Supporting First-Year Students in the Bachelor of Arts: An Investigation of Academic Staff Attitudes

Attitudes of university teachers to learning support for first-year students are likely to influence whether the first year is a positive experience. In this study, teachers in the first year of a Bachelor of Arts programme were asked about their perceptions of the importance of supporting first-year students, the adequacy of current practices, and the problems facing first-year students in the Faculty. Responses indicated a general recognition of the need for first-year students to develop as independent learners and the need for adequate orientation and good communication with students. However, there were indications that some teachers assume that first-year teaching does not require any special strategies or techniques and that more needs to be done to ensure that students are supported to develop as independent and autonomous learners. Copyright © 2003, SAGE PUBLICATIONS.