International Masters students face daunting challenges in adjusting to a startlingly different UK academic discourse within a short time. Little research has been conducted into these challenges and successful transition strategies. A review of learning development literature identified a set of three models, which has not been related theoretically to international Masters students. The latest, critical model, Academic Literacies, especially offers important insights into these students’ difficulties and potential for integration. This research design explored these learning journeys in depth through interviews in a longitudinal study of MBA and MSc students during the 2009-10 academic year. The rich data were investigated through the qualitative methodology of narrative analysis, with twin aims of recognising similarities but also important differences across the students’ learning experiences. A majority experienced strongly emotional learning journeys. These followed an affective pattern with a downturn early in the academic year influenced by the degree of unfamiliarity in the new culture and academic discourse, mirrored by a corresponding improvement in emotional state during Semester 2 or 3 as these external issues became more familiar and comfortable. Self-efficacy emerged as an especially important factor in achieving academic success, and students’ progression was mapped against this variable using an established, U-shaped transition curve model. The study identifies practical learning development interventions, but also highlights the importance of educational practitioners becoming pedagogically self-reflective to empathise more genuinely with international students’ struggles, and to learn from their diverse experiences in ways that can enrich the process of internationalising western education.

IntroductionThe STARx Questionnaire was designed with patient and provider input, to measure self-management and transition skills in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with chronic health conditions. With proven reliability and an empirically-based factor structure, the self-report STARx Questionnaire requires further validation to demonstrate its clinical and research utility. In this study we examine the concurrent, predictive, and discriminant validity of the STARx Questionnaire.MethodsTo examine concurrent validity, the STARx Questionnaire was compared to two other published transition readiness tools. Predictive validity was examined using linear regressions between the STARx Total Score and literacy, medication adherence, quality of life, and health services use. Discriminant validity was examined by comparing the performance of three chronic illness conditions on the STARx Total Score and associated subscales.ResultsThe STARx Questionnaire and its subscales positively correlated with the scores for both transition readiness tools reflecting strong concurrent validity. The STARx Questionnaire also correlated positively with the literacy, self-efficacy, and adherence measures indicating strong predictive validity; however, it did not correlate with either quality of life or health care utilization. The performance of AYA across three different clinical conditions was not significant, indicating the clinical utility of this HCT tool for a variety of chronic health conditions.ConclusionThe strong validity of the STARx Questionnaire, in tandem with its strong reliability, indicated adequate psychometric properties for this generic self-report measure. These strong psychometric properties should contribute to the STARx being a viable measure of health care transition for both research and clinical purposes.

International Masters students face daunting challenges in adjusting to a startlingly different UK academic discourse within a short time. Little research has been conducted into these challenges and successful transition strategies. A review of learning development literature identified a set of three models, which has not been related theoretically to international Masters students. The latest, critical model, Academic Literacies, especially offers important insights into these students’ difficulties and potential for integration. This research design explored these learning journeys in depth through interviews in a longitudinal study of MBA and MSc students during the 2009-10 academic year. The rich data were investigated through the qualitative methodology of narrative analysis, with twin aims of recognising similarities but also important differences across the students’ learning experiences. A majority experienced strongly emotional learning journeys. These followed an affective pattern with a downturn early in the academic year influenced by the degree of unfamiliarity in the new culture and academic discourse, mirrored by a corresponding improvement in emotional state during Semester 2 or 3 as these external issues became more familiar and comfortable. Self-efficacy emerged as an especially important factor in achieving academic success, and students’ progression was mapped against this variable using an established, U-shaped transition curve model. The study identifies practical learning development interventions, but also highlights the importance of educational practitioners becoming pedagogically self-reflective to empathise more genuinely with international students’ struggles, and to learn from their diverse experiences in ways that can enrich the process of internationalising western education.

No description available.

