Colegio de San Juan de Letran Date Completed: March 4, 2014

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Signature of the

Intramuros, Manila 1002, PHILIPPINES Proponent:_________________________________

Capsule Research Proposal

Cruz Arman Bryan Benjamin Velasquez

Last Name First Name Middle Name

Field of
Specialization Psychology
Research
Approach Qualitative
Research
Research Method/Design Descriptive
Attributes
Corpus of Data
Semi-Structured Interview

Research Domains
Transfer Students

Research
Foci/Parameters Problems on the Adjustment transition of Transfer Students

Project Title: Study on the Psychological Behaviors of Transfer Students based on their
Adjustment Attitudes and Social Interactions

Research Journals / Andres, L. (1999). “ Investigating transfer: The student’s perspective.” Research
Articles/Books
Reviewed report published by the British Columbia Council on Admission and Transfer.

Dawson, E., & Dekk, C. (1997). “Meeting the needs of rural students through
distance advising: The role of transfer guides in three measurements of student
success. NACADA journal, 17 (1), 49-54

Glass, J. C., & Harrington, A. R. (2002). “Academic performance of community

college transfer students and native students at a large stats university.” Journal
of Research and Practice,26,415-430.

Hills, J. (1965). “Transfer Shock: The academic performance of the transfer student.
 The Journal of Experimental Education, 33(3), (Spring,1965). (ERIC Document
Reproduction Service No. ED 010 740).

Pascarella ET, Terenzini PT (1991). “How College Affects Students.” San

Francisco: Joey – Bass

Pascarella ET, Terenzini PT (2005). “How College Affects Students Volume 2, A

Third Decade of Research.” San Francisco: Joey – Bass, A Wiley imprint

Thurmond, k. (2003). “ Four year to Four Year Transfer in Grites, T., and kring, M.,
(eds). Advising Transfer Students.” KS: National Academic Advising Association

Towsend, B. K. (1995). “Community College transfer students: A case study of

survival.” Review of Higher Education, 18(2), 175.

.
Review of
Literature The purpose of this research is to be able to understand and learn the
(Synoptic and
behavior patterns of transfer students based on both their attitude and social
Argumentative)
interactions with the new environment. To be able to assess and learn on the
different factors that contribute to why a student decides to transfer to another
school.

Adjustment is a psychological concept that refers to the behavior that permits

people to meet the demands of the environment (Rathus and Nevid 1986). Social
adjustment: adjusting to university involves the complementary processes of
desocialization and socialization (Pascarella and Terenzini 1991). Desocialization
entails the changing or discarding of selected values, beliefs, and traits one brings
to university in response to the university experience. Pascarella and Terenzini
explained that socialization is the process of being exposed to and taking on some
of the new values, attitudes beliefs, and perspectives to which one is exposed at a
university. Bad adjustment with the college life may force the student to leave the
institution (Roland 2006). Students get anxious as they adjust to academic, social,
personal and lifestyle challenges that the university presents (Abdullah et al. 2009).

Some students may suffer from “transfer shocks” which refers to the
tendency of students transferring from one institution of higher education to another
to experience a temporary dip in grade point average during the first or second
semester at a new institution as defined by Hills (1965). The term transfer shock
was coined by Hills in 1965 as a global term to describe the drop in grade point
average experienced by students in the United States who transferred colleges.
Research shows that the drop in the grades may be related to a variety of students
characteristics including demographic variables such as socio-economic status,
race, and gender, psychological barriers and anxiety and stress, social factors,
economic and family concerns, and academic preparations for the university.
Challenges such as motivation and self-concept, and researchers since Hills tend to
agree that transfer shock does exist in some form, although there is not unanimous
agreement concerning the severity or manifestation of the phenomenon. Transfer
shock is a concern to a degree-granting institution because of its effect on student’s
success. Transfer shock may contribute to course failures that result in students
taking longer to complete their degrees (Thurmond 2007) and affect student’s
persistence and retention.

Students who experiences health, financial, and academic challenges are

more susceptible in transferring to another school based on researches. Thurmond
(2003) notes that some students make ‘unplanned transfers.’ Reasons for such a
transfer include forced relocation by a reason of employment for student or family
member, academic failure at a first choice institution, failed relationships, or other
circumstances, including some over which the student has little control. Students
making unplanned transfer to a college or university require individual attention and
guidance through academic advising. These students may not benefit from group
orientation events or welcome events. They may not access resources without
intervention from the academic advisor.

Early interventions may also be a key to increasing the awareness of the

student prior to transfer (Thurmond 2003). Glass & Harrington(2002) believe that
institutions/universities should continue to seek effective ways of reaching out to
these students, perhaps through counseling, tutoring, and mentoring in an effort to
help them adjust effectively to the academic and social life of the school. These
students will benefit from greater attention to the transfer transition experience on
 the part of the college or university. Towsend(1995) also indicated that classroom
environments will also impact transfer student success, particularly for students
from community colleges and small colleges and universities. F.S. Laanan (2001)
concluded that students consult with academic counselors on a regular basis are
statistically different in their perception of the new environment. Laanan also reports
that this involvement provides students with opportunities to ask questions about
admissions, academics, and social and academic expectations.

The assumptions of this study is to be able investigate the social and psychological
adjustment experiences of transfer students in Letran Manila.
Specifically, the study

Theory Schlossberg’s Transition Theory

Schlossberg defined transition as any event, or non-event, which results in changed
relationships, routines, assumptions, and roles. It is important to note that
perception plays a key role in transition as an event, or non-event, meets the
definition of a transition only if it is so defined by the individual experiencing it. In
order to understand the meaning that a transition has for a particular individual, the
type, context, and impact of the transition must be considered. Four major sets of
factors that influence a person’s ability to cope with a transition: situation, self,
support, and strategies.

In relation to our study, Students experiences the impact of different event or non-
events with the transition of transferring and to the setting in which the transition
takes place. The theory also explains the four major sets that influence a student to
transfer to a different school/university.
 This study will analyse a transfer student’s opinions and reaction towards his or her
transfer adjustments.
Specifically, this study sought answers to the following questions
Research Questions  What are the experiences transfer students with the new environment?
 How do transfer students cope with the new environment?
 What intervention techniques available to help students adjust?

Significance of the This study is important because it will help us to inform students of the possible
Proposed Research
difficulties of transferring to a different institution. This study will also help to point
out what problems should be considered in developing early intervention programs
for transfer students. Improvement in the education system to guide and help
students.

I. Subject
Methods
For this study, the study on the Psychological Behaviors of Transfer Students based
on their Adjustment Attitudes and Social Interactions, we will use Qualitative Method
to gather the needed data about transfer students. Purposeful sampling will be used
to select the respondents. To elicit in-depth information, knowledge of the topic
under study was used to choose respondents who were willing to share their
experiences. 20 respondents from Colegio San Juan de Letran were selected for
the study. The respondents were all transfer students from different schools. They
were drawn from the faculty of College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. A semi-
structured interview guide will be used to gather data.
II. Data Collection
A semi-structured interview was chosen in order to allow the researcher a degree of
freedom to explain his thoughts and to high-light areas of particular interest and
expertise that he felt he had, as well as to enable certain responses to be
questioned in greater depth, and in particular to bring out and resolve apparent
contradictions. The guide has questions that were used to gather in-depth
information that was specific for the study. The questions elicited details of the
respondents as well as information on social and academic adjustment problems
experienced by the transfer students.