ABSTRACT
The responsibility of preparing prospective students for higher education is shared between subject-based teachers and careers teachers. While the careers teacher can take a broader approach to supporting decision-making in pupils, the subject teacher has the ability to align the subject and the way it is taught with any future higher education experience. The factors involved in the transition between school pupil and university student include the influence of careers teachers, the balance between an interest in the subject and career goals, the influence of parents, the alignment of teaching and learning approaches with those in higher education, the extent to which students can transfer their learning from one context to another and the judgement of the value of information sources.
It is concluded that since most students make decisions on the basis of an aptitude for a subject, increased contact between subject specialists in universities and schools would enhance the quality of students’ decision-making by improving a student’s grasp of subjects at university. In addition, as participation in higher education is widened, universities would be well advised to consider student support arrangements in year one which are more similar to those found in schools.
