Abstract:
The Federal government’s recent mandate for increasing numbers of students from disadvantaged backgrounds has moved some Universities into action by initiating new school partnerships (such as the University of Sydney’s Compass program reported in the Sydney Morning Herald (Gilmore, 2010). Step Up Into Teaching (SUIT) is an innovative higher education program developed by the Australian Catholic University (ACU) in collaboration with two Catholic Education Offices (CEO) in Sydney. It aims to provide access to higher education for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
University studies can often seem out of reach of students, particularly those who have no family experience of higher education. For these students university study is often considered a leap into the unknown (Lowe and Cook, 2003). It is also acknowledged that the types of learning in school and tertiary systems differ and that this can result in a phenomenon known as transfer shock (Rhine, Milligan and Nelson, 2000) for those beginning tertiary studies. SUIT was specifically designed to address these issues with two key goals: firstly, to allow students (particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds) to experience university study, and thus consider it as a realistic post‐school option; and secondly, to increase academic self‐efficacy for university study by developing personalised and contextually specific programs that provide strong support in developing academic skills.
SUIT has now been running for ten years and as such has anticipated the recommendations of the Bradley Review
(Review of Australian Higher Education, Final Report, 2008) by targeting students who otherwise would not consider tertiary education. The program follows students from the final years of secondary school into the first year of higher education enabling them to complete university study equivalent to one core first-year unit, through in-school teaching by the university staff. The study students undertake is an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) rich-psychology based united. This unit has been selected purposefully in order to engage students in the content and dispel the pre-formed perceptions that students have of tertiary education through the use of a variety of common and emerging technologies. It is acknowledged that the contemporary student has been born into a technology revolution; their daily routines include the use of a myriad of digital technologies, therefore, recognising technology as a crucial facet of functioning within modern day society (Coiro, Knobel, Lankshear & Leu, 2008) and exposing students to ICT rich learning environments not only provides greater authenticity but also helps increase the students’ sense of familiarity that in turn raises academic confidence.
This paper reports on a analysis of the impact of the SUIT program on two key outcomes; self-efficacy to engage in higher education and performance once enrolled in university. The paper reviews data from three source; an evaluation of the program conducted in 2006; post school surveys of student reflections on SUIT and intended post school pathways of
2007‐2009 SUIT cohorts collected by the Catholic Education Office; and university grades for SUIT students enrolled in ACU. The analysis of this data indicated that SUIT has been successful in enhancing student self-efficacy to undertake university study, increases participation in higher education and that those SUIT students enrolled in degree programs at ACU perform well when compared to university averages.
Key Phrase: Higher Education, transition program, economic disadvantage, self-efficacy, information and communication technology (ICT)
University studies can often seem out of reach of students, particularly those who have no family experience of higher education. For these students university study is often considered a leap into the unknown (Lowe and Cook, 2003). It is also acknowledged that the types of learning in school and tertiary systems differ and that this can result in a phenomenon known as transfer shock (Rhine, Milligan and Nelson, 2000) for those beginning tertiary studies. SUIT was specifically designed to address these issues with two key goals: firstly, to allow students (particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds) to experience university study, and thus consider it as a realistic post‐school option; and secondly, to increase academic self‐efficacy for university study by developing personalised and contextually specific programs that provide strong support in developing academic skills.
SUIT has now been running for ten years and as such has anticipated the recommendations of the Bradley Review
(Review of Australian Higher Education, Final Report, 2008) by targeting students who otherwise would not consider tertiary education. The program follows students from the final years of secondary school into the first year of higher education enabling them to complete university study equivalent to one core first-year unit, through in-school teaching by the university staff. The study students undertake is an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) rich-psychology based united. This unit has been selected purposefully in order to engage students in the content and dispel the pre-formed perceptions that students have of tertiary education through the use of a variety of common and emerging technologies. It is acknowledged that the contemporary student has been born into a technology revolution; their daily routines include the use of a myriad of digital technologies, therefore, recognising technology as a crucial facet of functioning within modern day society (Coiro, Knobel, Lankshear & Leu, 2008) and exposing students to ICT rich learning environments not only provides greater authenticity but also helps increase the students’ sense of familiarity that in turn raises academic confidence.
This paper reports on a analysis of the impact of the SUIT program on two key outcomes; self-efficacy to engage in higher education and performance once enrolled in university. The paper reviews data from three source; an evaluation of the program conducted in 2006; post school surveys of student reflections on SUIT and intended post school pathways of
2007‐2009 SUIT cohorts collected by the Catholic Education Office; and university grades for SUIT students enrolled in ACU. The analysis of this data indicated that SUIT has been successful in enhancing student self-efficacy to undertake university study, increases participation in higher education and that those SUIT students enrolled in degree programs at ACU perform well when compared to university averages.
Key Phrase: Higher Education, transition program, economic disadvantage, self-efficacy, information and communication technology (ICT)