Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/70466

JaLCDOI : 10.14943/J.HighEdu.25.13

The present study investigated how first-year seminars should be designed to support the academic achievements of freshmen. Case examples of course design for first-year seminars were collected from six teachers. On the basis of the results of qualitative arrangement, seven categories were generated and three main principles were discovered: building membership among students in their class, mutual or reciprocal learning among peers and teacher’s facilitation of peer learning, and individualized coaching in addition to teaching groups of students. Examples of course design were consolidated into a scale, and the scale was positively correlated with a safe class climate and the attainment of seminar targets. The relationships among course design, the attainment target of the seminar and a safe class climate were analyzed, and the findings suggested that course design had a greater influence on academic achievement than a safe class climate, and that a safe class climate had a greater influence than instructional design for becoming accustomed the to new college life through the seminar.