Post on 19-Mar-2016
description
Where did it all go right?
Study habits, attitudes & expectations
among students who stay
Anna RoundStudent Services
CentreNorthumbria Universityanna.round@northumbria.ac.u
k
Background ‘Mistaken expectations’ cited by around 30% - 45%
of leavers ‘Poor choice of course/institution’ cited by around
25 – 79% of leavers In some areas, dissatisfaction appears to correlate
with expectations rather than experience (e.g. workload, demands for independent study, lifestyle etc)
Students often rely on poor sources of information about university (e.g. media stereotypes, individual opinions, ‘hearsay’, poorly-informed teachers/advisers, out-of-date sources)
Four types of expectation…What is university like?What is university for?What will I do/get at university?What will I become at
university?
The Northumbria study… Young, full-time first year students Three courses, two Schools Questionnaire survey:
- demographic information- study habits- entry decisions- expectations- attitudes and experience
Interviews with student volunteers Interviews with academic staff volunteers
Respondents… 63% female, 37% male 80% A-level 41% lived ‘at home’, 32% in halls, 20% rent 63% ‘1st generation’, 37% ‘2nd generation’
(13.8% two grad parents, 12.3% grad father, 9.2% grad mother – around 25% of graduate parents graduated as mature-age students)
c. 33% from social classes IIIm, IV and V (above official HESA figure for Northumbria of 27%)
44% of students with older siblings stated that this sibling attended university
Consider withdrawal/transfer
25% ‘seriously considered’ withdrawing 24% ‘seriously considered’ changing course More women consider leaving (32%) while more
men consider transferring (36%) More 1st generation students consider withdrawal
(30% vs. 17%) or transfer (35% vs. 26%) More lower class background students consider
withdrawal (40% vs. 9%) or transfer (54% vs. 18%) More students living at home consider withdrawal
(26%) or transfer (30%) than students in halls (5% and 14%)
Students were significantly more likely to consider withdrawal if… They had under-estimated the academic
demands of their course They had over-estimated the amount of
academic support they would receive They had mistaken expectations about the
academic staff at university They had mistaken expectations about the
teaching methods they would encounter
Students were also more likely to consider withdrawal if… They had under-estimated the workload
they would encounter on their course They had over-estimated the amount of
1:1 contact time with academic staff They had mistaken expectations about the
need to be an independent learner They had mistaken expectations about the
study habits they would need at university
Expectations of workload…Students who under-estimated or accurately
estimated the workload on their course… had slightly better academic adjustment had significantly better social adjustment
Students who under-estimated estimated the workload on their course…
were more likely to feel they had worked consistently were more likely to feel that it was easy to grasp the
rationale for the content of their course
Expectations of academic demands
Academic demands compared to expectations & adjustment
61
71
30
48
81
50
64
90
70 70
9091
0
20
40
60
80
100
good academicadjustment
good socialadjustment
consistent worker easy to understandcontent rationale
heavieras expectedlighter
Expectations of academic support
Accurate expectations/‘pleasant surprises’ = good adjustment
6761
56
16
44
7276 79 79
68
56
92 92
83 83
92
33
88
0
20
40
60
80
100
goodacademic
adjustment
good socialadjustment
good timemanager
easy tounderstand
contentrationale
goodindependent
worker
financialworries
expectations too highexpectations accurateexpectations too low
Expectations about study habitsAccurate expectations = good adjustment
8387
81
69
81
5650
44
18
62
0
20
40
60
80
100
good academicadjustment
good socialadjustment
good time manager easy to understandcontent rationale
good independentworker
accurateinaccurate
Expectations & AdjustmentExpectations about study & adjustment
83
47
82
60
8479
29
79
444852
74
0
20
40
60
80
100
accurate inaccurate accurate inaccurate accurate inaccurate
independent learning teaching methods academic staff
good timemanagement
goodindependentworker
Expectations & AdjustmentExpectations about physical environment & adjustment
78
38
7254
0
20
40
60
80
100
good time management good independent learner
accurate
inaccurate
Expectations and satisfaction Students who accurately estimated workload are
significantly more likely to judge that the workload on their course is ‘about right’ (89%) than students who under-estimated workload (65%)
Students who underestimated workload are significantly more likely to say that it is ‘too heavy’ (35%) than students who accurately estimated workload (11%)
