Angela Hibbs

Despite strong enrolment in sport and exercise science degrees in Australia and the United Kingdom (UK), little is known about the expectations of incoming students. Drawing on expectancy–value and self-efficacy perspectives, this exploratory study compared the pre-arrival confidence and perceived importance of first-year sport and exercise science students in the UK (n = 100) and Australia (n = 45) using the Pre-Arrival Survey (PAS), which assesses learning, community, employability and health and well-being. A mixed-design ANOVA showed that students rated importance higher than confidence in all four areas (η_p² = 0.39), with the largest gaps for learning and community and the smallest for employability. Community was the lowest-rated area overall. The importance–confidence gap was larger among Australian students, reflecting lower confidence, with no evidence of a country difference in importance, and Australian students reported notably lower community confidence (η_p² = 0.11). Gender differences were small, and no gender effect was significant at the multivariate level. Women rated importance modestly higher in a full-sample sensitivity analysis. Because the two national samples differed in recruitment method, timing and size, country differences should be regarded as indicative rather than as evidence of national-context effects. The findings suggest that pre-arrival and induction support that builds students’ confidence, particularly in forming community connections, may be valuable in both countries.

Postgraduate taught (PGT) students represent a rapidly growing yet under‑researched population in higher education, often characterised as the “forgotten sector”. This study examined pre-arrival confidence and importance ratings among 1332 first-year PGT students (68% response rate) across twelve academic disciplines at a UK university, considering discipline, gender, international student status, and socioeconomic background. Using a validated Pre-Arrival Survey measuring learning, community, employability, and health/well-being domains, we employed confirmatory factor analysis, MANOVA, and ANCOVA to examine group differences. PGT students rated importance higher than confidence across all domains, though this gap was narrower than in undergraduate populations. Community confidence ranked lowest across 11 of 12 disciplines, highlighting persistent integration challenges. International students demonstrated significantly higher confidence and importance ratings across nearly all domains. Gender differences observed at undergraduate level were largely absent, with males showing higher scores only for two of the eight factors; community confidence and employability importance. Socioeconomic indicators showed no significant effects. Computer science students reported highest confidence while healthcare/nursing sciences reported lowest scores. Findings suggest PGT students arrive with more calibrated expectations than undergraduates but require differentiated transition support, particularly for community building. The validated Pre-Arrival Survey provides institutions with a tool for understanding incoming PGT cohorts and adapting provision to support this increasingly diverse student population.

Engaging students as partners aims to encourage students to take shared ownership of their learning and empower them to have a voice in matters related to their education. But it is acknowledged th...

Graduate employers wish to recruit new staff who are self-motivated, digitally literate and display effective time-management, self-regulatory and inter-personal skills (Behle 2020; Hurrell 2016). ...

This study provides rare insight into postgraduate taught (PGT) students’ motivations for entering university by capturing views before arrival rather than after enrolment. Drawing on responses collected in the weeks prior to course commencement, it presents a large-scale pre-arrival qualitative analysis across disciplines. More than 1,300 incoming PGT students from 12 schools at a United Kingdom (UK) university completed a survey that intentionally incorporated a self-reflective qualitative component including an open-ended motivation question. Data were analysed inductively and interpreted through Self-Determination Theory, examining autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs. Four themes emerged: Career and Employability Aspirations, Passion and Interest for Subject, Personal Growth and Independence, and Social Engagement and Connection. Although career motives predominated, they commonly coexisted with intrinsic interests and developmental aspirations. Findings show students begin PGT study with overlapping motivations combining career ambition, economic security, academic curiosity, and intellectual growth. Highlighting motivations pre-arrival, the study informs institutional strategies to support autonomy, confidence, and meaningful connection from the outset.

Graduate employers increasingly seek candidates who are self-motivated, digitally competent and capable of demonstrating strong time management, self-regulation, and interpersonal skills (Behle, 20...

The transition to university is a major life shift shaped by academic, social and personal change. Guided by Schlossberg’s Transition Theory, this study provides rare insight into pre-arrival nervousness among first-year undergraduates (UG) entering an English university. This paper reports findings from the qualitative component of a wider study exploring students’ pre-arrival experiences and expectations. A total of 1578 incoming UG students across twelve academic schools at a UK university provided qualitative responses to an open-ended survey question designed to capture self-reflective accounts of nervousness prior to enrolment. Using an inductive content analysis approach, four key themes were identified: social integration and belonging, academic adjustment and workload, health and wellbeing, and financial and practical concerns. Findings highlight the multi-faceted and anticipatory nature of transition, demonstrating that students’ perceptions of readiness are formed before direct engagement with the university environment. The study extends existing literature by positioning nervousness as an integral component of the transition process rather than a reaction to it. These insights offer evidence-based guidance for institutions to implement proactive, inclusive pre-arrival strategies that support early engagement, enhance student confidence and promote successful adjustment to higher education settings.

This study examined whether pre-arrival confidence and perceived importance across four domains (learning, community, employability, and health and well-being) predict academic achievement and retention among first-year undergraduate sports students. A quantitative study at a United Kingdom post-92 university involved 368 first-year sports students (56% male, 44% female) across six programmes. Pre-arrival surveys measuring confidence and importance perceptions were distributed, with academic performance and retention data collected after one year. Regression analysis revealed that female students demonstrated significantly higher academic performance than males while reporting higher pre-arrival confidence. Three factors significantly predicted academic achievement, explaining 10% of variance. Lower employability confidence and higher health and well-being confidence and importance were associated with better outcomes. Community importance was the only significant predictor of withdrawal risk, with higher importance associated with increased departure likelihood. Pre-arrival surveys can identify at-risk students, though relationships are complex.

A successful transition into higher education (HE) is characterised by newly enrolled students feeling confident and quickly settling into their courses and the broader university community. This i...