IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0233022.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Differences in study workload stress and its associated factors between transfer students and freshmen entrants in an Asian higher education context

Author

Listed:
  • Kin Cheung
  • Tsz Leung Yip
  • C L Johnny Wan
  • Hilda Tsang
  • Lillian Weiwei Zhang
  • Anna Parpala

Abstract

Unlike the studies of freshmen entrants, the learning experiences of community college transfer (CCT) students in the receiving university is a topic that has only started to gain attention in recent decades. Little is known about the differences between CCT and freshmen entrants with regard to their study workload stress and its relationship with their perceptions of the teaching and learning environment, approaches to learning, self-efficacy and generic skills. The purpose of our study was to address this gap. This was a cross-sectional survey study conducted from April 2018 to November 2018 in a university in Hong Kong. The HowULearn questionnaire was adapted to local usage and validated for data collection. In total, 841 CCT students and 978 freshmen entrants completed the survey. The respondents were aged between 19 and 52 years (mean = 21.6, SD = 1.92), and 66.0% were women. The HowULearn questionnaire was determined by factor analyses to have eight factors. The reliabilities of the eight factors were found to be acceptable (Cronbach alphas = 0.709–0.918). The CCT students scored significantly higher than the freshmen entrants for perceived study workload stress and surface approaches to learning, but lower on teaching for understanding & encouraging learning, peer support, and self-efficacy beliefs. The surface approach to learning, deep & organized studying, alignment & constructive feedback, and generic skills were found to be predictors of study workload stress in both groups of students, and in the overall student data. This study has shown that CCT students and freshmen entrants differed with regard to their study workload stress and learning experiences. Our findings provide a message, both for educators in higher education and policy makers in the government—there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to different student populations when it comes to enhancing their learning experiences.

