Conceptions of good teaching and how they influence the way adults and school leavers are taught

Seventeen lecturers in three departments in a university were interviewed about their conceptions of good teaching, their perceptions of the differences between adult and full-time students, and the actual strategies and methods they employed in their practice of teaching the two student groups. Results showed that there were common perceptions of the way adult students differed from their full-time adolescent counterparts. However, they reacted differently to those perceived differences. Three major types of accommodation were found: catering for weakness, treating both groups in the same way, and remediating weaknesses. The lecturers' conceptions of good teaching could be categorized into two main categories: transmissive and facilitative. Cross-tabulation of the teaching conception of the individual lecturers with their orientation to accommodation showed that those holding a transmissive conception tended to cater for the weakness of their students or make no distinction between teaching adult and full-time students. Those perceiving teaching as facilitating learning were more likely to try to remediate the weaknesses of their students.     

Lecturers’ vs. students’ perceptions of the accessibility of instructional materials

This goal of this study was to examine the differences between lecturers and students’ perceptions of the accessibility of instructional materials. The perceptions of 12 mature computing distance education students and 12 computing lecturers were examined using the knowledge elicitation techniques of card sorting and laddering. The study showed that lecturers had pedagogical views while students tended to concentrate on surface attributes such as appearance. Students perceived instructional materials containing visual representations as most accessible. This has two implications for the professional development of computing lecturers designing instructional materials. First, lecturers need to appreciate the differences between expert and novice views of accessibility and how students will engage with the materials. Second, lecturers need to understand that learners perceive instructional materials containing visual representations as more accessible compared to ‘text only’ versions. Hence greater use of these may enable students to engage more readily in learning. Given that print is the ubiquitous teaching medium this is likely to have implications for students and lecturers in other disciplines.     

International student use of university health and counselling services

A large sample of international students attending an Australian metropolitan university provided data concerning use of university health and counselling services—their perceived need for help, resultant help-seeking, satisfaction with help given, explanations for not seeking help when in need, and variables that predicted help-seeking. Using as criterion the individual’s perceived need for help, we found students were under-utilizing both health and counselling services. Those who did seek help evaluated their experiences positively. The gap between need and action is a concern. Students explained failure to act in terms of insufficient seriousness of problems, lack of information about services and, to a lesser extent, doubts and discomfort about the services. Contrary to views commonly expressed in the literature, student perceptions and responses showed few differences based on cultural background. Within-person variables played a stronger role than culture in accounting for students’ help-seeking decisions.     

First year expectations and experiences: student and teacher perspectives

Transitioning from high-school to university can be difficult, and many university teachers feel students are often ill-prepared for the change. To investigate this 233 Humanities and Science students at the University of Adelaide were surveyed 6 months into their first year regarding experiences of teaching and learning at university. 189 students were also surveyed 18 months after commencement, to gain retrospective views of their transition year, as were lecturers and tutors of both groups. Results were compared to similar Orientation Week questionnaires that focused on expectations. Questions included reasons for selecting degrees, quality of teacher feedback and perceived impact of outside commitments. Even though student expectations, student experience, and teacher views differed, remarkable similarities emerged across the two degree programs (Science and Humanities). Our findings thus highlight a call for non-specialised transition programs to meet the needs of first year students and facilitate the transition from secondary to tertiary education. All authors contributed equally to this work.     

Teaching quality matters in higher education: a case study from Turkey and Slovakia

Despite a growing number of studies on the effectiveness of teaching and quality in higher education, reports indicate that more work is needed regarding meeting expectations in teaching quality, in particular, in investigating lecturers’ application of pedagogical knowledge when transferring discipline-specific knowledge. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of both students and lecturers on teaching in higher education in two countries. The researcher used both quantitative and qualitative data in order to provide a comprehensive analysis of the research problems and to obtain sufficiently detailed data. The results indicated a difference between students’ and lecturers’ perceptions regardless of country, highlighting a discrepancy over views on the pedagogical competence of lecturers. Although this was a small-scale study in two countries, the results pointed to the failure of university lecturers to meet students’ expectations in terms of teaching quality. The study suggested that, regardless of subject area, it would be beneficial to emphasize self-reflection, awareness, improvement of teaching skills, and consequent changes in students learning. University administrations should also have realistic expectations of lecturers.     

