Development and validation of a scale to measure first year students' transitional challenges, wellbeing, help-seeking, and adjustments in an Australian university

To date, there is no research or instrument that can collectively measure beginning students' transitional challenges, wellbeing, help-seeking, and adjustments to university. This paper addresses this research gap by theorising and describing the relationship between these constructs and by dev...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Higher education 2019-04, Vol.77 (4), p.695-715
Main Authors: Sanagavarapu, Prathyusha, Abraham, Jessy, Taylor, Emma
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adjustment
College Freshmen
College students
Colleges & universities
Education
Educational psychology
First year
First year students
Foreign Countries
Help Seeking
Help seeking behavior
Higher Education
Measurement Techniques
Measures (Individuals)
Property
Psychological aspects
Psychometrics
Quantitative psychology
Questionnaires
Rating scales
Secondary postsecondary transition
Social aspects
Student Adjustment
Students
Surveys
Transitional Programs
Transitions
Universities and colleges
University students
Validity
Well Being
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Summary:To date, there is no research or instrument that can collectively measure beginning students' transitional challenges, wellbeing, help-seeking, and adjustments to university. This paper addresses this research gap by theorising and describing the relationship between these constructs and by developing and assessing the psychometric properties of a scale to measure those, labelled as Transition, Wellbeing, Help-seeking, and Adjustments Scale (TWHAS). Data was collected from 306 first year students studying in an Australian university, using a self-reporting questionnaire. The analysis shows that the TWHAS is a sound and psychometrically valid instrument. This questionnaire makes a unique contribution to the students' transition literature in Higher Education. Its implications for universities, along with recommendations for further research, are also briefly discussed.
ISSN:0018-1560
1573-174X
DOI:10.1007/s10734-018-0298-2