Building confidence in university students from year 1 to year 2

Abstract

Understanding how university students build confidence in key transferable skills during their early academic years is essential for improving educational outcomes and employability. This study investigated the development of students’ confidence in their skills over their first two academic years at university. We measured confidence levels of students in key transferable skills and how these levels change from their first to their second year. A survey was conducted using opportunistic sampling twice with the same cohort of students, once in their first year (N = 128) and once in their second year (N = 148). Data were analysed using t-tests in SPSS. Results indicated significantly higher confidence in several skills in the second compared to first year of study. The findings provide insights for curriculum development and support systems to enhance student learning experiences and employability. The study underscores the importance of both educational institutions and students in developing skills and confidence.