Suggested Citation

  • Kin Cheung & Tsz Leung Yip & C L Johnny Wan & Hilda Tsang & Lillian Weiwei Zhang & Anna Parpala, 2020. "Differences in study workload stress and its associated factors between transfer students and freshmen entrants in an Asian higher education context," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(5), pages 1-23, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0233022
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233022
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0233022
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0233022&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0233022?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lovenoor Aulck & Jevin West, 2017. "Attrition and performance of community college transfers," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(4), pages 1-23, April.
    2. John Schmid & John Leiman, 1957. "The development of hierarchical factor solutions," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 22(1), pages 53-61, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Anna Parpala & Nina Katajavuori & Anne Haarala-Muhonen & Henna Asikainen, 2021. "How Did Students with Different Learning Profiles Experience ‘Normal’ and Online Teaching Situation during COVID-19 Spring?," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-12, September.
    2. Kin Cheung & Ceci Sze Wing Ho & Hilda Tsang & Elaine Lau, 2022. "Comparing the Learning Approaches of Transfer Students and Direct Entrants in an Asian Higher Education Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-20, February.
    3. Dennis Foung & Kin Cheung, 2021. "Transfer Capital or Transfer Deficit: A Dual Perspective of English Learning of ESL College Transfer Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    4. Shirley Siu Yin Ching & Kin Yuen Tam & Lillian Weiwei Zhang & Jeremy Ng & Kin Cheung, 2021. "A Qualitative Exploration on the Challenges of Transfer Students in an Asian Educational Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-14, March.
    5. Kin Cheung & Bin Li & Peter Benz & Ka Ming Chow & Jeremy Tzi Dong Ng & Wilson Yeung Yuk Kwok & Hilda Tsang & Dicky Nok Hang Leung & Janus Ka Yee Lui & Yee Na Li & Eunice So & Alice Leung, 2021. "Prototype Development of a Cross-Institutional Credit Transfer Information System for Community College Transfer Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-16, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Linda Ruan-Iu & Laura L. Pendergast & Pei-Chun Liao & Paul Jones & Nathaniel von der Embse & Marco Innamorati & Michela Balsamo, 2023. "Measuring Depression in Young Adults: Preliminary Development of an English Version of the Teate Depression Inventory," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(15), pages 1-11, July.
    2. Mohan, Geetha & Sivakumaran, Bharadhwaj & Sharma, Piyush, 2012. "Store environment's impact on variety seeking behavior," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 419-428.
    3. Meng-Tsang Hsieh & Jung-Sheng Chen & Chung-Ying Lin & Cheng-Fang Yen & Mark D. Griffiths & Yu-Te Huang, 2021. "Measurement Invariance of the Sexual Orientation Microaggression Inventory across LGB Males and Females in Taiwan: Bifactor Structure Fits the Best," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-12, October.
    4. Giofrè, David & Pastore, Massimiliano & Cornoldi, Cesare & Toffalini, Enrico, 2019. "Lumpers vs. splitters: Intelligence in children with specific learning disorders," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 1-1.
    5. Kan, Kees-Jan & van der Maas, Han L.J. & Levine, Stephen Z., 2019. "Extending psychometric network analysis: Empirical evidence against g in favor of mutualism?," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 52-62.
    6. Carlo Cavicchia & Maurizio Vichi & Giorgia Zaccaria, 2020. "The ultrametric correlation matrix for modelling hierarchical latent concepts," Advances in Data Analysis and Classification, Springer;German Classification Society - Gesellschaft für Klassifikation (GfKl);Japanese Classification Society (JCS);Classification and Data Analysis Group of the Italian Statistical Society (CLADAG);International Federation of Classification Societies (IFCS), vol. 14(4), pages 837-853, December.
    7. Jeanne A. Teresi & Katja Ocepek-Welikson & John A. Toner & Marjorie Kleinman & Mildred Ramirez & Joseph P. Eimicke & Barry J. Gurland & Albert Siu, 2017. "Methodological Issues in Measuring Subjective Well-Being and Quality-of-Life: Applications to Assessment of Affect in Older, Chronically and Cognitively Impaired, Ethnically Diverse Groups Using the F," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 12(2), pages 251-288, June.
    8. Emanuele Maria Giusti & Giovanni Veronesi & Camilla Callegari & Gianluca Castelnuovo & Licia Iacoviello & Marco Mario Ferrario, 2022. "The North Italian Longitudinal Study Assessing the Mental Health Effects of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic Health Care Workers—Part II: Structural Validity of Scales Assessing Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-16, August.
    9. David J. Hessen, 2017. "Lower Bounds to the Reliabilities of Factor Score Estimators," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 82(3), pages 648-659, September.
    10. P. Bentler, 1986. "Structural modeling and psychometrika: An historical perspective on growth and achievements," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 51(1), pages 35-51, March.
    11. Harold Bechtoldt, 1961. "An empirical study of the factor analysis stability hypothesis," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 26(4), pages 405-432, December.
    12. Gloria Crisp & Charlie Potter & Amanda Taggart, 2022. "Characteristics and Predictors of Transfer and Withdrawal Among Students Who Begin College at Bachelor’s Granting Institutions," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 63(3), pages 481-513, May.
    13. Watson, Dorothy & Maître, Bertrand & Whelan, Christopher T., 2012. "Understanding Childhood Deprivation in Ireland," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number BKMNEXT125.
    14. Shirley Siu Yin Ching & Kin Yuen Tam & Lillian Weiwei Zhang & Jeremy Ng & Kin Cheung, 2021. "A Qualitative Exploration on the Challenges of Transfer Students in an Asian Educational Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-14, March.
    15. Carlo Cavicchia & Maurizio Vichi & Giorgia Zaccaria, 2022. "Gaussian mixture model with an extended ultrametric covariance structure," Advances in Data Analysis and Classification, Springer;German Classification Society - Gesellschaft für Klassifikation (GfKl);Japanese Classification Society (JCS);Classification and Data Analysis Group of the Italian Statistical Society (CLADAG);International Federation of Classification Societies (IFCS), vol. 16(2), pages 399-427, June.
    16. Bongiorno, Christian & Miccichè, Salvatore & Mantegna, Rosario N., 2022. "Statistically validated hierarchical clustering: Nested partitions in hierarchical trees," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 593(C).
    17. Petr Květon & Martin Jelínek & Iva Burešová, 2022. "Psychometric Properties of the Sport Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale-2 in Czech Adolescent Athletes: An Exploratory Approach," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(3), pages 21582440221, July.
    18. Carlo Cavicchia & Maurizio Vichi, 2021. "Statistical Model-Based Composite Indicators for Tracking Coherent Policy Conclusions," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 156(2), pages 449-479, August.
    19. Robert Jennrich & Peter Bentler, 2012. "Exploratory Bi-factor Analysis: The Oblique Case," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 77(3), pages 442-454, July.
    20. Reynolds, Matthew R. & Keith, Timothy Z., 2017. "Multi-group and hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Fifth Edition: What does it measure?," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 31-47.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0233022. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.