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“ “AUSSIE ATTRITION AUSSIE ATTRITION” ”

The down under experience of The down under experience of Sophomore Sophomore Slump Slump in the Health Sciences. in the Health Sciences.

Glenn Harrison School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science Griffith University Gold Coast AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIAN AUSTRALIAN CONTEXT CONTEXT

21 million people: 4.8 million2miles High tertiary participation rate 38 Universities (35public:3private) Led by Go8 Majority do Research & Teaching Funding Basis (1/3 Gov’t, 1/3

Student Fees (hecs), 1/3 other)

Since 2005 T&L Performance

Fund ($83M in 2007 to 23 uni’s) based on retention, student satisfaction, employment %

New $6B Higher Ed Endowment

Fund

GRIFFITH CONTEXT GRIFFITH CONTEXT

• Established 1975
• 5 Campus University (GC Largest)
• Research and Teaching
• 4 Groups (Health, Science & Eng,

Business, Arts/Ed/Law)

• 35 000 students
• 14 000 commencing / year
• 75% Bachelors : 25% RHD
• 77% Domestic : 23% International
• 59% Female, 1% Indigenous
• 3 500 staff (1400 academic)
• 300 teaching only : 300 research only

GRIFFITH GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY GOLD COAST GOLD COAST CAMPUS CAMPUS

MEAN SUNNY DAYS = 300/year MEAN SUNNY DAYS = 300/year MEAN TEMP 1000 MEAN TEMP 1000-

• 1500 = 22.3

1500 = 22.3O

OC (72

C (72O

OF)

F)

☺

SPECIFIC CONTEXT SPECIFIC CONTEXT

• Griffith Health Group on Gold Coast Campus
• Schools: MSC/PES/NRS/PHM/DOH/MED(PostGrad)/PSY/PBH/HS
• Student Diversity: School leavers - Mature Age - International
• First Year: 8x10 Credit Point Courses (A&P, Chem, Psych, Cell B, Maths)
• Convenor of First-Second Year Physiology Stream

Principles of Physiology Physiological Science I Physiological Science II )

FIRST YEAR SECOND YEAR

• ~300-500 students / course
• Student groups: Ex Sci / Physio /

Med Sci / Biomed / Pharmacy / Oral Health

• Up to 25 programs of study
• OP / SAT (Entry Score) range from 1 – 16

FEB-JUN JUL-NOV FEB-JUN

FOCUS ON FIRST YEAR FOCUS ON FIRST YEAR

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

r2=0.953

FIRST YEAR ATTRITION RATES VS OP (ENTRY) SCORE 2002-2006

OP ENTRY SCORE MEAN ATTRITION RATE (%)

• “First year experience” well researched and improving (Krause 2005)
• First year performance now linked to funding via retention / attrition
• models of student attrition

FY Schemes in Play:

• Secondary School Links
• Enrolment
• Orientation Week Activities
• Mentoring, PASS
• Learning Support / Assist
• First Year Advisors
• “Front-ending” best teachers
• Work Profiles, reward!!

link student commitment to an institution to first year integration and interaction with the academic and social environments (Tinto, Chickering).

AND THEN AND THEN… … 2 2nd

nd YEAR

YEAR

• Second year attrition rates (~15%/yr) through to graduation can be just as high

and receive little attention.

• improving retention in the second year may preferentially improve graduation

rates over retaining first years (Karp 2003).

• second year represents a unique set of academic and personal challenges to

students that adversely affects their performance (Feldman& Newcomb 1994). Student Grades 1st-2nd Year Physiology 2002-2006

HD (7) D (6) C (5) P (4) PC (3) F (2) 10 20 30 40 50

SEM I YR 1 (Class Mean 59.2%) SEM II YR 1 (Class Mean 61.6%) SEM I YR 2 (Class Mean 58.0%)

* *

* P<0.05 versus Yr 1

GRADE (GPA) % Students with grade

PILOT DATA SHOWED..

• significant decline in student performance, attitude and program

satisfaction in the Health Sciences area across 1st-2nd year

• identified through direct examination of overall course grades and

assessment board discussions between convenors

• reinforced by numerous personal communications with students in

formal and informal settings and also course evaluation surveys

• not failure rates per se or ↓ class means, rather fall in #s of HD/D

from 1st to 2nd year and increased “at risk” multi-course fails

• decline appeared independent of program of study, although more

pronounced in generic (health/exercise science) versus professional degree students (pharmacy/dentistry/physiotherapy)

PROBLEM IDENTIFIED PROBLEM IDENTIFIED

WAS THIS SLUMP? WAS THIS SLUMP?

