Aemon Shah
1 MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
2 DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
3
4
5
6 PRACTICAL REPORT 2
7
9 STUDENT ID NUMBER: 19007053
10 UNIT: Investigating Psychology 1
11 UNIT LEADER: Dr Thomas Hostler
12
13 ☒ I confirm I have checked my work against the Turnitin similarity
14 checker on Moodle
16 ☒ I confirm this is my own work
17 Word count: 1491 excluding title, headings, subheadings, appendices
18 and references
19
20
21
22 A thematic analysis investigating attitudes towards learning in
23 higher education
, Aemon Shah
1 Abstract
2 Previous research conducted on transitioning into university and belonging
3 further explored the effect on student’s attitudes to learning. There is
4 evidence suggesting that a negative transition into university leads to negative
5 attitudes towards learning. This study’s aim is to understand student’s
6 changing attitudes towards learning, allowing universities to develop new
7 techniques that ensure positive transitioning experiences. A semi structured
8 qualitative interview was conducted on a first-year university student who
9 recently transitioned into university and it was analysed using thematic
10 analysis. Key themes like workloads and living situations show contributing
11 factors for difficult transitions and negative attitudes to learning.
12 Introduction
13 This research focuses on students and their sense of belonging and their
14 transition into higher education. Kane et al (2014) explores student’s feelings
15 of belonging at university. The researchers found that first year students were
16 more likely to drop out if they didn’t feel a sense of belonging. Also, students
17 who lived at home were more likely to have a low sense of belonging.
18 Commuting is a main contributing factor affecting the extent of student
19 belonging. Stuart et al (2011) found that students who didn’t live in university
20 accommodation were less involved with social activities at university, leading
21 to a lowered sense of belonging and a difficult transition into university;
22 further suggesting a cause for dropping out. Thomas et al (2012) stated that
23 between 33% to 42% of UK students in higher education consider withdrawing
24 in their first year; implying there are social factors that could lead to a lowered
25 sense of belonging or a difficult transition into university. For example,
26 students who considered leaving university in their first year have stated that
27 they are “less satisfied with their university experience and appear to be less
28 engaged with their peers” (Thomas et al, 2012:12). Additionally, Pittman and
29 Richmond (2008) analysed previous research on transitioning into higher
30 education and they discovered that many students transition into university
31 successfully without feeling any negative emotions. However, those students
32 who do not transition successfully experience long-term emotional
33 maladjustment and depression (Gall et al., 2000). There are underlying causes
34 as to why some students feel negatively towards their transition into higher
35 education such as, a lack of support from teachers. For example, Chinese
36 students who received more support from their teachers in their first term
1 MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
2 DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
3
4
5
6 PRACTICAL REPORT 2
7
9 STUDENT ID NUMBER: 19007053
10 UNIT: Investigating Psychology 1
11 UNIT LEADER: Dr Thomas Hostler
12
13 ☒ I confirm I have checked my work against the Turnitin similarity
14 checker on Moodle
16 ☒ I confirm this is my own work
17 Word count: 1491 excluding title, headings, subheadings, appendices
18 and references
19
20
21
22 A thematic analysis investigating attitudes towards learning in
23 higher education
, Aemon Shah
1 Abstract
2 Previous research conducted on transitioning into university and belonging
3 further explored the effect on student’s attitudes to learning. There is
4 evidence suggesting that a negative transition into university leads to negative
5 attitudes towards learning. This study’s aim is to understand student’s
6 changing attitudes towards learning, allowing universities to develop new
7 techniques that ensure positive transitioning experiences. A semi structured
8 qualitative interview was conducted on a first-year university student who
9 recently transitioned into university and it was analysed using thematic
10 analysis. Key themes like workloads and living situations show contributing
11 factors for difficult transitions and negative attitudes to learning.
12 Introduction
13 This research focuses on students and their sense of belonging and their
14 transition into higher education. Kane et al (2014) explores student’s feelings
15 of belonging at university. The researchers found that first year students were
16 more likely to drop out if they didn’t feel a sense of belonging. Also, students
17 who lived at home were more likely to have a low sense of belonging.
18 Commuting is a main contributing factor affecting the extent of student
19 belonging. Stuart et al (2011) found that students who didn’t live in university
20 accommodation were less involved with social activities at university, leading
21 to a lowered sense of belonging and a difficult transition into university;
22 further suggesting a cause for dropping out. Thomas et al (2012) stated that
23 between 33% to 42% of UK students in higher education consider withdrawing
24 in their first year; implying there are social factors that could lead to a lowered
25 sense of belonging or a difficult transition into university. For example,
26 students who considered leaving university in their first year have stated that
27 they are “less satisfied with their university experience and appear to be less
28 engaged with their peers” (Thomas et al, 2012:12). Additionally, Pittman and
29 Richmond (2008) analysed previous research on transitioning into higher
30 education and they discovered that many students transition into university
31 successfully without feeling any negative emotions. However, those students
32 who do not transition successfully experience long-term emotional
33 maladjustment and depression (Gall et al., 2000). There are underlying causes
34 as to why some students feel negatively towards their transition into higher
35 education such as, a lack of support from teachers. For example, Chinese
36 students who received more support from their teachers in their first term
