Transition from School to University in Uzbekistan: what works for students? (the first-year experience)

Abstract Book of the 8th World Conference on Teaching and Education

Year: 2025

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Transition from School to University in Uzbekistan: what works for students? (the first-year experience)

Alfira Makhmutova

ABSTRACT:

This study investigated the challenges faced by students transitioning from school to university in Uzbekistan, with a focus on the factors that facilitate successful adjustment to university life. According to the State Statistics Committee, the number of students enrolled in higher education institutions at the beginning of the 2020/21 academic year was 571.5 thousand. The number of students repeating their first year rose significantly, increasing from 2,286 (0.3-0.4%) in previous years to 11,430 (over 2%) following the shift to a credit-modular system. Although no statistics are available for the 2023-2024 academic year, the number of enrolled students now stands at 1.029 million. Additionally, at a private university in Tashkent, 23.01% of students violated academic regulations during the 2022-2023 academic year, primarily due to plagiarism and cheating, reflecting a broader issue of academic unpreparedness among incoming students. To explore these issues, interviews with nine first-year students from a private university in Tashkent were conducted, focusing on their perspectives on how schools and universities can ease this transition. The findings highlight the importance of support and guidance during the first year, with an emphasis on developing students’ academic integrity, time management, and study skills. This study offers insights for both schools and universities to improve the transitional experience for new students.

Keywords: academic integrity, academic regulations, credit-modular system, first-year students, study skills.