Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

This study was initiated to assess the effectiveness of a special orientation program with the purpose of reducing the anxiety of entering freshmen and easing their adjustment to the campus environment. The criteria of evaluation were retention, satisfaction, and academic achievement. The 468 subjects were first-time freshmen from outside Tarrant County entering Texas Christian University in the fall of 1980. Half of the subjects participated in the experimental program, Operation Welcome, and the other half served as a control group. Those in Operation Welcome were grouped in teams with eight other freshmen, two upperclassmen serving as a big brother and big sister, and a local alumni family. Each of the freshmen in the program received letters of welcome prior to leaving home and participated in special events upon arrival on campus.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Counseling Psychology) in the Department of Psychology University of Zululand, South Africa, 2012. / The overall aim of this study was to enquire the effectiveness of the Life Orientation program offered in high schools; i.e. its benefits to its participants. The benefits could be students being able to understand, and accept themselves as unique and worthwhile beings, using skills learnt from the program and display attitudes and values that improve relationships in the family, group, and community. The research question of the study was how effective is the Life Orientation program offered in high schools, i.e. in terms of learner’s ability to meet the curriculum’s critical development outcomes after completion of the program? Life Orientation is the subject that was implemented as part of the Outcomes Based Education. It is an inter-disciplinary subject that is embedded in disciplines of Social Science, Arts, and the Humanities. The intention behind the program is promotion of the holistic development of, e.g. interpersonal skills, values, health, environment and religious education. The research was conducted at the University of Zululand in the Northern KwaZulu Natal province. The research design was qualitative in nature, and appreciative inquiry was used as an investigative tool. The study was conducted with the group of first year students that were registered for the academic year of 2009. Sampling was purposeful as the researcher’s specific criterion for participants were students who have attended the Life Orientation program in high school.

Most hospitals orient new graduate nurses and experienced nurses in the same generalized orientation programs. To address the cost of orientation to specialty units, a pediatric hospital developed a tailored transitional residency orientation program for experienced nurses. The purpose of this project was to describe, compare, and evaluate the existing generalized orientation program and the transitional orientation program to determine how the orientations differed in structure, process, and outcomes. Donabedian's model assessing quality of care services and Benner's novice-to-expert theoretical framework served as guides in evaluating the orientation outcomes. Qualitative data about residency classroom time, preceptor selection and time, mentor selection and time, debriefing, and total length of orientation were collected for the generalized and transitional programs. The findings were that interview process and time, classroom time, mentor time, debriefing time, and length of orientation were decreased in the new transitional orientation program. Orientation costs were less for the transitional program than the generalized program ($20,000 to $30,000 versus $50,000 per nurse, respectively) and nursing staff retention was better for the transitional program than the generalized program (90% versus 68%). The generalized orientation and separate transitional orientation have resulted in a social change by delivering cost-effective orientation to both novice and experienced nurses. Outcomes will be of interest to hospital human resource departments and nurses who conduct orientation programs.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology / Fred O. Bradley / This study investigated the impact of an extended orientation program, Wildcat Warm-up, on academic performance and retention. The study sought to quantify differences between students who participated in the program and those who did not attend in terms of grade point average and retention to sophomore year. Participants in the study were all domestic, full-time, freshmen undergraduate students enrolled at the institution in the fall semester (2004 to 2007). This study sought to provide descriptive and predictability data by comparing two groups of students. One group consisted of participants in Wildcat Warm-up while the second was a comparison group matched on ACT composite score, residency status, and gender. Institutional data were analyzed, including student self-report record information, institutionally generated grade reports from the end of each semester, and enrollment information. The participant group and comparison group were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The first two research questions provided a preliminary analysis of the overall impact of the extended orientation on the two measures identified for the study: freshman grade point averages and retention. The first research question and hypothesis were explored with a two-group independent samples Chi-square test with a dichotomous response variable. The second research question and hypothesis were explored with an analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) for both first and second semester grade point averages. The third research question and remaining hypotheses were explored through a logistic regression analysis using the forward stepwise method. This study found there was a relationship between retention to sophomore year and Wildcat Warm-up participation and slight significant differences between first semester grade point averages for the two groups. In both cases, the strength of the association was small, but significant. The logistic regression analysis allowed for the creation of odds ratios for the predictor variables of the study where it was discovered when all other variables remain constant, the odds of a Wildcat Warm-up participant being retained from freshman to sophomore year were 31% higher than for a non-participant. While statistical significance was found, practical significance considerations did not allow much, if any of the variance, to be attributed to Wildcat Warm-up participation.

