An exploration of the challenges and triumphs of pre-service health and physical education teachers’ university journey: a model for positive transition

What factors affect students’ academic and social integration into, and retention in, an undergraduate health and physical education pre-service teacher program? This doctoral research examines the experiences of a group of undergraduate pre-service health and physical education teachers (HPE) enrolled at one regional university in New South Wales, Australia. This program historically has a high attrition rate. Data collection took place over 12 months and included both quantitative data (institutional statistics and questionnaires) as well as qualitative data (student interviews and questionnaires). This study’s theoretical grounding is an adaptation of two models. The first is a model by Tinto (1998) that focuses on both the social and academic integration of students at university. The second is a model developed by Kahu (2013) and subsequently updated by Kahu and Nelson (2017). This model focuses on the socio-cultural influences on students as they transition from secondary to tertiary education. The current study provides a comprehensive analysis of the experiences of students they transition into university and as they move through the first year of their Health and Physical Education program. Data also were gathered from students in the second, third and fourth year of the program. The study shows how successful integration of academic and social factors distinguishes the students who remain over the four years of the program. A proposed program framework detailing students’ transition into and through a university program has been developed. This framework considers the social and academic integration structures to support students’ ongoing retention in the program. Of particular note in this framework are two main recommendations: first, that students be contacted by university personnel as soon as they accept their offer of admission, and that contact be maintained by specialist staff who are connected to their program across the length of the program; and second, that the program be tailored to first year and contact be in face-to-face mode as much as possible.