Preparation for the transition from high school to university : impact on retention in the first year of engineering

![CDATA[Research in the School of Engineering at the University of Western Sydney has identified some of the key factors involved in a student’s decision to undertake a degree in Engineering. Goals and aspirations are key in this step of deciding to enroll in Engineering and preparing to ensure that an enrollment is successful. Key factors in directing a student to success as an engineering student are the school environment, peer pressure, ability, career aspirations, views of particular universities and universities in general, family and finance. A model to describe the processes involved in enrolment and retention is discussed High School teachers have a distinct perspective on the process of enrollment, as it is within their teaching regime, not the University’s, that the enrollment processes take place. While university staff may have an influence, through High School visits, Open days, and consultation during enrolment periods, the majority of the educational influence is with High school teachers. In fact, there is evidence that the influence of Primary School teachers is also significant, as suggested by the attempts by various professional engineering organizations to influence the Primary School syllabus as a means of promoting engineering. In this paper the experience of teachers is discussed and their perspectives on the factors involved in enrolment in engineering are presented. The effectiveness of “visits” to High Schools by engineering staff to encourage enrolment in engineering is discussed. Sometimes it is hard for engineering staff to realize that their visits are more “exposure” related than anything else and that undergraduate students may have more in common with High School students.]]