what has lsay found? sheldon rothman principal research fellow

What has LSAY found?

Sheldon RothmanPrincipal Research Fellow

What has LSAY found?

• The First Year Experience

• Attitudes, Intentions and Participation

• General findings of LSAY

The First Year Experience

• Examines the transition from Year 12 to the first year of post-school study

• Combines university and TAFE study

• Who stays / changes / leaves? Why?

• How do members of equity groups fare?

Satisfaction + difficulties

• High overall levels of satisfaction among those who stayed to end of the first year


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Like beingstudent

Student lifesuits you

Like campusatmosphere

Lived up toexpectations

Made closefriends

University

TAFE

Strongly agree

Agree



• Some areas of difficulty reported:• Juggling study and work• Time for other activities



0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Fees/ costs Work/ study Family/ study No main difficulty

Part-time Full-time Looking Not looking



• Some areas of difficulty reported:• Juggling study and work• Time for other activities

• Higher satisfaction levels among those not working and those working part-time


‘Paying course and other fees, purchasing books and other materials, and managing accommodation and transport costs are burdens that most students are willing to shoulder, provided that they are satisfied with their learning, mixing well with other students and fell that they are a member of a community.’

Enrolment changesin the first year

• 1% changed institution

• 2% changed course

• 6% withdrew

• 4% deferred (after starting)

Reasons for withdrawal:‘a consideration’

77

34

23 23 20

54

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Not whatwanted

Lostinterest

Getjob/appren

Jugglingstudy/work

Careerprospects

Financial

Reasons for withdrawal:‘main reason’

77

54

34

23 23 20

39

11 4 1 419

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Not whatwanted

Lostinterest

Getjob/appren

Jugglingstudy/work

Careerprospects

Financial

How do interests affect decisions about tertiary study?

• Main reasons for changing institution

• Main reasons for changing course

• Main reasons for withdrawing from study

• Main reasons for deferring study

Findings for equity groups:Continuing in first course

81 79 81 8391

85 86

76

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

All Low SES Rural SWD NESB Women Males Indigenous

Findings for equity groups:Main points

• Low-SES: fees and family commitments

• Disability: balance between study and other commitments

• NESB: remain in first course, but no difference in satisfaction


• Women: generally fitting in well

• Men: balance between study and other commitments


• Rural and isolated: study-related costs

• Indigenous: withdrawal, study-related costs and commitments


• Although students from some groups continue to be underrepresented in tertiary study, they report levels of satisfaction and difficulties similar to those of other first year students

Findings for all first-year students

• General satisfaction

• Enrolment changes related to interests

• Difficulties generally related to juggling study and other commitments

• Once in, equity groups fit in well

Attitudes, Intentionsand Participation

• What are the effects of attitudes to school on intention to complete Year 12 and on actual participation in Year 12?

• How much do attitudes to school influence participation directly, and how much do they operate through intentions to participate?

Theory of Planned Behaviour

Attitudes

Subjective norm

Perceived control

Intentions Behaviour

Attitudes, intention and participation in Year 12

Background: location,

language, parent

education, SES, gender

Attitudes to school

Year 9 achievement:

literacy, numeracy

Intention to do Year

12

Participation in Year 12

Attitudes, intention and participation in university

Background: location,

language, parent

education, SES, gender

Attitudes to school

Year 9 achievement:

literacy, numeracy

Intention to go to uni

Participation in university


Results for participation in Year 12

non-metro

Attitudes to school

Year 9 literacy


12


LBOTEparents

uniSES

female

Year 9 numeracy

Participation in

university

• Attitudes predict intention

• Intention predicts participation

• No significant direct effect of attitudes on participation

• Mediated effect (intention) very strong

Findings on influences on continuation in education

non-metro

Attitudes to school

Year 9 literacy


12


LBOTEparents

uniSES

female

Year 9 numeracy

Participation in

university



• Direct effects on participation• Literacy and numeracy achievement• Language background other than

English• Non-metropolitan locations

non-metro

Attitudes to school

Year 9 literacy


12


LBOTEparents

uniSES

female

Year 9 numeracy

Participation in

university


Year 9 literacy

Year 9 numeracy

LBOTE

non-metro


• Importance of intentions in later behaviours

• Intentions mediate between attitudes (and other factors) and actions

• Positive attitudes to school influence intentions to participate in post-compulsory years, which in turn influence participation


‘Other things being equal, students who are positively oriented to their schools and are actively engaged in its academic work and other activities are more likely to develop an intention to continue through school and beyond. ... Attention to what happens in the middle and early secondary years of school can influence educational intentions and subsequent participation.’

General findings of LSAY

• Importance of a good foundation in literacy and numeracy

• Timing of school leaving• Selection of Year 12 subjects• Scores for university entrance• Participation in tertiary education• Employment / unemployment


• Young women have higher participation in education, but lower job market pay-off to education

• Indigenous and rural youth have lower rates of participation in education

• Family cultural factors more important than economic factors


• School practices make a difference

• Completing secondary school pays off, even for low achievers

• A poor start in the job market has long-term costs

• Combining education and work while at school has benefits

Value of longitudinal studies:After 7 post-school years ...

100 Year 10 students

57

Non tertiary graduates

Tertiary graduates

43

Study, extended interruption/work3

Study, brief interruption/work7

Work & study combined3

19 School, study, work

4 Work, study, work

7 Currently in study

Mainly unemployed

Brief interruption/work

Extended interruption/work

Mainly part-time work

4

4

3

7

14

7

7

11 Full-time work

Training then work

Study then work

Mainly not-in-labour-force

The latest research reports

The First Year Experience: The Transition from Secondary School to University and TAFE in Australia, by Kylie Hillman

(LSAY Research Report no 40)

Attitudes, Intentions and Participation,by Siek Toon Khoo and John Ainley


Scheduled for release 29 September 2005

Pathways from School to Further Education and Work: Examining the Consequences of Year 12 Course Choices, by Sue Thomson


what has lsay found? sheldon rothman principal research fellow

Documents