Venus and Mars in a Tertiary Bridging Program

This study examined the influence of family, peer and academic staff relationships on the experience of students during the initial transition period into a tertiary bridging program at a regional university to determine how these relationships were associated with the students’ sense of academic commitment and identity, self-efficacy and study behaviours. Participants comprised a sample of 299 students from two semester cohorts, including 150 aged 24 years or below. A custom questionnaire was developed that measured a number of study behaviours, the quality of the supportive nature of peer, family and staff relationships, academic selfefficacy and academic identity. The dominant factor in the experience of the program for young females was found to be the quality of the supportive relationships available from all sources, with staff support being the dominant influence on their sense of academic identity and self-efficacy, while supportive peers were found to be associated with improved academic behaviours. Relationships were found to have a much lower association with academic identity and self-efficacy for young males. Supportive relationships were strongly associated with improved academic identity and academic self-efficacy in older participants, particularly for older male participants where family support strongly associated with their development of emotional commitment and identity. The study supports the use of different approaches based upon gender and age for the induction of students into a tertiary bridging program