Exploring links between
personal attributes and the
first-year student experience
A Browitt, L Walker, J H McColl
Background
Retention
Work here and elsewhere has shown factors affecting student
retention are more than previous academic attainment:
Motivation
Commitment
Determination
Confidence
Aim to investigate whether certain measurable personal attributes
are predictors of success and persistence of first-year students and
identify changes in these attributes over the first semesters at
University to inform future retention initiatives.
Method and measures
Online Survey
Initially July-Sept 2009 linked to WebSURF account of new entrants
and reminder emails – to collect baseline data
Stratified random sample of half initial survey respondents emailed
link in teaching weeks 9-11 – Semester 1 data
Remaining half of study participants emailed link in teaching weeks
25-27 – Semester 2 data
Measures
Self-esteem (Rosenberg)
Self-efficacy (Schwarzer)
Resilience (Block)
Hope (Snyder)
Mindset (Dweck)
Survey response rates
Baseline
Approx
– 1098
– 407
15% of all new entrants to the University completed survey
responses from undergraduates ~19%
responses from postgraduates ~9.5%
Semester 1
Approx
– 220
– 93
42% of the 748 students contacted completed survey
responses from undergraduates
responses from postgraduates
Semester 2
Approx
33% of the 742 students contacted completed survey
–
165 responses from undergraduates
–
78 responses from postgraduates
Baseline – Mindset scores
Mindset Scores at Baseline
PG
UG
1
2
3
4
5
6
Baseline – mean scores
Mindset
Self Efficacy
Self Esteem
Resilience
Hope: Total
Hope: Agency
Hope: Pathway
UG
n=1097
3.65
31.4
30.8
2.99
25.1
12.8
12.2
PG
n=407
3.90
31.8
31.2
2.98
25.1
12.8
12.3
* Mann-Whitney test of equal population medians
P-value*
<0.001
0.066
0.086
0.13
0.83
0.50
0.48
Baseline – mean scores for UG students
Mindset
Self Efficacy
Self Esteem
Resilience
Hope: Total
Hope: Agency
Hope: Pathway
Female
n=675
3.60
31.2
30.4
2.98
25.1
13.0
12.2
Male
n=422
3.73
31.8
31.4
3.01
25.0
12.6
12.4
* Mann-Whitney test of equal population medians
P-value*
0.031
0.0044
<0.001
0.13
0.22
<0.001
0.11
Baseline – mean scores for UG students
n=
Mindset
Efficacy
Esteem
Resil
H: Tot
H: Ag
H: Path
Arts
296
3.47
30.9
29.7
2.98
24.4
12.5
11.9
Eng
92
3.83
31.7
32.0
3.05
25.4
12.8
12.6
Educ
81
3.87
31.0
31.0
3.03
25.6
13.2
12.4
LBSS Med Sci
226 78
270
3.72 3.75 3.60
31.7 32.6 31.2
30.8 32.0 30.7
2.94 3.12 2.97
25.1 26.4 24.9
12.9 13.6 12.6
12.2 12.7 12.3
Kruskal-Wallis test of equal population medians gives p<0.001 in all cases
Vet
43
3.51
32.8
32.3
3.10
26.2
13.7
12.5
Baseline – mean scores for UG students
Mindset - Mean Score
4.0
3.8
F
3.6
3.4
3.2
3.0
M
FACA
FACE
FACF
FACK
FACM
FACS
FACV
Baseline – mean scores for UG students
Resilience - Mean Score
3.2
M
3.1
F
3.0
2.9
FACA
FACE
FACF
FACK
FACM
FACS
FACV
Baseline – mean scores for PG students
Mindset
Self Efficacy
Self Esteem
Resilience
Hope: Total
Hope: Agency
Hope: Pathway
< 25 yrs
n=171
3.85
31.3
30.5
2.93
24.8
12.6
12.2
25+ yrs
n=236
3.93
32.3
31.6
3.01
25.3
12.9
12.4
* Mann-Whitney test of equal population medians
P-value*
0.44
0.022
0.0070
0.027
0.046
0.031
0.20
Mean changes till end-Semester 1
Mindset
Efficacy
Esteem
Resil
H: Tot
H: Ag
H: Path
§ Wilcoxon
UG (n=220)
Mean P-value§
-0.25 <0.001
-0.30 0.023
-0.42 0.033
-0.04 0.011
-0.56 <0.001
-0.35 <0.001
-0.23 0.019
PG (n=93)
UG vs. PG
Mean P-value§ P-value*
-0.35 0.001
0.71
-0.08 0.91
0.21
-0.26 0.46
0.60
-0.04 0.043
0.58
-0.40 0.097
0.81
-0.38 0.014
0.72