Up until now, there has only been a limited amount of research in the field of online self- presentation in combination with young adults transitioning from a social to a professional self online. The purpose of this thesis is to extend the existing literature and address the gap by exploring how students present themselves before, during and after the transition from university to work. The study was built on the self-presentation theory by Erving Goffman (1959) in combination with the role identity theory as well as the career development framework by Donald Super (1980). To answer the research question and fulfill the purpose of this study an exploratory research method in combination with a qualitative, inductive research approach was chosen. Ten long, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted using the long interview guide by McCracken. Individuals from Germany and Sweden between the ages of 21 and 26 were interviewed. The main findings showed that young adults categorize social media networks into two categories: private (social) and public (professional) applications. Individuals of the establishment phase meaning after transition to work represent a more professional self and alter other parts of the self. This process takes place over time and the representation of a professional self increased in importance and relevance. Individuals of the exploration phase meaning before transitioning to work show intentional behavior patterns towards their social self but not professional self. Therefore, the further individuals move towards the next life phase the more the presentation of the self moves towards a professional and intentional appearance online when in front stage. When in backstage privacy settings enable a carefully chosen audience for the more private self to be shared. The process of online self-presentation on social media is still a more intuitive process but the transition between different types of self can be linked to a stronger identification with a new life role. / Fram tills nu har det endast gjorts en begränsad mängd forskning inom online-självpresentation i kombination med unga vuxna som övergår från ett socialt till ett professionellt online-jag. Syftet med denna uppsats är att utöka den befintliga litteraturen och ta itu med kunskapsgapet genom att utforska hur studenter presenterar sig före, under och efter övergången från universitet till arbete. Studien byggdes på självpresentationsteorin av Erving Goffman (1959) i kombination med rollidentitetsteorin och karriärutvecklingsramen av Donald Super (1980). För att besvara forskningsfrågan och uppfylla syftet med denna studie valdes en explorativ forskningsmetod i kombination med en kvalitativ, induktiv forskningsstrategi. Tio halvstrukturerade djupintervjuer genomfördes med hjälp av McCrackens långa intervjuguide. Individer från Tyskland och Sverige i åldern 21 till 26 år intervjuades. De viktigaste resultaten visade att unga vuxna kategoriserar sociala medier i två kategorier: privata (sociala) och offentliga (professionella) användningsområden. Individer från etableringsfasen, som innebär fasen efter övergång till arbete, representerar ett mer professionellt jag i jämförelse med andra delar av jaget. Denna process sker över tid och representationen av ett professionellt jag ökade i betydelse och relevans. Individer i utforskningsfasen, vilket innebär fasen innan övergång till arbete, visar avsiktliga beteendeförändringar mot sitt sociala jag men inte mot det professionella jaget. Följaktligen, desto längre individer rör sig mot nästa livsfas, desto mer rör sig självpresentationen mot ett professionellt och avsiktligt framträdande online när de befinner sig på den publika scenen. När de befinner sig i bakgrunden kan det mer privata jaget delas för en noggrant utvald publik. Processen med självpresentation online på sociala medier är fortfarande en mer intuitiv process men övergången mellan olika typer av jag kan kopplas till en starkare identifiering med en ny livsroll.

Background. The study was prompted by observation that failure to obtain a positive postsecondary destination is significantly more prevalent in young people living in areas of greater social deprivation, and in males rather than females. Previous studies have shown that this could be linked to differences in social cognitive factors. However, these studies have been mainly correlational and no comprehensive assessment instrument was found to assess preparedness for the postsecondary transition. Aims. The present study examines senior high school student’s perceptions of the personal, behavioural and environmental factors that affect them as they prepare to leave school. It reveals the structure of these factors and how they vary with regard to social deprivation and gender. Sample. The participants were 1044 senior high school students (573 males and 471 females) who attended six urban high schools. Method. A pre-empirical, 50-item assessment instrument was constructed based on the literature review to identify the wide range of factors previously shown to be relevant to achievement of a positive postsecondary destination. This was then administered to participants. Results. Factor analysis indicated that young people’s perceptions about leaving school were best represented by thirteen factors. An ANOVA model indicated that young people living in areas of higher deprivation reported significantly lower levels of positive postsecondary destination self-efficacy belief, less experience of vicarious career success, less performance of career development tasks, greater perception of career barriers, greater endorsement of a fixed career mindset, and fewer career scaffolding attachments. Males, compared to females, reported less experience of past career success, and fewer career scaffolding attachments. However, despite being at greater risk of a negative postsecondary destination, males reported higher levels of positive postsecondary destination self-efficacy belief, greater experience of positive career-related emotional arousal, greater ability to set career goals, and greater levels of career optimism. Conclusion. Twelve significant main effects on the measured social cognitive factors have the potential to contribute to an explanation of why failure to obtain a positive postsecondary destination is more prevalent in young people living in areas of greater social deprivation, and in males rather than females. A new assessment instrument has been produced to inform an ongoing exploratory process to design, target and evaluate educational interventions to improve postsecondary destinations for all. Increasing internal consistency, external validity and generalisability of findings are all desirable. Some future interventions are proposed on the basis of the results, including greater use of positive career role models in career development programmes, career mindset retraining for high school students, and psycho-education on attachment-fostering behaviours for parents and professionals.