Identifying and supporting skills development needs for undergraduate science students transitioning between stages 1, 2 and 3 in Environmental Science

Project leader(s): Fiona AikenIris VerhagenChris Hutton
Theme: Supporting students
Faculty: STEM
Status: Current
Dates: May 2025 to July 2026

With ever increasing focus on the need to support progression in our diverse student body, we are seeking to identify the most important skills gaps that present challenges to students on environmental and Earth science modules in EEES as they move from stage 1 to stage 2 and from stage 2 to stage 3. There is considerable anecdotal evidence from our ALs that students often arrive at their next stage of study with skills gaps and anxieties (e.g., maths and statistics, scientific report writing).

We are focussing on transitions from stage 1 to 2 and then 2 to 3, after students have completed the curriculum that should prepare them for moving up to the next stage. Our aim is to look at the skills required for transition in a broad sense, and we hope that our findings will help to inform support initiatives and the production of new curriculum both in our School, and more widely across our undergraduate Science and STEM curriculum.

With better insight into the challenges students face, and interventions that can help them, we aim to have a positive impact on retention, module/qualification outcomes, and progression; this will be of benefit to both students and the University.