UNDERSTANDING STUDENT'S LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Engineering students enter university with limited understanding about what are important for them to 'survive' and complete the program. Universities also face challenges in finding ways to minimise the numbers of students who drop out particularly in the first year of study. In engineering, the attrition problem results in the potential loss of qualified engineers who can support our local industries. Despite various efforts made to facilitate learning, we do not fully understand how the students are experiencing learning, how they are dealing with challenges, and what factors influence their success? The current research aims to develop an understanding into psychological factors that influence students' capability to remain and strive in engineering programs and how integrations of these factors contribute towards their success in completing the program. The psychological aspects included in this study are the cognitive (study strategies), affective (emotions) and conative (intentions). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with sixteen final year engineering students at a Malaysian and Australian university to collect breadth and depth information about the factors of interest. The data were used to explain interconnections between study strategies, emotions, intentions and action goal towards success in a framework. Information gained from the qualitative data contributes to a deeper understanding of factors contributing to the study success of engineering students at both study locations. The finding provides answers into "why some students can be successful while others drop out" and the recommendations suggest strategies to help improve students' learning experiences and minimise attrition rate in engineering programs.