Implementing a Principal Tutor to Increase Student Engagement and Retention within the First Year of a Professional Program

  • Jason Lodge Griffith Institute for Higher Education, Griffith University

Abstract

With ongoing changes to the requirements for professional registration, greater demand for professional services, and targets for increasing participation, universities must adapt quickly to ensure that the quality of accredited professional programs is continually improving. The problem of retaining students is particularly relevant in accredited professional courses where students often have unrealistic expectations about course content and the profession. In order to address issues surrounding student engagement and retention in an accredited psychology course, a Principal Tutor was appointed to a first year cohort. By using a transition pedagogy framework to support student engagement through incorporating administrative and profession-specific advice within and outside the formal curriculum, the program appears to have been successful in increasing student engagement. Indicators of student engagement were higher than national averages and retention rates improved. Implications for possible application of the initiatives included in this program elsewhere are discussed. 
Published
Mar 7, 2012
How to Cite
LODGE, Jason. Implementing a Principal Tutor to Increase Student Engagement and Retention within the First Year of a Professional Program. The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education, [S.l.], v. 3, n. 1, p. 9-20, mar. 2012. ISSN 1838-2959. Available at: <http://fyhejournal.com/article/view/101>. Date accessed: 16 aug. 2018. doi: https://doi.org/10.5204/intjfyhe.v3i1.101.
Section
Articles

Keywords

first year experience, student engagement, co-curricular activities

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