Abstract:

One effective measure of a student's transition to university is their level of academic adjustment to the new academic environment. Previous studies revealed that there is a high variability of academic adjustment indicators, with the highest dropout rates being observed during the first year of study. Studies also showed that significant relationship between motivation, learning engagement and achievement, intrinsic motivation being a positive predictor of adjustment, while lack of motivation and low engagement are linked to poorer adjustment to university. The results vary depending on the program of study pursued or educational background, higher rates of dropout and maladjustment being reported for science and engineering students.
The main aim of the present study was to investigate the variability of academic adjustment and its main dimensions during one academic year. Academic adjustment, dropout intention, motivation and learning engagement were measured at two different times, the second half of the first semester and the end of the second academic semester, the design of the study being a repeated study one. The participants were first-year students covering all fundamental domains, engineering, sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities, medicine, physical education and sports. The academic adjustment was measured with The Academic Adjustment Inventory (Clinciu & Cazan, 2014). The UVES Learning Engagement Scale (Schaufeli et al., 2002) and the Academic Motivation Scale (Vallerand, 1992) were also used. A factual questionnaire was developed to collect data about demographic aspects (gender, age, place of living) and educational background (profile of the high school, baccalaureate mean grade, previous degrees or diplomas, the elapsed time from high school graduation, previous university enrolments), and current academic context (faculty, tuition fee, etc). Dropout intention was also measured through a five-item scale.
The results showed that there were differences being the main indicators of adjustment between students from different study fields, a tendency towards higher maladjustment being observed for science students compared to humanistic studies. Previous performance and educational background were also included as co-variables. Academic motivation did not show significant differences between time 1 and time 2, however, the learning engagement was significantly higher for the entire sample.
Drop-out rates in the first year of university are a prevalent issue worldwide. A successful transition from secondary school to university plays a crucial role in determining students' achievements and persistence. The first year of study is particularly challenging and the dropout rates tend to be higher. Therefore, it is essential for university educators to comprehend how to enhance this transition for students.

Keywords:

Academic adjustment, academic motivation, learning engagement, dropout intention.