The academic expectations and later experience of incoming students in Higher Education

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7213/1981-416X.24.082.AO14

Abstract

The article deals with a longitudinal study in which 106 students entering higher education were monitored for a period of six months. The objective was to verify the relationship between the expectations with which students enter, and their subsequent academic well-being, once they are aware of their academic performance for the first semester of coursework. To assess students’ expectations, the Brazilian Scale of Academic Expectations for First-year Students in Higher Education was used and, to assess well-being, the Academic Experiences Questionnaire was used in its reduced version. The results point to a more positive course and career experience among those students with higher expectations for the quality of their academic development. Furthermore, personal experiences were more positive among students who had high expectations to study abroad for some period of time. Another result that stood out was the difference between students who declared that they intended to continue with the course and those who did not (at the end of their first semester): those who wanted to remain had a more positive experience in terms of the institution, their course and career and on interpersonal aspects. We conclude that higher education institutions must invest in institutional support (including course and career guidance), and in the promotion of support networks for incoming students. To consolidate these findings, it is necessary to repeat this study with a broader and more representative sample.

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Author Biographies

Zena Eisenberg, PUC-Rio

Professora de Psicologia da Educação no Departamento de Educação da PUC-Rio desde 2008. Especialista em Educação Infantil (PUC-Rio), Mestre em Psicologia (New School University, NY) e Doutora em Psicologia do Desenvolvimento Humano (CUNY/EUA). Coordena o Grupo de Pesquisa Desenvolvimento Humano e Educação (CNPq), e tem realizado e orientado pesquisas nas áreas de desenvolvimento e aprendizagem, englobando todos os segmentos da Educação Básica e, mais recentemente, o Ensino Superior. Seu interesse de pesquisa atual é o bem-estar de estudantes ingressantes no ensino superior.

Leandro S. Almeida, Universidade do Minho

Doutor em Psicologia pela Universidade do Porto. Professor Catedrático da Universidade do Minho. Docente em domínios da cognição e aprendizagem, avaliação psicológica e metodologia da investigação. Investigação nos campos da inteligência, aprendizagem e sucesso académico, com particular incidência nos estudantes do Ensino Superior.

Published

2024-09-12

How to Cite

Eisenberg, Z., & Almeida, L. S. (2024). The academic expectations and later experience of incoming students in Higher Education. Revista Diálogo Educacional, 24(82). https://doi.org/10.7213/1981-416X.24.082.AO14