Variation in transition to university of life science students: exploring the role of academic and social self-efficacy

A mixed-method study was undertaken to investigate factors affecting the transition to university of life sciences students at a research-intensive UK university. Questionnaire responses (N= 234) suggested that undergraduate students tended to agree that they had successfully transitioned to university level study in the first year. However, disproportionately more female students had a definite negative view of their success and this correlated with the lower first-year performance of female BSc Biological Sciences students. Focus groups with second-year female BSc Biological Sciences students revealed that they viewed transition as a period of great academic and social change. Through the lens of a transition model developed from Bean and Eaton’s model of student retention, it was seen that both academic and social self-efficacy were important in facilitating transition, and were greatly aided by academic and social relationships with peers and academics. The timing of self-reported successful transition varied between students, with some students not transitioning academically and/or socially until the second year. Recommendations are that student academic self-efficacy should be promoted through helping students gain the necessary academic toolkit. Tutorials, peer-led sessions together with more social events could increase social self-efficacy and warrants further research.