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The transition to self-regulated learning for first-year dental students: threshold concepts
1School of Dentistry, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Summary
First-year university students struggle with independent learning, facing emotional challenges during their transition. This study identifies key learning hurdles and suggests support strategies to improve self-regulated learning and academic success.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Psychology of Learning
- Higher Education Studies
Background:
- University students often lack preparedness for independent learning upon entry.
- The first year involves a significant transition period, marked by emotional challenges and the development of self-regulated learning skills.
- Dental Surgery students face unique challenges in adapting to a new academic environment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore first-year Dental Surgery students' experiences with self-regulated learning.
- To identify threshold concepts encountered during the transition to university-level study.
- To understand the emotional and cognitive strategies students employ to navigate these challenges.
Main Methods:
- A small-scale qualitative study utilizing in-depth pair interviews.
- Data triangulation through questionnaires to gather comprehensive participant experiences.
- Thematic analysis to identify emergent concepts and patterns in self-regulated learning.
Main Results:
- Five key threshold concepts related to learning transition were identified: resource diversification, information organization, distinguishing main ideas, workload management, and understanding assessment expectations.
- Students experienced significant emotions such as confusion, overwhelm, and fear when confronting these threshold concepts.
- Participants gradually developed cognitive and metacognitive strategies to enhance their self-regulated learning capabilities over time.
Conclusions:
- Explicit guidance from educators, tutors, and peers is crucial for helping first-year students navigate challenging threshold concepts in self-regulated learning.
- Curriculum structural adjustments in content-heavy courses, like those in Medical and Dental fields, could facilitate a smoother transition to independent learning.
- Improving the transition to independent learning may positively impact overall student attainment and academic success.
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