‘Hardworking,determined and happy’: first-year students’ understanding and experience of success

While all agree student success in higher education is important, there is less agreement on what it means to be a successful student. Student success is often measured by institutional reports of grades, student retention and qualification completion. More recently, broader definitions have emerged; however, these do not incorporate student perceptions of success. The current study addresses this gap by exploring how first-year students talk about their success. Drawing from weekly interviews of students at an Australian regional university, the data are analysed through the lens of a conceptual framework of student engagement. The findings demonstrate that success is inextricably linked with student engagement as well as other dimensions of the student experience. As expected, students assess their success extrinsically with institutional measures such as grades and feedback. In addition, their behavioural engagement was seen as a more immediate measure of their success, while happiness and satisfaction were necessary for some students to feel successful. Perceptions of success have important consequences for students in terms of increased positive emotions, self-efficacy and course belonging. Success for these students has multiple dimensions. These findings give rise to suggestions for a staged approach to supporting first-year student success. However, the student experience is complex and multifaceted and further research is needed with different student cohorts who may define and experience success in other ways.     

Cultural Responsiveness of School Curriculum and Students' Failure in Turkey

Education should develop the common values needed to enhance the unity and progress of a multi-ethnic, multicultural society. In order to enhance effective learning, students' varied backgrounds should be taken into consideration when designing a curriculum. Clearly, if the curriculum is dominated by the culture of an ethnic majority, and the existence of different ethnic and cultural groups are ignored, the students of non-majority origin perceive themselves to be distinct and may develop antagonistic attitudes toward education, which often lead to failure.In some parts of Turkey, especially the Eastern and Southeastern regions, the majority of the population is of different ethnic origin. ahin and Gülmez (2000b) studied the efficiency of education and the factors affecting the success of students in both regions. They found that illiteracy in those regions was higher when compared with the other regions, that females received less education, and that secondary school students were less successful in nationwide examinations such as OSS (selection examinations for OYS) and OYS (student placement examinations for university entrance). Ethnic diversity alone is not as effective when maintained by cultural diversity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the differences in cultural values of students with different ethnic backgrounds. Differences in curriculum and teaching materials were analyzed with regard to the perceptions of those students who identified themselves as ethnically different and not of Turkish origin.The results of this study indicate that the quality of the school curriculum and text books assessed were significantly different for those students identified to be not of Turkish origin and therefore appeared to be culturally unresponsive, a factor which may lead to the educational failure for many students of different ethnic origins.     

Student perceptions of ePortfolio integration in online courses

This study explored students’ perceptions regarding the integration of electronic portfolios (ePortfolios) in two online graduate‐level courses at a small research university in the western United States. Researchers investigated student perceptions of communication, connectedness, value, and perceived student learning through ePortfolio integration and formative peer review to support a sustained community of learning. Data was collected from 40 students with a Web‐based questionnaire and a threaded discussion forum. Results indicate ePortfolios positively impacted some students’ perception of communication, connectedness, and learning. Most participants also valued ePortfolios. Prior ePortfolio experience and gender were responsible for minor differences in student perceptions, whereas lack of prior reflective experience impacted student perceptions significantly. Researchers conclude that ePortfolios can foster learning communities in online graduate programs.     

Students' perceptions of clinical attachments across rural and metropolitan settings

For many years, medical students at the University of Sydney undertook their clinical clerkships in traditional metropolitan teaching hospitals, which were regarded as the ‘gold standard’ for clinical training. In 2001 the university established a rural clinical school at which increasing numbers of students now complete a significant proportion of their medical education. The aim of the study reported here is to examine students’ perceptions of what facilitates their learning in clinical settings and to compare their perceptions across rural and metropolitan settings. Focus groups were conducted to collect students’ views on their experiences of learning in clinical settings. The findings were used to generate a questionnaire with items designed directly from focus‐group data ensuring content validity. The questionnaire was sent to all students in the 2004 cohort. Exploratory factor analysis was used to provide evidence of construct validity. The internal consistency reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Factor scores were computed to compare students’ perceptions across the two settings. Four factors were extracted: (1) clinical teachers’ orientation to teaching; (2) opportunities to develop clinical skills; (3) supportiveness of the clinical setting; and (4) student confidence and sense of self‐efficacy. Students rated the rural experience more highly and positively than the metropolitan hospital experience with regard to all four factors. This study highlights the positive role that rural attachments can play in providing an educationally sound learning experience. The findings are important in the context of both the drive, among medical programs worldwide, to seek out additional and alternative settings for clinical education and the national agenda to foster student interest in rural careers through positive rural training experiences.     

