Student retention is a priority in universities, as drop-out rates among university students within 12 months of starting continue to rise, according to UK figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) (https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/performance-indicators/non-continuation, accessed February 2022), and with…

A great deal of hope is pinned on experiential learning initiatives for young people. This hope is in line with policy approaches adopted by global organisations such as UNESCO and the World Bank in which learning is characterised as the vehicle through which transformation, self-actualisation and social development can occur. In order to provide…

The authors argue that successful "transitions" are inseparable from both "learning" and "becoming." Furthermore, for students to experience successful transitions (and the learning inherent in navigating those transitions) individual educators and institutions more generally need to attend to the issues of…

The continuously changing business world demands that students entering the world of work have an adaptable skill set. The acquisition of appropriate exit-level knowledge, skills and competencies also holds true for young school students and early school leavers. At school level the engagement and connectedness with the outside world and the…

Highly qualified and well-prepared transition professionals are arguably the most important piece to improve postsecondary outcomes for youth with diverse needs. A dearth of dynamic field placements for preservice teachers to connect coursework to practice has been identified as a gap in teacher training. This need could be potentially filled by…

Background: Authentic research experiences and mentoring have positive impacts on fostering STEM engagement among youth from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM. Programs applying an experiential learning approach often incorporate one or both of these elements, however, there is little research on how these factors impact youth's STEM engagement…

The need for highly qualified teachers who have experience and training with students with ASD continues to grow. In order to meet the need for high quality supervised field experiences for teacher candidates as well as opportunities for students with ASD to gain exposure to post-secondary activities on a University campus, the Transition…

Recent research suggests that the college application process itself prevents access. This paper reports results from a school-based experiment in which application assistance is incorporated into the high school curriculum for all graduating seniors at low-transition schools. Over three workshops, students were guided to pick programs of interest…

The first-year university experience is inherently linked to student satisfaction, retention and academic success. A sense of academic preparedness can enhance the first-year transition experience. Subjects designed to assist students to transition to university can improve the transition experience; however, there is very limited evidence of…

Background: Many postsecondary institutions offer outdoor programs to incoming students as a form of orientation or transition event. Positive outcomes for students are shown to result from these interventions but less is known about the mechanisms leading to these outcomes. Purpose: This article argues that "conversation" is one of…

Background: Work-based learning strategies are often used in secondary transition settings to identify a student's strengths and interest related to competitive integrated employment. Transition professionals must not only understand evidence-based practices for creating and supporting work-based learning, they must also understand specific…

We tested the efficacy of a comprehensive intervention program designed for high school students across the autism spectrum, the Center on Secondary Education for Students with Autism (CSESA) model, in a cluster randomized control trial involving 60 high schools in three states (California, North Carolina, Wisconsin), with implementation occurring…

This paper reports on a Curriculum Innovation Project to empower third-year Undergraduate Medical students to recognise learning opportunities in their clinical placements and to proactively use them to develop their understanding and practice. The project created action learning sets (ALS) in response to the challenges students face when trying…

The use of peer support arrangements can be an effective strategy to improve educational services for students with disabilities, including those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). When developing peer support arrangements, secondary teachers should consider aligning these services with evidence-based predictors of positive postschool outcomes…

Background/Purpose: Autism spectrum disorders encompass a group of neurodevelopmental disorders whose defining features include deficits in social communication across multiple contexts (American Psychological Association, 2011). The prevalence of autism has been increasing at an alarming rate stemming from changes in diagnostic criteria, genetic…