Integrating the Hidden Curriculum into an Edu-Socio Model for Student Success

Abstract

The journey of a university student involves ongoing adaptation to a unique, ever-evolving, multidimensional academic and social environment. No first-year student, particularly those who are first-generation, can be fully prepared for this new educational landscape upon leaving secondary school. Nevertheless, all successfully enrolled students and university management aim for “student success.” This research utilised the dendrogram technique to analyse the typical university student’s journey towards academic success, identifying the core elements of the hidden curriculum that serve as scaffolding for all students across disciplines and the spectrum of academic performance, enabling them to navigate their academic curriculum effectively. Drawing on a comprehensive literature review on student success, the dendrogram technique was employed in the conceptualisation process to identify and model the universal core elements of the hidden curriculum from existing research. This process shaped the findings into an edu-socio model of student success comprising six domains of core academic skills with 22 logically related essential elements. It is contended that these core domains and elements are directly linked to students’ potential academic performance, reflecting the complex, dynamic, and evolving academic-focused edu-socio environment that students must navigate to achieve their academic goals and graduate. Considered the fundamental building blocks of student success, no hierarchical order can be assigned to the identified domains and elements, as all contribute to students’ achievements and success. This edu-socio model for student success also served as the theoretical foundation for the Student Success Thermometer, an early warning self-assessment tool designed to inform students of their status concerning the hidden curriculum and their readiness for academic success. It is proposed that the edu-socio model and assessment tool can be applied across diverse university settings, guiding the development and evaluation of academic interventions and student support services across disciplines and campuses.