-0.07 0.78
0.30
signed ranks test of zero median change
* Mann-Whitney test of equal population median changes
Changes in Mindset till end-Semester 1
Change in Mindset Score
PG
UG
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
Mean changes till end-Semester 2
Mindset
Efficacy
Esteem
Resil
H: Tot
H: Ag
H: Path
§ Wilcoxon
UG (n=165)
Mean P-value§
-0.18 0.001
-0.42 0.054
-0.73 0.007
-0.07 0.002
-0.68 0.005
-0.55 <0.001
-0.11 0.46
PG (n=78)
UG vs. PG
Mean P-value§ P-value*
-0.24 0.022
0.84
0.06 0.96
0.32
-0.26 0.32
0.44
0.01 0.77
0.030
-0.24 0.25
0.46
-0.13 0.32
0.079
-0.21 0.19
0.49
signed ranks test of zero median change
* Mann-Whitney test of equal population median changes
Baseline – mean scores for UG students
Mindset
Efficacy
Esteem
Resil
H: Tot
H: Ag
H: Path
(1)
(2)
WD
GP<10
n=31 n=60
3.58
3.62
31.7
31.0
30.0
30.4
3.00
2.91
25.2
24.3
12.7
12.4
12.5
11.9
(3)
GP10+
n=824
3.62
31.4
30.6
2.99
25.0
12.8
12.2
* Mann-Whitney test of equal population medians
(1)vs.(3)
P-value*
0.71
0.68
0.29
0.82
0.71
0.89
0.24
(2)vs.(3)
P-value*
0.98
0.39
0.57
0.036
0.039
0.048
0.088
Summary of key findings
 Mean
responses for each measure appear to be in line with published findings
from other studies
 But there is quite a spread of results for each measure
 Comparing PG and UG at baseline – PG scores are no lower and in some
measures are significantly higher than UG (mindset, self-efficacy, self-esteem)
 Most significant demographic variables for UG are Faculty and Gender
 Most significant demographic variable for PG is age
 Means for every measure decrease by end of Semester 1– all differences
significant for UG
 Means for every measure decrease by end of Semester 2 but less pronounced
 Differences over one or two semesters are smaller for PG. In Semester 2 retest
changes in Self-efficacy and Resilience are not negative.
 It was not possible to demonstrate a difference in measures between officially
withdrawn students and those successful in Semester 1 assessment (GPA10+)
Preliminary conclusions
Findings have demonstrated that the measured personal attributes
have been challenged during first semesters at the University.
PG students are generally less affected than UG – older and
experienced in HE? Graduate attributes?
It’s too early in the study to show any link between persistence and
attributes – non-continuation after Year 1 required to follow the
University standard retention measure, therefore, longitudinal followup for participants is necessary.
It would be advantageous to repeat the study to strengthen the
sample size for statistical correlations.
Principal Component Analysis was carried out and indicated there
may be some redundancy in measures – could lose one set to
shorten questionnaire and encourage larger response.
Implications for practice
How can these personal attributes be enhanced?
Some ideas…
Training around the concepts eg. growth mindset.
Relationships provide validation and reassurance – with peers,
academic & non-academic staff fostered by for example:
•Active and collaborative learning;
•Feedback on assessment;
•Communities of learning.
Effective goal-setting – challenges that are achievable.
Acknowledgements
Our thanks go to:
Retention
Working Group and Prof Andrea Nolan for
supporting the proposal and providing resource
Emily
Cutts and the Centre for Confidence and Well-
being
Maxine
Swingler, Department of Psychology
Lauren
Robinson, Statistics Honours project student
All
the University of Glasgow students who have
participated in the study