Psychological orientations to learning in the second year

This chapter focuses on students’ psychological dispositions and considers measures of their variation at different stages of their degree. It also discusses motivational orientation, self-regulation and anxiety. Self-efficacy is fundamentally a belief that individuals hold about their capabilities in different areas. Findings generated from the Second Year Experience project are related to international research to identify characteristics and themes of general relevance. Understanding individuals’ motives for studying is significant; research has long recognised the importance of motivation in influencing academic achievement and directing how learners approach their work. However, it clears that students had different coping strategies with some students motivated by pressure; as one Year 2 student commented: prefers to constantly be under stress and have stuff to do than be given a week off and risk not doing anything. Some students will be better placed to manage their situation, be more resilient to pressure or adapt their approach to seize or navigate around obstacles.