• related to a period of developmental confusion for students, who struggle with

personal identity, self confidence, autonomy, purpose and academic competence (Lemons & Richmond 1985, Margolis 1976)

• Loss of “educational capital” towards end of first year (the fog) (Marchese 1972)
• Student self reporting of sophomore slump include:

Burnout Feel invisible A lot tougher Nothing new Think you know it all GPA drops Excitement over Used to the routine A dead zone Caught between directions begin to slack off Not all support the slump:

• Shivpuri et al 2006 studied academic growth patterns over time showed no decline

(zero slope) in student growth trajectory over the first two years.

• Terenzini and collegues 1984 showed annual academic skill development

cumulative progress over the first three years of college

FACTORS INVOLVED? FACTORS INVOLVED?

• Increase in course content and difficulty
• First interaction and selection of majors
• Reduction in grades and grade satisfaction
• Career choices
• Faculty interaction/expectations
• Class timetabling

ACADEMIC SOCIAL SELF

• Feelings of stress
• Personal health, weight, sleep
• Time management
• Maintaining peer and parental

relationships

• Financial commitments
• Absenteeism and social behaviours

PROJECT AIMS PROJECT AIMS

investigate undergraduate health group student performance, attitude and persistence during the transition from 1st to 2nd year

Specific aims of the project:

• Impact of three month summer holiday
• Student learning styles / habits
• Impact of 2nd year content quantity/difficulty
• Staff-student expectations and interactions
• University support service availability and usage
• Program identity (generic vs professional)
• Career choice awareness and satisfaction

Not Examining:

• current physiology course content
• curriculum design
• assessment modality differences
• specific faculty faculty style or skills
• absolute attrition / retention rates
• high school transition issues
• equity groups (other than gender)
• first year experience strategies

Specific Hypotheses to be tested:

• 1. there is a disproportional reduction in distinction / high

distinction grades versus pass/fail grades in physiology across the 1st to 2nd year gap, independent of program of study

• 2. higher academic achieving students are at greater risk than

lower academic achievers to experience significant decline in attitudes during their second year at university

• 3. that profession program orientated students maintain

higher performance and attitudes during transition than do generic program students and this is independent of GPA/physiology grades

HYPOTHESES HYPOTHESES

METHODOLOGY

Stage One: Statistical Analysis. All physiology students 2002-2006 coded by gender, program of study, with grades studied in a repeated measures model. Sample size ~1200 students. Stage Two: Quantitative/Qualitative Surveys. Semester two first year students invited to complete a “Second Year Impressions Survey”. Demographics: (a) program of study, (b) gender, (c) student history, (d) current GPA, (e) work hours. The survey re-administered mid second year will small adjustments to the questions asking for student reflection on their second year experiences. Stage Three: Interview/focus groups. Student subsets from Stage two above representing all demographics where possible, directly recruited to participate in semi-structured focus group interviews at the end of 1st year and middle of 2nd year. Transcript data will be summarised and patterned for common themes between and amongst student groups.

LIMITATIONS LIMITATIONS

primary researcher is present as academic convenor

during the second series of surveys/interviews, creating conflict as a position of power.

potential exists for drop out (lower response rate) in

second survey/interview groups, especially for lower achievers

survey has not been externally validated does the current cohort of student represents a “typical”

sample as compared to five previous years?

40 50 60 70 80 90 100

CLASS MEANS "at risk" decliner high achieving decliner median maintainer "late bloomer" POP PSI PSII PHYSIOLOGY STREAM COURSE GRADE (%) 1st YEAR 2nd YEAR

STAGE ONE HISTORICAL ANALYSIS

• Did we have slump?
• r second year decliners and maintainers (Wilder 1993)

THE SLUMP APPEARS…

ALL STUDENTS (n=1200) 2002-2006

Yr 1 Sem I Yr I Sem II Yr 2 Sem I 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

70.2 67.5 61.8* 5.6%

Semester of Study Absolute Physiology Grades (%)

GENDER

Year 1 Year 2 Year 1 Year 2 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

