Transition Pedagogy in Action: A 15-Year Institutional Journey

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63608/ssj.3808

Keywords:

first year experience, institution-wide, first and further year experience

Abstract

This practice report examines how an implementation of Kift’s (2009) Transition Pedagogy evolved over 15 years in a First and Further Year Experience (FFYE) program at an Australian university. Designed to enhance student success, particularly for students from low socio-economic status (LSES) backgrounds, the program applies Transition Pedagogy principles through a framework focused on student identity and belonging, curriculum, academic and professional staff, and supportive infrastructures. Forums and grants have promoted engagement with inclusive, student-centred practices, collaborative design, student agency, and personalised learning. Transition Pedagogy’s curriculum principles have proven adaptable to changing institutional strategies and higher education contexts. The program’s shift from teacher-driven to partnership-driven models, emphasising student voices and mattering, illustrates how Transition Pedagogy can evolve and provide a transformative framework for enhancing student engagement and success.

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Author Biographies

Kathy Egea, University of Technology Sydney

Kathy Egea is a senior lecturer in the central T&L unit at the University of Technology Sydney and leads the First and Further Experience (FFYE) program . Formerly the First Year Experience Program, which she co-led with Jo McKenzie, the program continues to connect, link, draw on practice, build communities towards a better student transition experience, in both curricular and co-curricular spaces. Key practices include an annual grant program, university-wide forums, virtual community sharing space, resources (blogs, videos) and subject dashboards. The program has won national recognition through OLT citation (2016), finalist in 2021 CAULLT Global Good Practice Award.  Kathy also co-leads the FYE national Australasian Network for the Student Success annual conference and in 2021, was awarded a STARS Fellow for her work in creating the conditions for practice change around student transition.

Jo McKenzie, University of Technology Sydney

Jo McKenzie is a part-time Professor working on learning and teaching projects at the University of Technology Sydney. She has 35 years experience working in higher education learning and teaching, including 12 years as Director of the Institute for Interactive Media and Learning at UTS.  During this time, she initiated the UTS First Year Experience Program (now First and Further Year Experience) as part of the university’s Widening Participation approach.  Her current work focuses on recognition and reward for teaching and support for learning, through AdvanceHE fellowships and national teaching awards. Her research focuses on university teachers’ experiences of learning and change. 

Title image with patterns. 2025 Student Success Special issue - A Generation of Transition Pedagogy. Issue image adapted from photo by Logan Voss on Unsplash

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Published

2025-11-25

How to Cite

Egea, K., & McKenzie, J. (2025). Transition Pedagogy in Action: A 15-Year Institutional Journey. Student Success, 16(3), 105–113. https://doi.org/10.63608/ssj.3808

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 3 (2025): Special Issue | A Generation of Transition Pedagogy

Section

Practice Reports

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Kathy Egea, Jo McKenzie

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors retain copyright and grant the Journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution International Licence (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.