The first-year experience: Students’ encounter with science and engineering programmes

TY - CHAP

T1 - The first-year experience

T2 - Students’ encounter with science and engineering programmes

AU - Ulriksen, Lars

AU - Madsen, Lene Møller

AU - Holmegaard, Henriette Tolstrup

PY - 2015/1/1

Y1 - 2015/1/1

N2 - To increase the number of graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), it is not sufficient to attract more students to the programmes. It is equally important to ensure that the students complete their studies. This chapter presents a qualitative analysis of the experiences of 20 students who entered a science or engineering programme at a Danish university. In this longitudinal study, narrative interviews were carried out with the students during their first year. The chapter explores how the students were striving to bridge the gap between what they had expected the programme to be like, and what they experienced when entering. Drawing on Tinto’s model of student departure, the academic and social integration is discussed. The analysis suggests that the curriculum of the STEM programmes makes it difficult for students to become academically integrated. This is primarily because of the sequencing (when do students meet which content?), the pace, and the teaching and learning activities.

AB - To increase the number of graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), it is not sufficient to attract more students to the programmes. It is equally important to ensure that the students complete their studies. This chapter presents a qualitative analysis of the experiences of 20 students who entered a science or engineering programme at a Danish university. In this longitudinal study, narrative interviews were carried out with the students during their first year. The chapter explores how the students were striving to bridge the gap between what they had expected the programme to be like, and what they experienced when entering. Drawing on Tinto’s model of student departure, the academic and social integration is discussed. The analysis suggests that the curriculum of the STEM programmes makes it difficult for students to become academically integrated. This is primarily because of the sequencing (when do students meet which content?), the pace, and the teaching and learning activities.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84943143661&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/978-94-007-7793-4_15

DO - 10.1007/978-94-007-7793-4_15

M3 - Book chapter

AN - SCOPUS:84943143661

SN - 9789400777927

SP - 241

EP - 257

BT - Understanding Student Participation and Choice in Science and Technology Education

PB - Springer Netherlands

ER -