‘Going into the unknown’: the role of self-efficacy in aiding the transition to university

1. ‘Going into the unknown’: the role of self-efficacy in aiding the transition to university Dr Magda Charalambous Department of Life Sciences

2. Aim • Describe how my MEd research (with life science participants) has influenced my teaching with two examples • Recommendations for supporting students make the transition to university • Ultimately focused on trying to increase students perceived self-efficacy • Using Bean & Eaton’s model of student retention as the conceptual framework • Links with one of Imperial Graduate attributes is that students should • ‘Have developed into independent learners with high self-efficacy’ Intrinsically motivated Have high self-belief Set and stick to challenging goals Failure due insufficient effort Resilient after setbacks Confident can manage stressors etc Bandura 1997: 39

3. Perceived self efficacy is domain (and task) specific Academic self-efficacy (ASE) Social Self efficacy (SSE) An individual’s belief that they are ‘capable of initiating social contact and developing new friendships’ Lower SSE contributes to loneliness and depression of freshman students • An individual’s belief that they have the capability to succeed in attaining a specific education goal • Important predictor of academic achievement of university students Bean & Eaton 2000, 2001 mention both ASE and SSE for transition Wei et al (2005); Elias & MacDonald (2007); Richardson et al. (2012); Honicke & Broadbent (2016)

4. Students required to navigate a lot of change in the transition to university • Challenges needed to be managed/overcome to feel transition has been successful and give a sense of coping, fitting and belonging: • Pre-existing expectations • Looking after yourself and personal affairs • Finding the right work-life balance • Finding good friends • Gaining a supportive social network • Pre-existing academic toolkit • Increased independence affects motivation • Dealing with competitiveness • Different types of coursework • Outside reading • Vague marking schemes • Less academic support

5. Transition takes time - into Year 2 for some • Social transition (influenced by SSE) and academic transition (influenced by ASE) occur at different rates for different students • Social relationships help transition • Social transition is linked with academic transition • ‘…I think having lots of friends … helps your self-esteem, which helps academically because then you are more positive.’ [student SB] • The initial academic toolkit varies and affects the rate of transition (ASE) • Academic relationships help support the development of the academic toolkit • Lecturers/Tutors • Peers: PAL mentors, independently formed study groups, ‘mums and dads’ But need to overcome fear of asking for help from anyone

6. Y1 Spring Y1 Summer Y1 Autumn Academic and social interactions occur through time Entry Transition? Y2 Autumn • Initial SE • Initial SE • Initial SE • Social • Academic I belong I can succeed academically I am becoming a biologist Student A I belong I have a supportive network and friends Based on ‘A psychological model of college student retention’ by Bean & Eaton 2000, 2001 Student B Student C

7. Recommendations to raise perceived academic self efficacy? Influences on SE Reducing unnecessary stress/anxiety about coursework and exams Performance Accomplishments Mastery experiences, i.e. opportunities to practice, ‘fail’ and succeed. Formative assessment where possible Social Persuasion Encouraging feedback on coursework for realistic improvement. Encourage self-reflection Vicarious Learning Modelling e.g. older undergraduates as PAL mentors or peers in group work Actions: Support to help develop Quantitative skills Writing skills Emotional Arousal http://career.iresearchnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Self-Efficacy-300x235.jpg

8. 1. Learning statistics in R software • Requires learning statistics and programming at the same time • Various models of teaching tried • Eg 1-2 short lectures and workshops in Year 2 BSc Biological Sciences • Student feedback • generally passive, cut and paste code, just following workshop pdf

9. Team-based learning (TBL) to teach Year 2 statistics Variations of TBL include the following principles Michaelsen, & M. Sweet (2008). New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 116, 7-27. PLUS Peer-feedback on team-mates’ contribution With SamraatPawar (DoLS), Josh Hodge (DoLS) Kate Ippolito (EDU)

10. TBL will be purely formative Influences on SE • to reduce anxiety, to reinforce benefits teamwork, promote friendships • Will investigate students’ perception of TBL for learning statistics • Will make Curriculum Review recommendations with regards Y1 and postgraduate teaching Performance Accomplishments Social Persuasion Vicarious Learning Formative Peer Feedback: ‘One thing you did that helped the team was …..’ ‘One thing that you could do to better help the team…’ Emotional Arousal

11. 2. Encouraging students to be more reflective and use feedback effectively when writing • Students would like more support with scientific writing in Y1 and Y2 • Getting better at writing requires practice

12. Genetics reflection exercise 2017 Re-read essays with a critical eye . Map it to the tutors’ comments, and also what you have seen with fresh eyes e.g. essay needs more ‘unpacking’ of concepts i.e. in-depth explanations rather than a shopping list of facts.

13. Student Feedback • Staff-student meeting (February 2018) • Positive feedback • Similar reflective exercise rolled out to Year 2 BSc Biochemistry in 2018 - 19 • Year 1 & Year 2 BSc Biological Sciences Curriculum Review Meeting (November 2018) • Student reps & Academics suggest exercise will be helpful for essay writing in Year 1 • Will roll out to Year 1 in 2019-20 as part of Curriculum redesign

14. New to 2018/19: Using quasi-PAL to support TD Influences on SE • Extends PAL into Year 2 • PAL leaders talk to students about their own experience • Librarians & CentreforAcademic English staff to provide training to PAL leaders to facilitate sessions using bespoke materials and exemplars • ‘Compulsory’ timetabled session: academics on hand to act as demonstrators in sessions Performance Accomplishments Social Persuasion Vicarious Learning Emotional Arousal

15. Recommendations to raise perceived social self efficacy? Influences on SE • Fresher’s weeks activities • Hall seniors and events • Departmental socials • Personal Tutors • Academic Soc activities • Mums and Dad • Societies Performance Accomplishments • Actions • Module socials introduced • More Year group social events • More money to BIOSOC/BIOCHEMSOC for events Social Persuasion • Also recommend • Personal Tutors to encourage • work-life balance • social networking Vicarious Learning Emotional Arousal Conclusion: Use active learning and group working to encourage social interaction and promote both academic and social self-efficacy http://career.iresearchnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Self-Efficacy-300x235.jpg

16. Acknowledgements • Kate Ippolito (MEd Supervisor) & all in the EDU • Student volunteer participants for MEd research References • Bandura, A. (1997) Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: Freeman.  Bean & Eaton • Bean, J. P. & Eaton, S. B. (2000). A psychological model of college student retention. In Braxton, J. M. (ed.), Reworking the departure puzzle: New theory and research on college student retention (pp. 48-61). Nashville: University of Vanberbilt Press. • Bean, J. P. & Eaton, S. B. (2001). The psychology underlying successful retention practices. Journal of College Student Retention, 3, 73–89Elias, S. M., & MacDonald, S. (2007) Using past performance, proxy efficacy, and academic self-efficacy to predict college performance. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 37, 2518–2531. • Honicke, T., Broadbent, J. (2016).The influence of academic self-efficacy on academic performance: A systematic review. Educational Research Review, 17, 63–84. • Richardson, M., Abraham, C., & Bond, R. (2012) Psychological correlates of university students’ academic performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 138,353–387. • Wei, M., Russell, D. W. and Zakalik, R. A. (2005) Adult attachment, social self-efficacy, self-disclosure, loneliness, and subsequent depression for freshmen college students: A longitudinal study. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52, 602–614