Analyzing the Factors That Influence Students' Professional Identity Using Hierarchical Regression Analysis to Ease Higher Education Transition

Our general motivation in undertaking this study is to propose alternative measures to lighten students' experienced tensions during the transitions from high school to higher education basing on the concept of professional identity strength. In order to do so, we measured the influence that three different factors (External Motivational Conditionals, Educational Experience Conditionals and Personal Motivation Conditionals) exerted over students' professional identity strength and proposed the measures considering the obtained results. By using hierarchical regression analysis, we addressed this issue, across disciplines and bachelor degrees, allowing us to gain also deeper insight into first year university students professional identity development. Our findings suggest that students' from the different disciplines are influenced by Personal Motivational Conditionals; while students' from sciences are also influenced by External Motivational Conditionals. Basing on the obtained results we propose three different alternative educational and recruitment strategies which aim to increase students' professional identity strength and reduce the tensions generated during high school - university transitions. From this study theoretical contributions regarding the differences on the influence of these factors on students from different bachelor degrees arise; and practical implications for universities, derived from the proposed strategies.