Students who accurately estimated academic demands are significantly more likely to judge that the academic demands of their course are ‘about right’ (82%) than students who under-estimated academic demands (64%)
Students who underestimated academic demands are significantly more likely to say these are it is ‘too difficult’ (36%) than students who accurately estimated academic demands (15%)
Students who under-estimated workload…
Are more likely to agree that ‘students are expected to become independent learners too quickly’
Are more likely to agree that ‘timetables should be more convenient’
Students who over-estimated workload…
Are less likely to agree that ‘students are expected to become independent learners too quickly’
Students who feel that academic staff are not approachable… Are more likely to have had inaccurate or
exaggerated expectations about the amount of academic support, non-academic support and one-to-one contact
Students who had accurate expectations of the amount of academic support…
Are more likely to feel satisfied with timetabling, workload, academic demands and lecturers’ explanations
Students who are satisfied with the pace at which they are required to become independent learners have accurate expectations of…
Academic support One-to-one contact with academic staff Study habits needed at university Academic staff Teaching methods Need to be an independent learner
Private study… Average was low but there was huge
individual variation Research at several institutions suggest
that first years focus elsewhere! Hours vary greatly during first year Private study hours increase
(preliminary figures in current study suggest c. 17 for penultimate year and c. 23 for final year, on non-practice based courses)
Reasons for ‘low’ private study
54 52
34 34
27
19
7
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
I'm doing enough I lack motivation I think Iunderstand it well
enough
It's boring social l ife too busy earning money personal/medical
Academic orientation
84
2318
83
72 74
1214
0
20
40
60
80
100
I found my course veryinteresting
intellectual satisfaction learn new things
stronglyagree/agree
not sure
disagree/stronglydisagree
Study habits (self-assessment!)
66
2217
916
73
48
19
30
0
20
40
60
80
I worked consistently good time management good independent studyskills
stronglyagree/agree
not sure
disagree/stronglydisagree
Motivation
38
28
71
14
52
91
48
20
0
20
40
60
80
100
difficult to get motivated need to know how I'm doingto get motivated
inherent ability is the mainfactor in university
achievement
stronglyagree/agree
not sure
disagree/stronglydisagree
Types of motivation95
64
18 15 15
40
0
3545
57
5
25
0
20
40
60
80
100
only want to studytopics I believe to berelevant to my career
generally only didminimum work
want to get highmarks
often find my courseboring but will stickwith it to get a good
job
stronglyagree/agree
not sure
disagree/stronglydisagree
Student characteristics High motivation, high academic orientation, high private
study, good attendance, high satisfaction – unlikely to consider leaving
Low motivation, low academic orientation, low private study, poor[er] attendance, high satisfaction – likely to consider withdrawing
Accurate expectations about study habits and the need to be an independent learner were associated with higher academic orientation and a stronger ‘sense of belonging’
Accurate expectations about academic staff were associated with a stronger ‘sense of belonging’ E
Expectations of academic demands and workload appear not to correlate strongly with actual hours of private study
Good social adjustment correlates with ‘hard work’ and high motivation
Entry decisions, withdrawal and study habits
Students were asked about reasons for choosing HE, Northumbria & their course
Subject interest at the point of HE choice correlates with low consideration of withdrawal and ‘effective’ study habits
‘Best’ study habits and lowest consideration of withdrawal is found among students for whom subject interest operated at point of both HE choice and course choice
Absence of subject interest at the point of course choice correlates with high consideration of withdrawal and poor study habits
Career focus correlates with low consideration of withdrawal and good study habits
Course choice because of title or predicted ‘high pay’ correlates with consideration of withdrawal
Reactive entry is [still] bad news
‘Student good practice’ Extensive research of courses, course titles and
university prior to entry Strong study habits (not always with attendance!) Independence & course ‘at the centre’ of life Shedding ‘secondary school culture’ Good time management (including a job) Subject interest Career focus (not necessarily with job title) Academic orientation Openness to transformation
Questions?