Transition from Secondary to Tertiary:
A Performance Study

Robert Pargetter
Craig McInnis and Richard James
Merran Evans and Mark Peel
Ian Dobson

September 30, 1998

Contents


Acknowledgements

Executive Summary

Chapter 1. Purpose and scope of project

Section I: Documentation of and a quantitative measure of the extent and scope of transition problems in the first year of study of higher education

Chapter 2. Introduction

Chapter 3. Special Aspects of Transition
               The profile of school leavers compared with other students
               The uncertain school leaver
               The dissatisfied school leaver

Chapter 4. From First to Second Year
               'It felt worse at the time': from first year to second year

Section II: Analysis of Key Factors and Problems in School to University Transition

Chapter 5. Issues
               Scope of project
               Related studies


Chapter 6. Literature review
               Theories and models
               Analyses
               Factors identified as significant
               Institutional actions
               Overview


Chapter 7. Methodology
               Overview
               Data and analysis

Chapter 8. Results
               Qualitative analysis
               Transition Questionnaires
               Statistical analysis
               Conclusions


Section III: Identification of key performance indicators in the measurement of institutional success in school to university transition; reflection of performance indicators in appropriate funding parameters

Chapter 9. Introduction


Chapter 10. Analysis of system-wide data

Section IV: Conclusions and Recommendation

Appendix 1: Section I- Rotated factors matrix: factors 1, 2 and 3
Appendix 2: Section II - Monash University student profile
Appendix 3: Section II - Questionnaires and focus group questions
Appendix 4: Section III - Relative Teaching Costs Matrix
Appendix 5: Relative Teaching Costs Matrix

Bibliography

Acknowledgements


Professor Robert Pargetter, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Planning) at Monash University was the project director of the three coordinated sectional studies.

Craig McInnis and Richard James of the University of Melbourne's Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE) were responsible for the components of this study based on the 1994/1995 national study of first year students. Andrew Stephanou, CSHE, Mark Rogers, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research conducted the statistical analyses. Zane Ma Rhea, CSHE, wrote and edited parts of the report.

Dr Mark Peel, Department of History, and Associate Professor Merran Evans, Department of Econometrics, were responsible for Section II of the study. They wish to thank both Dr Ian Macdonald, from the Faculty of Education at Monash, and Mr Tom Fisher, from Scotch College and a Monash Teaching Fellow in 1996, for assistance with the questionnaire items and the former for input into Chapter 1.2.

These authors are also indebted to Professor Ross Williams, Dean of the Faculty of Commerce of the University of Melbourne, for providing a statistical analysis of a corresponding Melbourne to augment ours, and to Associate Professor Alan Farley of the Department of Accounting and Finance for his manipulation of large institutional data files to match and extract the required Monash data.

Finally they would like to gratefully acknowledge the research assistance of Dr Ian John and Piers Lumley, and for the editorial assistance of Dr Joan Grant and Jacqueline Dynon.

Ian Dobson, Associate to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development) was responsible for Section III. He would like to acknowledge the assistance of Angelo Calderon at Monash University and Wayne Shipley and Jan Armedt of DEETYA for their assistance and advice.