Page 128 - Secondary school students’ university readiness and their transition to university Els van Rooij

5.1 Introduction and literature review
To lower university dropout rates, secondary school graduates need to be well- prepared for university education. Since most research on achievement in higher education uses samples of university students it is not very clear what attributes that students already possess in secondary education contribute to success in university. erefore, in this study we examined the relationship between students’ attributes, in this case engagement characteristics, in grade 12 of secondary education and their achievement and adjustment one year later in the rst semester of university education.
e transition from secondary school to university is critical; many
students drop out or switch majors during or a er the rst year of university.
Dropping out has negative nancial and emotional consequences, as well as repercussions for labour market positions. Switching educational majors may
seem less problematic, but for many students, this shi means it will take them
longer to graduate, which could have signi cant cost implications. Furthermore, 5 the chances of university success appear dependent mainly on the transition from
secondary to higher education (Baker, 2004). e better a student is prepared to
take this leap, the less likely he or she will stumble over the challenges of a new
study and life environment. In the Netherlands, the secondary education system
is highly di erentiated. e students who showed the most potential in primary
school (as measured by a test and judged by the teachers) can attend the highest
level of secondary education: pre-university education. Graduating from pre-
university education a er six years grants students access to university education.
In 2014, 80% of pre-university graduates continued their education in university
(CBS \[Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek\], 2016).
What student characteristics in secondary school may a ect their success in university? Academic achievement can be explained by cognitive (i.e., intelligence) and non-cognitive factors. A broad, non-cognitive factor is student engagement. Broadly, student engagement refers to students’ involvement in and commitment to school (Landis & Reschly, 2013). Involvement refers to active participation in academic as well as extracurricular activities. Commitment can be interpreted as commitment to educational goals and learning (Christenson, Reschly, & Wylie, 2012). Student engagement has received much attention in research and practice due to its proven connection to dropout. Lately, the concept has been turned around: Instead of focusing on low engagement leading to
Pro les of student engagement
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