Impact of binding study advice on study behavior and pre-university education qualification factors in a problem-based psychology bachelor program

Abstract

In the Netherlands, university programs increasingly use the binding study advice (BSA) to select students after the first year. Students with insufficient progress after the first year and who therefore do not conform to pre-defined BSA norms have to quit their program. This study investigated whether the introduction of the BSA is associated with differences in first-year study behaviors and students' pre-university education qualifications when entering university, which has to date been unexplored. Cohorts to which the BSA did (BSA group) or did not apply (pre-BSA group) in a problem-based psychology bachelor program were compared. Results showed that students' observed learning activities were rated higher by tutors after the BSA introduction than before. The BSA group did not spend more time on self-study and obtained lower course test scores than the pre-BSA group. At enrolment, differences were found in students' level of prior education but not with respect to their pre-university grades.

Keywords:

• higher education
• binding study advice
• selection

Notes

1. Dutch institutes of higher vocational education are aimed at educating and preparing students for a specific profession and are practically oriented. These bachelor studies have a length of four years of full-time studying and each year matches 60 ECs. A bachelor degree at universities of applied professions thus requires 240 ECs.

2. Scientific bachelor's programs at (research) universities take three years of full-time studying. One year of bachelor study matches 60 ECs, that is, a study load of 1680 hours; a bachelor's degree requires 180 ECs (i.e. 5040 hours of studying). When successfully completed a bachelor program, students obtain a bachelor's degree and they usually continue with a scientific master's, which takes one (60 ECs) or two (120 ECs) years of full-time studying.

3. European Credits (EC) are part of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), which is a standard for comparing study performance of students in higher education across the European Union and other collaborating European countries. ECs refer to the study load in higher education. One European Credit (EC) is equivalent to a study load of 28 hours.