Adjustment and commitment in tourism higher education: A mixed-method examination of change over time

Fulden N Küçükergin

doi:10.31822/jomat.2026-11-2-373

Adjustment and commitment in tourism higher education: A mixed-method examination of change over time

Abstract

Student adjustment to university life and commitment to higher education are critical for retention and academic success, yet little is known about how these constructs change across the first semester or how course-based interventions influence them in tourism education. This study examines changes in tourism students' adjustment and commitment following a compulsory first-semester "Adaptation to University Life" course, using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Study 1 followed 127 first-year students from gastronomy and culinary arts, tourism guidance, and recreation management programs at a Turkish state university. Adjustment (personal, social, academic) and commitment to higher education were measured at the beginning and end of the semester using validated scales, and within-cohort change was analyzed with the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test. Study 2 explored the dynamics underlying the observed changes through semi-structured interviews with 20 students drawn from the same cohort, analyzed thematically. Quantitative findings indicated a significant decrease across all dimensions over the semester. Qualitative findings suggested that growing awareness of academic demands, professional realities of the tourism sector, and constraints of the peripheral campus prompted students to reassess their initial expectations. The study contributes longitudinal evidence on adjustment and commitment in tourism education and suggests that adaptation courses may function as awareness-raising mechanisms rather than immediate enhancers of adjustment, with implications for course design and student-support practice.

Keywords

University adjustment, Commitment to higher education, Tourism students, Longitudinal mixed-methods research, First-year adaptation course.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Tourism (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Fulden N Küçükergin ^*
0000-0002-0943-0467
Türkiye

Publication Date

August 30, 2026

Submission Date

February 1, 2026

Acceptance Date

August 26, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 11 Number: 2

DOI

https://doi.org/10.31822/jomat.2026-11-2-373

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA33XR98SP

APA

Küçükergin, F. N. (2026). Adjustment and commitment in tourism higher education: A mixed-method examination of change over time. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Tourism, 11(2), 373-386. https://doi.org/10.31822/jomat.2026-11-2-373

AMA

1.Küçükergin FN. Adjustment and commitment in tourism higher education: A mixed-method examination of change over time. Jomat. 2026;11(2):373-386. doi:10.31822/jomat.2026-11-2-373

Chicago

Küçükergin, Fulden N. 2026. “Adjustment and Commitment in Tourism Higher Education: A Mixed-Method Examination of Change over Time”. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Tourism 11 (2): 373-86. https://doi.org/10.31822/jomat.2026-11-2-373.

EndNote

Küçükergin FN (August 1, 2026) Adjustment and commitment in tourism higher education: A mixed-method examination of change over time. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Tourism 11 2 373–386.

IEEE

[1]F. N. Küçükergin, “Adjustment and commitment in tourism higher education: A mixed-method examination of change over time”, Jomat, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 373–386, Aug. 2026, doi: 10.31822/jomat.2026-11-2-373.

ISNAD

Küçükergin, Fulden N. “Adjustment and Commitment in Tourism Higher Education: A Mixed-Method Examination of Change over Time”. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Tourism 11/2 (August 1, 2026): 373-386. https://doi.org/10.31822/jomat.2026-11-2-373.

JAMA

1.Küçükergin FN. Adjustment and commitment in tourism higher education: A mixed-method examination of change over time. Jomat. 2026;11:373–386.

MLA

Küçükergin, Fulden N. “Adjustment and Commitment in Tourism Higher Education: A Mixed-Method Examination of Change over Time”. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Tourism, vol. 11, no. 2, Aug. 2026, pp. 373-86, doi:10.31822/jomat.2026-11-2-373.

Vancouver

1.Fulden N Küçükergin. Adjustment and commitment in tourism higher education: A mixed-method examination of change over time. Jomat. 2026 Aug. 1;11(2):373-86. doi:10.31822/jomat.2026-11-2-373

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Adjustment and commitment in tourism higher education: A mixed-method examination of change over time

Abstract

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References

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