The aim of orientation programs at tertiary academic institutions is to introduce newcomers to the attitudinal and behavioral standards of their new academic and social situation, and these programs usually have a formal and an informal component. Formal orientation is officially developed and monitored by the university. Informal orientation is associated with socially orientated initiation or hazing activities administered by senior students in the seclusion of hostels and are often not monitored by the university, resulting in human rights violations such as racial discrimination, physical abuse and psychological bullying. Because both components of orientation take place during the same time frame and in the same broader context, orientation programs as a whole have been receiving negative attention and criticism in the media. Research has, however, also uncovered many positive elements in orientation programs - in both the formal and informal components. Literature suggests that universities put in place a high quality formal and informal orientation program to ensure the well–being of first–year students. Well–being is regarded as the subjective appraisals that people make about the quality of their lives based on their experiences, relationships, feelings and overall functioning in life. Two approaches towards subjective well–being are identified: the first is the hedonic approach, focusing on emotional well–being (EWB) and is equated to positive feelings, subjective happiness and satisfaction with life; the second is the eudaimonic approach, focusing on psychological well–being (PWB) and social well–being (SWB) which not only conceptualizes well–being in terms of meaning and purpose, but also as positive functioning in life on personal and social levels. The aim of this study was to determine the shifts in well–being of first–year students during an orientation program (with both the formal and informal components included) at a tertiary institution and to explore the experiences associated with these shifts. A sequential mixed method research design was used where quantitative and qualitative research approaches were combined to provide an in–depth understanding of the phenomenon. A convenience sample of first–year hostel residing students (mean age=19 years) was used for the quantitative study. Students completed the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC–SF) and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) before (n=102), during (n=371) and after (n=358) the orientation program. Twenty–one demographically representative first–year hostel residing students (mean age=18.5 years) were purposive selected to participate in the qualitative study consisting of a focus group discussion and semi–structured in–depth individual interviews which took place after the programs’ completion. The quantitative results indicated that first–year students’ well–being remained unchanged before, during and after orientation in all facets except in SWB. First–year students’ SWB increased practically significantly over the course of the orientation program. The qualitative findings suggested that first–year students’ well–being fluctuated from high before the orientation program to low during the program’s initial phase to high again after the program’s completion. Experiences associated with SWB were perceived to be the central experience associated with an increase in well–being. Recommendations are made regarding the promotion of the social and personal well–being of first–year students during an orientation program. / Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The aim of orientation programs at tertiary academic institutions is to introduce newcomers to the attitudinal and behavioral standards of their new academic and social situation, and these programs usually have a formal and an informal component. Formal orientation is officially developed and monitored by the university. Informal orientation is associated with socially orientated initiation or hazing activities administered by senior students in the seclusion of hostels and are often not monitored by the university, resulting in human rights violations such as racial discrimination, physical abuse and psychological bullying. Because both components of orientation take place during the same time frame and in the same broader context, orientation programs as a whole have been receiving negative attention and criticism in the media. Research has, however, also uncovered many positive elements in orientation programs - in both the formal and informal components. Literature suggests that universities put in place a high quality formal and informal orientation program to ensure the well–being of first–year students. Well–being is regarded as the subjective appraisals that people make about the quality of their lives based on their experiences, relationships, feelings and overall functioning in life. Two approaches towards subjective well–being are identified: the first is the hedonic approach, focusing on emotional well–being (EWB) and is equated to positive feelings, subjective happiness and satisfaction with life; the second is the eudaimonic approach, focusing on psychological well–being (PWB) and social well–being (SWB) which not only conceptualizes well–being in terms of meaning and purpose, but also as positive functioning in life on personal and social levels. The aim of this study was to determine the shifts in well–being of first–year students during an orientation program (with both the formal and informal components included) at a tertiary institution and to explore the experiences associated with these shifts. A sequential mixed method research design was used where quantitative and qualitative research approaches were combined to provide an in–depth understanding of the phenomenon. A convenience sample of first–year hostel residing students (mean age=19 years) was used for the quantitative study. Students completed the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC–SF) and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) before (n=102), during (n=371) and after (n=358) the orientation program. Twenty–one demographically representative first–year hostel residing students (mean age=18.5 years) were purposive selected to participate in the qualitative study consisting of a focus group discussion and semi–structured in–depth individual interviews which took place after the programs’ completion. The quantitative results indicated that first–year students’ well–being remained unchanged before, during and after orientation in all facets except in SWB. First–year students’ SWB increased practically significantly over the course of the orientation program. The qualitative findings suggested that first–year students’ well–being fluctuated from high before the orientation program to low during the program’s initial phase to high again after the program’s completion. Experiences associated with SWB were perceived to be the central experience associated with an increase in well–being. Recommendations are made regarding the promotion of the social and personal well–being of first–year students during an orientation program. / Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Although most institutions offer a parent program option to the orientation program, there has been little formalized research into the quality, planning or programming of parent orientation. There has been very little research into the impact parent orientation has on parents and whether or not they feel that such programs have met their needs, particularly by gender, minority status, educational background, or by geographic distance from the institution. This study seeks to determine the effectiveness of the parent orientation program at the University of North Texas to the parents who participate in this program. The study attempts to measure whether parents feel that they have adequate information about the institution to adequately support their student through the college transition; if parents feel welcomed by the UNT campus community; and if they feel that they have developed resources and institutional contacts that may be useful in the future in assisting their child to have a successful college experience at UNT. The study, conducted in the summer of 2002, had 736 respondents. An instrument developed to determine parent's perceptions of the effectiveness of the parent orientation program consisted of 31 questions using a Likert scale. A t-Test was utilized to analyze the data because it is designed to compare the means of the same variable with two different groups. Generally, all aspects of the parent orientation program were found to be positive by each subgroup. Parents found value in the orientation program and how it prepared them to support their new college student. In all four components studied, women had a stronger feeling than the males. Minority status had no significant impact on the outcomes of orientation according to the participants. Educational background proved not to be a significant factor. Distance parents lived from UNT revealed significant difference in three of the four categories. The farther a parent resides from UNT, the more valuable the orientation experience was for them.

