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Volume 15
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Article

Pre-Arrival Confidence and Perceived Importance in First-Year UK Sport Students: A Multi-Institutional Examination of Gender, Institution and Programme Differences

by
Angela Hibbs
1,*,
Rick Hayman
1,
Amy Tomlinson
2,
Stephanie King
2,
Mariana Kaiseler
3,
David Stephens
4,
Matthew Timmis
4 and
Remco Polman
5,6
1
School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
2
School of Sport, Exercise & Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
3
Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M15 6BH, UK
4
School of Psychology, Sport & Sensory Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK
5
School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
6
Department of Health and Physical Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(2), 70; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15020070
Submission received: 15 December 2025 / Revised: 21 January 2026 / Accepted: 23 January 2026 / Published: 28 January 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Belonging and Engagement of Students in Higher Education)
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

This multi-institutional study examined pre-arrival confidence and perceived importance among first-year sport students across three post-92 universities and one public research university exploring programme of study, gender, and institutional differences, while also evaluating the psychometric properties of the pre-arrival survey. Of 1033 eligible students, 604 (58%) completed the survey across 25 sport-related programmes grouped into six categories: physiotherapy and rehabilitation, sport and exercise science, sports exercise and nutrition, sports coaching, sports management, and sport foundation year. Psychometric validation of the pre-arrival survey demonstrates its reliability and validity, providing the sector with a robust, standardised tool for assessing incoming students’ preparedness. Significant programme differences include physiotherapy and rehabilitation students reporting higher learning confidence, learning importance, and community confidence compared to other programmes. Female students demonstrated significantly higher learning importance and health and well-being importance than male students, though no gender differences in confidence were observed. Institutional variation was minimal, with one institution showing higher learning importance. Socioeconomic indicators did not significantly influence pre-arrival responses. The findings highlight the need for differentiated pre-arrival support targeting programme-specific confidence gaps and gender-related differences in perceived importance. The validated PAS provides a reliable tool for early identification of students requiring enhanced transitional support, potentially addressing persistent retention and progression challenges in UK sport programmes.
Keywords: multi-institutional; transition; higher education; confidence; pre-arrival multi-institutional; transition; higher education; confidence; pre-arrival

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Hibbs, A.; Hayman, R.; Tomlinson, A.; King, S.; Kaiseler, M.; Stephens, D.; Timmis, M.; Polman, R. Pre-Arrival Confidence and Perceived Importance in First-Year UK Sport Students: A Multi-Institutional Examination of Gender, Institution and Programme Differences. Soc. Sci. 2026, 15, 70. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15020070

AMA Style

Hibbs A, Hayman R, Tomlinson A, King S, Kaiseler M, Stephens D, Timmis M, Polman R. Pre-Arrival Confidence and Perceived Importance in First-Year UK Sport Students: A Multi-Institutional Examination of Gender, Institution and Programme Differences. Social Sciences. 2026; 15(2):70. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15020070

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hibbs, Angela, Rick Hayman, Amy Tomlinson, Stephanie King, Mariana Kaiseler, David Stephens, Matthew Timmis, and Remco Polman. 2026. "Pre-Arrival Confidence and Perceived Importance in First-Year UK Sport Students: A Multi-Institutional Examination of Gender, Institution and Programme Differences" Social Sciences 15, no. 2: 70. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15020070

APA Style

Hibbs, A., Hayman, R., Tomlinson, A., King, S., Kaiseler, M., Stephens, D., Timmis, M., & Polman, R. (2026). Pre-Arrival Confidence and Perceived Importance in First-Year UK Sport Students: A Multi-Institutional Examination of Gender, Institution and Programme Differences. Social Sciences, 15(2), 70. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15020070

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