Exploring Theoretical Foundations: A Systematic Review of the Scholarship on Statewide Transfer Articulations

• In Event: From Barriers, to Strategies, to Impact: Illuminating Transfer Pathways in Higher Education

Abstract

With vertical transfer promoted as an avenue for improving access and equity in higher education, examining transfer articulations meant to promote it is pertinent. We conduct a systematic review of the empirical scholarship (published journal articles and theses) on statewide transfer articulation agreements in US higher education. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines for systematic reviews, we ask: (1) How do scholars refer to transfer articulations, and what theoretical frameworks guide the research? (2) What subjects and outcomes of interest do the scholarship on transfer articulations examine? Findings suggest that although the topic of improving vertical transfer is closely tied to access and equity in political and scholarly discourse, few of the research considers how articulations may impact different student populations differently.

Authors

• Hoyun Kim, University of California - Berkeley

• Sarah Goulart, University of California - Berkeley