Many administrators and faculty within higher education institutions have grappled with identifying and employing effective strategies to facilitate student success and persistence. The current study focuses on assessing nontraditional students' self-efficacy beliefs and their perception of the orientation program at a 2-year continuing education program in a Caribbean nation. The study is important as the findings have the potential to increase nontraditional students' persistence and learning. Bandura's social cognitive theory and the theory of self-efficacy served as the theoretical frameworks of this sequential mixed-methods design study. The quantitative research questions examined the reported self-efficacy levels of 77 participants and nonparticipants in the orientation program. The qualitative research questions focused on 10 nontraditional students' perceptions of how the orientation program they participated in impacted their ability to complete and succeed in their course of study. A survey that combined 2 preestablished instruments was used in the quantitative phase and follow-up face-to-face interviews for the qualitative phase of the study. A ttest analysis showed no statistically significant difference between the self-efficacy of participants and nonparticipants in the focal orientation program. A pattern coding of the interviews revealed 5themes from the qualitative phase, ranging from nontraditional students' challenges to self-efficacy and persistence in the program. A policy recommendation in the form of a white paper was used to convey the findings of this study to the major stakeholders at the target institution. The recommendations from the study may contribute to positive social change as they can improve nontraditional students' performance, increase completion rates at the institution, and positively impact economic growth of the wider community.

Im Lebenslauf ist die Berufswahl eine zentrale Entwicklungsaufgabe. Durch die Institutionalisierung des Lebenslaufes in modernen Gesellschaften wird der Prozess auch institutionell begleitet. Schule organisiert in Kooperation mit der Bundesagentur für Arbeit dazu berufsorientierende Angebote, die u.a. die Entwicklung der Berufswahlreife unterstützen sollen. So werden neben den Eltern auch die Schule und Berufsberatung zu zentralen Vermittlern (Gatekeepern) beim Übergang von der Schule in die Ausbildung. Im Rahmen der Analyse des Berufswahlprozesses ist es wichtig, die Interaktion zwischen „Umwelt und Person“ zu betrachten: Wie gelingt es Jugendlichen, diese Entwicklungsaufgabe anhand personaler und sozialer Ressourcen, sowie im Rahmen gesellschaftlicher Strukturen, zu bewältigen? Diese Fragestellung ist grundsätzlich nicht neu, gewinnt jedoch unter den aktuellen gesellschaftlichen und ökonomischen Übergangsbedingungen eine große Bedeutung. Schulen haben in den letzten Jahren verstärkt begonnen, ihre Berufsorientierung systematisch zu organisieren und weiterzuentwickeln. Die Fülle der neu entwickelten Konzepte und Programme zur Verbesserung der Berufsorientierung steht jedoch in keinem Verhältnis zum Stand der empirischen Forschung. Daher ist die vorliegende Forschungsarbeit von der zentralen Zielstellung geleitet, die empirische Evidenz zur Wirkung schulischer Berufsorientierungsangebote zu erweitern. Im Mittelpunkt der Studie steht die Fragestellung, wie sich der schulische Berufsorientierungsprozess für Schülerinnen und Schüler aller Bildungsgänge für einen verbesserten Übergang in weiterführende Bildungs- und Ausbildungssysteme optimieren lässt. Von Interesse ist dabei, ob und inwieweit schulische Angebote die Entwicklung der Berufswahlreife der Schülerinnen und Schüler beeinflussen, welche Angebote als besonders unterstützend oder weniger sinnvoll beurteilt werden müssen. Diese Fragestellungen wurden auf Basis von schriftlichen Befragungen im Zeitraum von 2008 bis 2010 von Oberschülerinnen und Oberschülern im Landes Brandenburg bearbeitet. Anhand von Querschnitts- und Panelanalysen werden Aussagen über die Wahrnehmung und den Einfluss der verschiedenen schulischen Angebote sowohl für einzelne Jahrgangsstufen als auch im Vergleich zwischen den Jahrgangsstufen getroffen. / The study focussed on the question of how career orientation programs for students in middle schools transitioning into advanced educational and vocational levels could be optimized. Particularly of interest was the degree of influence school programs had on the career choices of students and which programs were supportive and which were deemed as not having value. The answers to these questions should help to critically analyze, further develop and adapt current career orientation programs in schools. The accompanying article should be seen as a guidance for teachers who want to use results in current educational research to further develop the career orientation profiles of their schools. The document is an extract of results from the research „My school, my parents and I in the career orientation process – The career choices of students at the end of middle school between career orientation programs in schools and parental influence“ (SEIB).