FEMALE MALE

6.9*% 5.0%

Absolute Physiology Grades (%)

2002-2006 SLUMP % BY YEAR

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Transition Year of Study % Decline 1st - 2nd Year

ANNUAL VARIATION

2002-2006 SLUMP % BY PROGRAM OF STUDY

HSC BIOMED PES PHM DOH PHYSIO PES DD 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Program of Study % Decline 1st-2nd Year Avg

*

WHO SLUMPS

GENERIC VS PROFESSIONAL

GENERIC VS PROFESSIONAL

GENERIC (664) PROFESSIONAL (486) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

*

TYPE OF PROGRAM % Decline 1st-2nd Year

GENERIC

• Health Science
• Biomedical Science
• Exercise Science

PROFESSIONAL

• Physiotherapy
• Pharmacy
• Oral Health (Dentistry)

LATE BLOOMERS (>5%↓ → >5.6%↑) (n=34)

Yr 1 Sem 1 Yr 1 Sem II Yr 2 Sem I 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Semester of Study Absolute Physiology Grades (%)

IMPROVERS (>5.6%↑) (n=35)

Yr 1 Sem II Yr 2 Sem I 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Semester of Study Absolute Physiology Grade (%)

NOT EVERYONE SLUMPS!!!

HIGH DECLINERS (+80%+ >5.6%↓) (n=110)

Yr 1 Sem II Yr 2 Sem I 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Semester of Study Absolute Physiology Grade (%)

LOW (AT RISK) DECLINERS (Sub 55% + >5.6%↓) (n=37)

Yr 1 Sem II Yr 2 Sem I 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Semester of Study Absolute Physiology Grade (%)

BUT MANY DO…

DOUBLE DECLINERS (>12.4%↓) (n=127)

Yr 1 Sem II Yr 2 Sem I 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Semester of Study Absolute Physiology Grade (%)

DECLINERS (>5.6%↓) (n=314)

Yr 1 Sem II Yr 2 Sem I 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Semester of Study Absolute Physiology Grade (%)

MANY QUITE BADLY..

ALL DECLINERS (>5.6%↓) (n=591)

Yr 1 Sem II Yr 2 Sem I 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Semester of Study Absolute Physiology Grade (%)

OVERALL, 49% OF TOTAL DECLINE

PHASE TWO SURVEYS PHASE TWO SURVEYS

SURVEY 1 (IMPRESSIONS) SURVEY 1 (IMPRESSIONS) SURVEY 2 (EXPERIENCES) SURVEY 2 (EXPERIENCES)

Week 13 Semester II First Year (2006) Week 13 Semester II Second Year (2007) Response Rate: 274 (59% of 459 possible) Response Rate: 262 (66% of 397) Gender: 155 F, 116 M 131 F, 127M Program of Study: 34 Oral Health 39 Oral Health 90 Exercise Science/Physio 74 Exercise Science/Physio 29 Pharmacy 49 Pharmacy 103 Health Science/Biomed 70 Health Science / Biomed Student History: 14 International 13 International 46 Mature Age 43 Mature Age 171 School Leavers 159 School Leavers Stated GPA: AVERAGE = 5.39 AVERAGE = 5.12 53P / 102C / 89D / 27HD 64P / 115C / 61D / 13HD Paid Work / Week: 9-11HRS 9-11HRS

SURVEY RESPONSES

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IMPRESSION OF 2nd YEAR EXPERIENCE OF 2nd YEAR SURVEY QUESTIONS

Increase Significantly Increase Slightly Did Not Change Decrease Slightly Decrease Significantly

** ** *** * *** ** ** *** **

STUDENTS KNOW WHATS COMING!!

WOULD STUDENTS LIKE SOME HELP??

Refresher Idea??

