Different student groups and their views on academic studies

Gudrun Balke & Karin Lumsden WassGöteborg University

http://www.plana.adm.gu.se/stug/

STUG has carried out two major evaluation projects

• Evaluation of Goteborg/Gothenburg University’s (GU) 70 study programme

• Evaluation of GU’s 750 single subject courses

…with a third in progress

• Evaluation of the doctoral studies at GU’s nine faculties

Analysis of social background

• Students whose parents have a degree or completed some academic education (Higher education group, HE)

• Students whose parents have not completed any academic studies after finishing compulsory schooling (Lower education group, LE)

Gender and age

LE group HE group Total student group

Women

age

74%

32

67%

26

72%

28

Men

age

26%

31

33%

26

28%

28

Total 100% 100%

Lower education group

• 56% are married or cohabitants

• 38% have children living at home

Lower education group

• 56% are married or cohabitants

• 38% have children living at home

Higher education group

•40% are married or cohabitants

•11% have children living at home

Higher education group

•40% are married or cohabitants

•11% have children living at home

Characteristics of the students

Reasons for choosing academic education

• I want to study in Göteborg

• I want to minimise the risk of being unemployed

• I have had work experience within the subject area

• I want to increase the likelihood of me getting a job abroad

• I want to get a good salary

LE group HE group

Working efforts within the studiesHours/week

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Women LE Women HE Men HE Men LE

Expectations

The studies will be…..

• interesting, instructive and relevant

• valuable in terms of my personal development

• demanding

• my own responsibility

The teachers will be…

• skilled

• stimulating

I expect to…

• cope quite easily with the studies

• understand the literature quite easy

• learn about conducting academic research

• enjoy being a student

• make new friends

LE group/Women HE group/Women

Fulfilments

I find the studies…..

• interesting, instructive and relevant

• valuable in terms of my personal development

• demanding

• my own responsibility

The teachers are…

• skilled

• stimulating

I …

• cope quite easy with the studies

• understand the literature quite easy

• am finding out about academic research activities / methods

• enjoy being a student

• have made new friends

LE group/Women HE group/Women

One student explains

We, people in our 40s, have quite a different understanding of going to university. Even though we enjoy being students, we don’t live the merry student life of a 20 year-old.

We are often more focused to complete our studies as soon as possibly. University studies and the life around it tend to focus on young students… You [the university] do need to find out more about the needs of the ‘old ones’.

• The organisation of the studies

• The possibilities to get in touch with the teaching staff

• The amount of teaching hours

• Links to research

• Study guidance

• Learning about rhetoric

• Practice and development of oral and written language

• Practice in using ICT

Teaching and learning

Aspects the LE-group find important

Plans for the future

In ten years I will…

• have been working in professions strongly linked to my field of study

• have been working in the public sector

• have attended basic level university courses

In ten years I will…

• have been working as a manager

• have been working within the private sector

• have been self-employed

• have a doctoral degree

• have been working/studying abroad

• have changed jobs more than three times

LE group HE group

Concluding remarks

• The variations between the two groups is mainly related to differences in opinions, expectations and experiences between the females, thus highlighting the importance of including gender as a variable when analysing social backgrounds.

• Students within the lower education group have more doubts about their [future] academic success and are definitely more insecure in the academic environment. This underlines the importance of offering supporting activities during the first year.

• The lower education group has a different social situation than the higher education group, i.e. living with families and children. A well functioning organisation around the courses seems to be a way of supporting them in their efforts to manage the studies.

Concluding comment

More people would probably apply if they thought they had the ability to make it through university. I used to think that university was a place for over-intelligent snobs, but I was sorely mistaken. The universities sure could need a more welcoming image.