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Self-efficacy, motivation and approaches to studying. A longitudinal study of Y and how engineering students perceive their studies and transitions to work

Jungert, Tomas LU (2009)
Abstract
The aim of this thesis is to explore the experiences of four cohorts of students from their first semester until one year after graduation, with the focus on how they perceive their opportunities to influence their study conditions transition to work. The study has a longitudinal design. Data collected from students in a MSc programme in engineering started in the first semester and continued yearly until one year after graduation and consisted of questionnaires and interviews. Results indicate that students’ perceptions of their opportunities to influence their study conditions is related to their self-efficacy and motivation; strategies they use and approaches to studying they adopt. Students adopt an adaptive approach, based on the... (More)
The aim of this thesis is to explore the experiences of four cohorts of students from their first semester until one year after graduation, with the focus on how they perceive their opportunities to influence their study conditions transition to work. The study has a longitudinal design. Data collected from students in a MSc programme in engineering started in the first semester and continued yearly until one year after graduation and consisted of questionnaires and interviews. Results indicate that students’ perceptions of their opportunities to influence their study conditions is related to their self-efficacy and motivation; strategies they use and approaches to studying they adopt. Students adopt an adaptive approach, based on the perception that the programme is supposed to be demanding and that students should accept and adapt to the conditions of the programme; a critical approach, based on the perception that difficult conditions are negative because they make it hard to reflect on what is studied; or a cooperative approach, based on the perception that cooperation with peers is important. Quantitative results show that cohorts who studied project-based courses cooperate significantly more with peer students than cohorts who study in conventional courses. Students with most project based courses experienced workload and social support in different ways than other students. The final study on students’ transition to work show that students who study in many project-based courses are more prepared to work than students who study conventional courses. The overall findings indicate that it is important to integrate psychological, social and individual ways of interpreting the student experiences of their studies and transition to work. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Professor Entwistle, Noel, University of Edinburgh
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
pages
59 pages
publisher
Linköping University
defense location
Eklundska salen (I:101), IBL, Linköpings universitet
defense date
2009-09-25 13:00:00
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
8af67a66-ecc1-4928-a8c7-5f8335eee27e (old id 7761976)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:47:01
date last changed
2019-12-09 15:05:39
@phdthesis{8af67a66-ecc1-4928-a8c7-5f8335eee27e,
  abstract     = {{The aim of this thesis is to explore the experiences of four cohorts of students from their first semester until one year after graduation, with the focus on how they perceive their opportunities to influence their study conditions transition to work. The study has a longitudinal design. Data collected from students in a MSc programme in engineering started in the first semester and continued yearly until one year after graduation and consisted of questionnaires and interviews. Results indicate that students’ perceptions of their opportunities to influence their study conditions is related to their self-efficacy and motivation; strategies they use and approaches to studying they adopt. Students adopt an adaptive approach, based on the perception that the programme is supposed to be demanding and that students should accept and adapt to the conditions of the programme; a critical approach, based on the perception that difficult conditions are negative because they make it hard to reflect on what is studied; or a cooperative approach, based on the perception that cooperation with peers is important. Quantitative results show that cohorts who studied project-based courses cooperate significantly more with peer students than cohorts who study in conventional courses. Students with most project based courses experienced workload and social support in different ways than other students. The final study on students’ transition to work show that students who study in many project-based courses are more prepared to work than students who study conventional courses. The overall findings indicate that it is important to integrate psychological, social and individual ways of interpreting the student experiences of their studies and transition to work.}},
  author       = {{Jungert, Tomas}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Linköping University}},
  title        = {{Self-efficacy, motivation and approaches to studying. A longitudinal study of Y and how engineering students perceive their studies and transitions to work}},
  year         = {{2009}},
}