Perspectives on the transition to higher education in Europe: an approach focused on literature

ABSTRACT

This article aims to map the research trends on the processes of students’ transition to higher education in the European context. For this, a review of literature was carried out, aiming to understand how the processes of transition to higher education in Europe are being studied. The qualitative analysis of these references allowed us to understand how the research relates to the social and political situations in the contexts in which it occurs, and it was possible to identify relationships between research perspectives and the challenges of educational contexts over time. From this premise, there are also differences found between studies of the European context, in general, and those that are specific to the Portuguese context. While in the European context an educational perspective on the transition is highlighted, in the Portuguese context, a more psychological or individual perspective was found, with a greater focus on the student and his/her characteristics.

KEYWORDS:

• Transitions
• higher education
• European context
• literature review

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. https://www.rcaap.pt/.

2. Bologna declaration – 19 June 1999.

3. Data from the Portuguese Ministry of Education show that 11% of students enrolled in the first year of public higher education are not enrolled in any course in higher education the following year.

4. From 2009, compulsory education in Portugal was extended to the twelfth year, the end of secondary education and the year that anticipates entry into higher education.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under Grant SFRH/BD/113127/2015.

Notes on contributors

Daniela Pinto

Daniela Pinto has a first degree and master’s degree in educational sciences from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Porto. Currently, she is a PhD student in the same faculty. Her PhD project addresses the transition process to higher education, focusing on the educational component in the study of this phenomenon.

Amélia Lopes

Amélia Lopes is a full professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Porto and vice director of the Centre for Research and Intervention in Education (CIIE). She is the head of CIIE’s research group KIDE – Knowledge, Innovation and Diversities in Education.

Ana Mouraz

Ana Mouraz is a member of the Centre for Research and Intervention in Education (CIIE). She is co-coordinator of the Observatory of Life in Schools (OBVIE) of CIIE.