Professional identity development and sense of belonging of diverse students at the transition to higher education

Besides being a challenging educational transition, the transition to higher education can be conceived of as the start of professional identity development in professional fields. Research on the role of professional identity at the transition to higher education is however scarce. This study examines how background characteristics and sense of belonging affect professional identity and how professional identity relates to academic achievement and study commitment. Survey and student administration data were collected at two time points among first year students enrolled in law school (Nt1 = 198; Nt2 = 124). Results indicated that sense of belonging to law school was positively related to professional identity. No effect of sense of belonging was found on change in professional identity between the two timepoints. Students with a migration background reported a lower level of belongingness, but a higher level of professional identity. Analyses showed no relationship between professional identity and academic achievement. Professional identity was however positively related to commitment to law school, particularly for students with lower achievement. Overall, the findings suggest no major role of the transition to higher education in shaping students’ professional identity but do indicate that a strong professional identity supports study commitment, especially when students face academic difficulties.