Predicting Success in Academic and Vocational First-Year Higher Education Contexts: Importance of Academic Adjustment

• In Event: Supporting First-Year College Student Success

Abstract

This study seeks to examine to what extent students’ academic motivation, academic self-efficacy and learning strategies at the end of secondary education have an impact on academic adjustment in the first semester of first year higher education (FYHE) and subsequent study success at the end of FYHE. The study further explores the extent to which these effects are equivalent across vocationally oriented postsecondary education (aimed at practicing a profession) and academically oriented programs (offering more theoretical and scientific education). Hereto, multiple-group SEM analyses were carried out on a longitudinal dataset containing 1987 respondents (Academic program: N=1080, 54.4%; Vocational program: N=907, 45.6%), using Mplus 8.3. Results show thought-provoking differences in the predictive power of aforementioned determinants between vocational and academic contexts.

Authors

• Jonas Willems, Antwerp University

• Liesje Coertjens, Université Catholique de Louvain

• Vincent Donche, University of Antwerp