Abstract
The recent years have witnessed the continuing growth of sub-degree graduates’ admission into universities in Hong Kong, yet little research has been carried out to evaluate the learning experience and performance of this student population. The focus of this TDLEG project is to understand sub-degree transfer students’ educational pathways and experiences and examine their relevance to university success and satisfaction. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design is adopted for this project involving the use of both quantitative (student administrative data and survey data) and qualitative data (interviews). Based on the knowledge gained from the analyses, we will provide suggestions and recommendations to the university and relevant stakeholders and help devise strategies to guide policy and practice change. The specific areas which will be focused upon are: curriculum design, professional development, and admission policies. This project is well-aligned with the goals of CUHK and CLEAR (Centre for Learning Enhancement And Research) to facilitate quality research and provide evidence-based recommendations to improve teaching and learning.
Brief write-up
Project objectives
- To assess the characteristics, academic experience and performance of sub-degree transfer students enrolled in CUHK
- To examine differences between two types of transfer students (first-year intake vs senior-year intake) in regard to their educational experiences
- To compare the educational experiences of transfer students with JUPAS students
Activities, process and outcomes
- Entry and Exit surveys – together with some administrative data – of different cohorts were collected
- 64 Transfer students were recruited from three faculties for in-depth interviews: Social Science, Nursing, and Engineering
- 11 JUPAS students were recruited from these three faculties as a control group
Deliverables and evaluation
We plan to make suggestions to the three faculties as to how to make university adaptation easier for transfer students as well as JUPAS first-year students.
Dissemination, diffusion, impact and sharing of good practices
Briefing sessions are planned to be conducted for the three faculties for their faculty members.
