Taiga Brahm

Students' experiences of their first year of studying are of prime importance for their further development in Higher Education (HE). Consequently, the first year and the related phenomena of student performance, retention, and dropout have been extensively studied. Research shows that during the first year, the individual student's ability or failure to adapt to the new socio-cultural environment influences his/her academic success. Yet, surprisingly little is known about the actual processes through which students integrate into the socio-cultural context of HE. Applying a socio-cultural approach, our qualitative interview study followed 14 university students through their first year, investigating why some students experience an easier transition into HE compared to others. Our research results in a typology of four transition types characterized by their orientation towards the socio-cultural context of studying.

In Switzerland, every student graduating from grammar school can begin to study at a university. This leads to high dropout rates. Although students’ motivation is considered a strong predictor of performance, the development of motivation during students’ transition from high school to university has rarely been investigated. Additionally, little is known about the relation of motivational aspects with other influences on study performance. The present longitudinal study addresses this research gap and examines the development of economics and management students’ study motivation. It encompasses four waves of data collected throughout the first year, using quantitative online surveys. In total, the sample consists of 820 students. Data is analysed using latent change modelling. Results indicate that students start at a higher level of intrinsic motivation compared to extrinsic motivation. The variability of the starting value of the two constructs is also differing. The analysis also shows a gradual decline in students’ motivation. Above all, the transition from secondary to higher education seems to be a driver for this decline.

This research aims to develop and validate an instrument for the assessment of attitudes towards two particular objects: the Higher Education Institution (HEI) and the process of studying. Investigating attitudes towards studying at a HEI in a comprehensive way addresses an important research gap. It connects students' perception of the institution with teaching and learning. To validate the Assessment of Students' Attitudes towards Studying (ASAtS) Questionnaire, data was gathered at three different universities in Switzerland (820 students), Sweden (167) and Germany (133). Overall, the results show the internal consistency of the ASAtS. Its nomological validity is also supported by correlations with other constructs, such as intrinsic motivation and study performance. The ASAtS contributes to the theory on students learning by broadening the scope of research beyond learning in a narrow sense. From a practical point of view, it provides a tool for HE management to monitor students' perception of their HEI.

In many respects, the first semesters of studying are decisive for students’ further academic development (GALE & PARKER, 2012). The experiences of profession-als providing guidance and counselling for incoming students show the practical relevance of students’ successful transition for universities. Furthermore, a consid-erable body of research approaching the topic from various angles emphasizes the importance of students’ first encounter with Higher Education.

Service learning has been identified as a suitable approach to teach social en- trepreneurship. However, in order to design service learning in an appropriate way, it is necessary to better understand why students want to become a social entrepreneur as opposed to a traditional entrepreneur. Thus, this study aims at identifying distinct student motives for preferring social entrepreneurship. According to our research, reasons typically mentioned by students who prefer a social entrepreneurship career over a commercial entrepreneurship career belonged to the following categories: impact, personal motives, and considering social and economic aspects. From this understanding, we derive recommenda- tions for the design of service learning in social entrepreneurship programs. We hope that these recommendations will contribute to a student-oriented design of service learning that incorporates students’ own motives.