Bell, Jessica R. (2022) Expectations, Experiences, and Motivations of First-Year Psychology Students. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
For undergraduate psychology students, the first year of university presents risk of attrition. Despite extensive research on student retention, attrition at Australian universities continues to trend upwards. Moreover, the Australian academic landscape has recently changed, with tertiary institutions shifting further towards online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. First-year psychology student expectations, motivations, and experiences thus require further understanding. This qualitative study explores student expectations, the transition to university, and motivation as a protective factor if disparities arise between expectations and reality. Self-Determination Theory provides a robust theoretical framework from which to examine motivation as a protective factor. The theory also enables investigation of the impact of expectations on the first-year experience, particularly if misalignment between expectations and experience occurs. Qualitative data were collected in May 2022, with eight University of Southern Queensland psychology undergraduate students completing a brief demographic questionnaire followed by individual semi-structured digital interviews. Participants were invited to share their motivations, expectations, and experiences, with data analysed utilising reflexive thematic analysis. Findings indicate that students commonly experience incongruence between expectations and reality when undertaking first-year psychology education, with several factors influencing expectation formation. If such dissonance occurs, intrinsic motivation and clear goal attainment act as protective factors, supporting study persistence. Further, students who connect with peers experience higher levels of satisfaction and engagement within the academic community. Findings will contribute to the development of teaching approaches and supports that address identified student needs and motivations.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Current – Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Wellbeing (1 Jan 2022 -) |
| Supervisors: | Sonya Winterbotham; Lorelle Burton |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 14 May 2025 06:22 |
| Last Modified: | 14 May 2025 06:22 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | university experience; student motivation; protective factors; Self-Determination Theory; psychology students |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52152 |
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