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Introduction
It has long been argued that the first-year university experience has a critical influence on a student’s intention to complete their undergraduate studies (Upcraft et al., 2004; Kuh et al., 2005). A major part of existing research in this area is based on Tinto’s (1975) and Astin’s (1975) works (Whittaker, 2008; Ryan, 2013; Mertes, 2015), with Tinto’s (1993) student integration theory for the early departure of students from higher education the most influential publication in this area (Heaton-Shrestha et al., 2009). According to Tinto (1993), students who become a part of their campus academically and socially are more likely to stay in their study programme. A big part of the students’ connection to their campus is through engagement in learning communities. Learning communities represent groups of students who may take common courses together, share common academic interest or live in the same residence (SATS, 2007). Fostering learning communities has been shown to support increased student learning and retention (Shapiro and Levine, 1999). Knowing this, it is important to determine how first-year students interact with and succeed in a university environment. This becomes more crucial as universities become more diverse and administrators work to improve first-year students’ retention and graduation rates. Traditionally studies involving Tinto’s (1993) student integration theory have been conducted in the USA but, at a time of significant change in UK higher education, there are important lessons that can be learnt in terms of supporting and developing UK students. In this study, Tinto’s (1993) student integration theory has therefore been used to understand better the behavioural patterns of first-year undergraduate students at a UK Higher Education Institution (HEI).
In addition, a rise in tuition fees combined with a challenging economic outlook both nationally and internationally means that there has never been greater pressure for students to make the right choice of course and institution in order to successfully enter the graduate employment market. From an institutional perspective, UK higher education faces the challenge of understanding and meeting the expectations of more demanding students without additional funds (HEPI, 2013). In this new more competitive environment, UK HEIs are therefore tasked with maintaining, and indeed improving, their academic experience and student engagement at the increasingly high levels demanded by students.
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