Refresher Course Maximum to Pay 1 2 3 4 5 60 120 180 240 300

Experience Impression Very Useful Useful Unsure Of Little Use No Use at All

***

Dollars $

OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS

QUESTION THEMES EXPRESSED

What do you see as the major

challenges to you

achieving higher grades in 2007. Time management, motivation, procrastination/complacency, workload , paid work vs study time, contact hours, course/content difficulty, teaching staff quality, social commitments, listening in lectures What types of learning

assistance have you found

most beneficial (eg: study groups, IT courses, learning services, private tutoring) Study groups predominant 45% 27% used none If you were told that 1st semester 2nd Year is often very challenging, how would

you respond…

Surprised, scared, worried Not surprised, expect, agree Study harder, increase effort

FOCUS GROUPS

Two groups of 8 students Representative of class (M:F, Mat.Age:SL, High:Low Achievers) 90 minutes guided focus group Met at end of 1st Year and Mid 2nd Year Discussion topics across Academic, Social, Self + areas of concern

IMPRESSIONS SESSION

• Teaching quality major factor
• Program transfer common
• Moderating effort (“Ps get Degrees”)
• MASs (Mature Age Student)
• Clear “awareness” of 2nd Year

EXPERIENCES SESSION

• 1st year like high school
• 2nd year a shock (unprepared)
• Academic challenges predominate
• Poor study / exams skills evident

CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS

• Phenomenon is “real” historically 2002-2006, little change in staff and

curriculum

• Importance of the 1st to 2nd year transition in health group student learning

spectrum

• Implications for 2008 as Health group launches “common first year”

program

• Issues of program and career identity
• Personal teaching direction and professional development
• Potential to improve practice / retention at group / institutional level

Self Academic Social FIRST YEAR SECOND YEAR Self Academic Social Self Academic Social

WHAT NEXT??

LOCAL

Refreshers (Bridging) Program (Griffith) 2-3 day program in Orientation Week 2008 Incorporates: mentors, academic writing, time

management / motivation, social interaction, content revision, study/exam skills, careers. AUSTRALIA

Blogs and Chats Mentoring, 3rd years into 2nd year lectures 2nd year summit

USA

Sophomore Programs

How do we get support?

QUESTIONS QUESTIONS…… ……

THANKS TO MY COLLABORATORS / SUPERVISORS Kerri-Lee Krause Director: GIHE. Griffith University Craig Zimitat

• Deputy Director: CALT.

University of Tasmania Bill Johnston Senior Lecturer: CAPLE. University of Strathclyde

REFERENCES

1.

Chickering, A.W. (1993). Education and Identity. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

2.

Feldman, K.A., Newcomb, T.M. (1994). The Impact of College on Students. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers.

3.

Flanagan, B. (2003). The “Sophomore Slump”: What is it; What can I do? Belmoit College Sophomore Year Initiatives Website: www.beloit.edu/~syi/index.htm

4.

Gohn, L., Swartz, J., Donnelly, S. (2001). A case study of second year student persistence. J College Student Retention 2(4):271-294.

5.

Grauke, S.S., Woosley, S.A. (2005). An exploration of the factors that affect the academic success

• f college sophomores. College Student Journal 39(2):367-376.

6.

Karp, R., Johnson, T., Waple, J., Martz, D., Bailey, W., Tripodi, L., Kealey, M., Haynes, M. (2003). The Sophomore Year: A literature search prepared for the Clarion University focus roundtables and student speak. Available: www.clarion.edu/admin/academicaffairs/ transitions/literature_sophomore.shtml

7.

Krause, KL., Hartley, R., James, R., McInnes, C. (2005). The first year experience in Australian Universities: Findings from a decade of national studies. Final Report. Centre for the Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne. ISBN: 0642775311.

8.

Lemons, L.J., Richmond, D.R. (1987). A developmental perspective of sophomore slump. NASPA Journal 24(3):15-19.

9.

Marchese, T.J. (1972). Reexamining the undergraduate sequence of studies. The Journal of Higher Education 43(2):110-122.

10.

Margolis, G. (1976). Unslumping our sophomores: some clinical observations and strategies. JACHA 25:133-136.

11.

Shivpuri, S., Schmitt, N., Oswald, F.L., Kim, B.H. (2006). Individual differences in academic growth: Do they exist, and can we predict them? Journal of College Student Development 47(1):69-86.

12.

Tinto, V. (1993). Leaving College: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

13.

Wilder, J.S. (1993). The sophomore slump: A complex developmental period that contributes to

• attrition. College Student Affairs Journal 12(2):18-27.

Dr Glenn Harrison Senior Lecturer School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science Contact Details:

• Telephone +61 7 555 28529
• Facsimile +71 7 555 28674
• Email Address G.Harrison@griffith.edu.au

Postal Address: School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Gold Coast campus, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, QLD 4222, Australia

CONTACT MORE INFO