Perceived tutor support and adaptation to higher education in first-year undergraduates
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31211/rpics.2026.12.1.391Keywords:
Adaptation to higher education, First-year students, Perceived social support, TutoringAbstract
Background: The transition to higher education involves academic, social, and personal changes that may challenge students’ adaptation, particularly during emerging adulthood, a developmental period that includes many first-year students. Objective: To examine the association between students’ perceived tutor support and adaptation to higher education, as well as its predictive value. Method: A quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted with 207 first-year undergraduate students from a Portuguese university (74.4% female students; aged 17 to 39 years, M = 19.63; SD = 3.53). Participants completed the Adaptation to Higher Education Questionnaire and the Social Support Appraisal Scale, to which a dimension assessing students’ perceptions of social support from tutors was added. Results: Perceived tutor support was positively and significantly correlated with three dimensions of adaptation to higher education: institutional, social, and academic adaptation. No significant differences were found according to students’ sex or parents’ educational level. Hierarchical linear regression identified perceived tutor support as a significant predictor of adaptation to higher education (β = .28; p < .01), explaining an additional 7.8% of the variance. Conclusions: The findings suggest that perceived tutor support may constitute a relevant resource for first-year students’ adaptation to higher education. These results support the relevance of structured tutoring programs during the transition to higher education, although longitudinal and multi-institutional research is needed to clarify the development and effects of these programs across students’ academic pathways.
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