Promoting social integration, self-efficacy, and sense of belonging: Embedding connection-building within course induction to support transition into higher education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56433/spaz4w43Keywords:
Transition, Student induction, Peer mentoring, Student experience, Higher educationAbstract
At Nottingham Trent University (NTU), Welcome Workshops are a core component of induction for all first-year undergraduate students, and form part of the institution’s Access and Participation Plan. These participatory co-created sessions support new students to form social connections, providing an opportunity for them to share their diverse experiences, interests, and perspectives with peers. The workshops are co-delivered with Student Mentors, who are from the same course as workshop participants. They connect first-year students with opportunities, normalise concerns, provide guidance, and work inclusively to encourage the involvement of all students in the room. In addition to supporting social integration, Welcome Workshops contribute to the development of student self-efficacy, which is associated with student persistence in higher education.
This case study describes how Welcome Workshops are structured to support the development of social networks within course cohorts, offering an example of best practice in first-year induction. To evaluate the workshops, a theory of change was developed, and surveys were used to gather data from first-year participants and Student Mentors. The following themes emerged from the data, evidencing the positive outcomes of these workshops: the creation of new connections, increased self-efficacy and the shared experience of feeling outside of the comfort zone, increased navigational capital, and the feeling of inclusion and affirmation.
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