In SVE it is often said that the transition to HE is smooth. Often this is not the case and the transition takes a bigger step than most students think.’

 ‘SVE students have to be given more information about the level of difficulty of HE. This way they can prepare themselves more for the difficulties that they will face. Secondly the level of difficulty of SVE study programmes has to be increased to meet the needs for a HE study programme.’

‘Important is to inform the students in SVE about the workload that comes with a HE study programme. Last year I started a HE study programme and I was overwhelmed by the heavy workload, speed and level of difficulty and I could hardly manage it all.’‘Compared to SVE it is a struggle to organize and plan my lessons, homework and personal life.’

‘Students have to be made more aware about the transition to HE and the difficulties that come with that. This is particularly important to students with a SVE background, as learning to apply study skills, such as independent learning, is often not (a large) part of their SVE study programme.’

Recommendations

Before entering HE

1. Create more awareness and realistic expectations among SVE students, for

example:

Give former SVE students a role in information sessions about HE

Let former SVE students who now attend HE inform the students that aspire a HE study

programme. Let these ‘peers’ emphasize on the differences between SVE and HE, the level

of difficulty and workload that goes with HE; raising the level of awareness.

Use digital technology for experience and practice

For example, by working on small assignments at HE level, aspirant students can get

some experience of the level of difficulty of HE. An online forum could be created where

SVE students can ask questions in an informal setting which can be answered by HE

teachers and HE students.

Recommendations

During the first year of HE

2. Facilitate and guide more interaction and connection at an individual level

Provide more tutorials and workshops with smaller groups and a two-way setting

It will make it possible to tackle more direct and more efficiently the difficulties that students

with a SVE background face, and provide them the right guidance and support.

Peer mentoring/coaching programmes

3rd or 4th year HE students who have a SVE background have often faced the same

difficulties and can advise first year HE students with a SVE background how to handle these.

Structural

3. More systematic monitoring and in-dept insight into dropout and level of

satisfaction

Monitor and follow up on dropout for more continuous and systematical insight into reasons for

dropout, for several subgroups of students.

More in-depth research on faculties and students with a SVE background, to gain insight into

aspects of the SVE-HE transition they are (dis)satisfied with, and why.

Final recommendation and follow up

Research on how to best train and guide students in developing HE

(metacognitive) study competencies in the last year of SVE and the first

year of HE.

Follow up Saxion, in collaboration with SVE institutions, has applied for a subsidy

to do research on how to best develop an integrated and continuous learning trajectory with a focus on training and developing HE competencies/HE study skills.

HE competencies/HE study skills = metacognition and selfregulation.

We also include: developing career competencies & professional development of teachers.

When granted the subsidy, the aim is to develop successful study interventions, and to build a completely integrated learning trajectory for SVE and HE within three years.

This will hopefully improve the transition from SVE to HE, will limit dropout and will foster studysucces among SVE students in HE.

Discussion

Your main reasons for dropout during the first year?

Your experiences with new entrance students lacking or experiencing difficulties with metacognitive/ HE study skills?

If yes, what kind of skills?

Current support/interventions at your institution?

Best practices?

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Questions?

Marije Nije Bijvank Rozan Nijlandm.nijebijvank@saxion.nl rnijland@rocvantwente.nl