Study choice interviews
A lot of the students who drop out of higher education in their first year do so because they discover that they have chosen the wrong programme. Research universities and universities of applied sciences have a number of ways of tackling this problem. Both students and the authorities want there to be study choice interviews for prospective students – conducted by their intended programme – before they actually begin studying. Such interviews can ensure a better match between the student and the programme.
‘The vast majority of students who drop out in their first year say the main reason is that they chose the wrong programme. The programme has turned out to be different to what they expected or they conclude that they do not really know what they want to study’
Source: ‘Studiekeuze en studiesucces’ - ResearchNed (October 2009) |
Study choice interviews for bachelor’s degree students
The “Study Choice Interviews: What Works?” programme enabled higher education institutions to experiment with such interviews, with prospective undergraduates having an interview before they commence studying. The interviews wee not intended as selection interviews but were aimed at giving students a better idea of the programme. The programme allowed the institutions to determine whether such interviews will in fact enable prospective students to make a better choice of programme, thus reducing the number of students who drop out.
SURF implemented the programme on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. In doing so, it worked closely with the Netherlands Association of Universities of Applied Sciences, the Association of Universities in the Netherlands, and student organisations.
28 experiments
The programme involved a total of 28
experiments with study choice interviews in a variety of educational contexts. The experiments involved such things as collaboration with secondary schools, the use of videoconferencing for “remote” study choice interviews, and group discussions.
The experiments generated a large amount of
documentation, conclusions and lessons learned. However, this is only available in Dutch.
More information
For more information about the “Study Choice Interviews: What Works?” programme, please contact
Christien Bok, T +31 (0)30 234 66 00.