TY - JOUR

T1 - Students’ perceptions toward academic competencies

T2 - The case of German first-year students

AU - Mah, Dana-Kristin

AU - Ifenthaler, Dirk

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2018, Western Australian Institute for Educational Research Inc. All rights reserved.

PY - 2018/2/4

Y1 - 2018/2/4

N2 - Students often enter higher education academically unprepared and with unrealistic perceptions and expectations regarding academic competencies for their studies. However, preparedness and realistic perceptions are important factors for student retention. With regard to a proposed model of five academic competencies (time management, learning skills, technology proficiency, self-monitoring, and research skills), incoming students’ perceptions concerning academic staff support and students’ self-reported confidence at a German university were examined. Using quantitative data, an initial exploratory study was conducted (N = 155), which revealed first-year students’ perceptions of the role of academic staff in supporting their development, especially in research skills, as well as low self-reported confidence in this competence. Thus, a follow up study (N = 717) was conducted to confirm these findings as well as to provide an in-depth understanding of research skills. Understanding students’ perceptions is crucial if higher education institutions are to meet students’ needs and provide adequate support services in the challenging first year. Thus, in order to increase student retention, it is suggested that universities assist first-year students in developing academic competencies through personalised competence-based programs and with the help of emerging research fields and educational technologies such as learning analytics and digital badges.

AB - Students often enter higher education academically unprepared and with unrealistic perceptions and expectations regarding academic competencies for their studies. However, preparedness and realistic perceptions are important factors for student retention. With regard to a proposed model of five academic competencies (time management, learning skills, technology proficiency, self-monitoring, and research skills), incoming students’ perceptions concerning academic staff support and students’ self-reported confidence at a German university were examined. Using quantitative data, an initial exploratory study was conducted (N = 155), which revealed first-year students’ perceptions of the role of academic staff in supporting their development, especially in research skills, as well as low self-reported confidence in this competence. Thus, a follow up study (N = 717) was conducted to confirm these findings as well as to provide an in-depth understanding of research skills. Understanding students’ perceptions is crucial if higher education institutions are to meet students’ needs and provide adequate support services in the challenging first year. Thus, in order to increase student retention, it is suggested that universities assist first-year students in developing academic competencies through personalised competence-based programs and with the help of emerging research fields and educational technologies such as learning analytics and digital badges.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85041590348&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85041590348

VL - 28

SP - 120

EP - 137

JO - Issues in Educational Research

JF - Issues in Educational Research

SN - 0313-7155

IS - 1

ER -