ERIC Number: ED568878
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 266
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
"University and High School Are Just Very Different": Student Perceptions of Their Respective Writing Environments in High School and First-Year University
Soiferman, Lisa Karen
Online Submission, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Manitoba
The purpose of this study was to investigate the challenges faced by first-year students as they negotiated the transition from the writing environment of high school to the writing environment of university. The research for the dissertation was undertaken using a mixed-method explanatory design. This yielded a description of students' perceptions of the differences between their high school writing and first-year university writing environments. The research questions were as follows: what are high school students' perceptions of their writing environment; and what differences, if any, do students perceive as different in the writing environment between high school and first-year university? A total of one hundred and forty-four Grade 12 students completed a quantitative survey asking for their perceptions of the high school writing environment, and twenty students took part either in qualitative focus groups or individual interviews. A follow-up interview was conducted with fourteen of the original twenty participants while they were in the process of completing their first term at university. The results indicated that students' perceptions were very much influenced by individual teachers and instructors and by their own expectations. Recommendations, implications for further research, and implications for program development are offered as a way to extend the knowledge in this area. The following are appended: (1) Quantitative Survey for High School Students; (2) Interview/Focus Group Protocol; and (3) Ethics Approval Certificate.
Descriptors: College Freshmen, Barriers, Writing (Composition), Mixed Methods Research, Educational Environment, Student Attitudes, High School Students, Grade 12, Student Surveys, Focus Groups, Interviews, Teacher Influence, Expectation, Writing Assignments, Writing Instruction, Language Arts, Self Esteem, Teacher Attitudes, Time Management, Teacher Expectations of Students, Teacher Role, Class Size, Foreign Countries, Writing Skills
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; High Schools; Secondary Education; Grade 12
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A