The relative importance of teaching evaluation criteria from the points of view of students and faculty

Abstract

The student evaluation of teaching (SET) tool is widely used to measure student satisfaction in institutions of higher education. A SET typically includes several criteria, which are assigned equal weights. The motivation for this research is to examine student and lecturer perceptions and the behaviour of the students (i.e. ratings given by them to lecturers) of various criteria on a SET. To this end, an analytic hierarchy process methodology was used to capture the importance (weights) of SET criteria from the points of view of students and lecturers; the students' actual ratings on the SET were then analysed. Results revealed statistically significant differences in the weights of the SET criteria; those weights differ for students and lecturers. However, analysis of 1436 SET forms of the same population revealed that, although students typically rate instructors very similarly on all criteria, they rate instructors higher on the criteria that are more important to them. The practical implications of this research is the reduction of the number of criteria on the SETs used for personnel decisions, while identifying for instructors and administrators those criteria that are perceived by students to be more important.     

Exploring staff perceptions of student plagiarism

This paper presents analysis of qualitative data from a research project looking at staff perceptions of plagiarism at a post‐1992 university. Twenty‐six members of staff from departments and academic schools from across the university took part in open and semi‐structured interviews. Analysis shows that variable definitions of plagiarism exist; both regarding student activities that constitute plagiarism and the way in which plagiarism is perceived to be related to cheating. The factors underlying these personal definitions are unclear, but the analysis suggests that values perceived to underpin higher education may play an important role. This paper provides new empirical data on staff perceptions of student plagiarism, which complement previous research on student perceptions. The potential implications of different perceptions of plagiarism, and a mismatch between staff and student understandings is highlighted as an area for further consideration.     

Strategic enrolment management (SEM) in self-financed higher education of Hong Kong: evaluation and measurement

The purpose of this study is to examine how the dimensions of strategic enrolment management (SEM) tie to the success metrics in the area of enrolment, retention and graduation from senior and programme management perspectives of a self-financed institution in Hong Kong. The literature on SEM has demonstrated that managing enrolment is a global concern and requires institution-wide effort. For successful SEM, it has to be a performance-based, outcome-oriented system which requires significant data to determine its effectiveness, success or failure, growth or decline. Though the focus of most SEM research is about the implementation of SEM in achieving enrolment and retention goals, there are far fewer studies that look critically at the perceptions of success tying SEM to success metrics. This study fills the research gap regarding the perceptions of tying SEM to the success. Thus, success metrics are vital in assessing the achievement of enrolment, retention and graduation goals. This study employs a combination of survey results and a formal content analysis methodology from a series of in-depth face-to-face interviews with both senior and programme managers at a self-financed institution in Hong Kong. The research identifies the perceived importance of different components related to enrolment, retention and graduation successes and examines differences in these perceptions between senior management and programme management. New success metrics (availability of an Honours degree programme, the employability ratio and student learning outcomes) are found in both enrolment and graduation stages which are quantified as perceived SEM success in a self-financed institution in Hong Kong.     

The efficacy of directed studies courses as a form of undergraduate research experience: a comparison of instructor and student perspectives on course dynamics

Directed studies (DS) courses are widely touted for their ability to enhance research skills in undergraduate students—yet little is known about the dynamics, motivations, and perceived outcomes connected to these specific types of undergraduate research experiences. Building on earlier qualitative research, in this paper we report the results of a self-report survey designed to directly compare instructor and student perspectives on DS course dynamics at a small, liberal arts university. Samples of students who completed DS courses and instructors who supervised them completed a survey assessing their motives, perceived outcomes, and barriers encountered in their course work. Parallel wording of items in instructor and student surveys permitted comparison of perceptions of DS course dynamics. Results indicated that there were many similarities in how both groups approached DS courses but that there were also several important differences in motives and perceived outcomes pointing to the need for greater communication between instructors and students about their expectations for the course.     

Students’ views on the effectiveness of motivational interviewing for challenging disaffection

Emerging evidence suggests motivational interviewing (MI) is an effective intervention for supporting disaffected students. However, previous literature has failed to establish students’ views on MI. In the present study, three students took part in an individual MI intervention, delivered by three educational psychologists (EPs). Self-report measures of school-based motivation and semi-structured interviews were used to obtain student views, post-intervention and at three month follow-up. EP interview data were also used to contextualise findings from student interviews. Qualitative findings indicated that students were generally enthusiastic about the intervention and perceived some positive impact on behaviour. However, these views were not consistent with questionnaire responses and two of the pupils experienced exclusions around the time of the intervention. The implications of these ambiguous findings are discussed, in relation to contextual factors that are likely to have influenced the effectiveness of the interventions.     

Ready for university? A cross-national study of students’ perceived preparedness for university

Students’ preparedness for higher education is seen as one of the main factors affecting first-year attrition or study success. In this paper we report on a cross-national study in which students’ preparedness for university was measured before students commenced their study at a university in New Zealand or in the Netherlands. This cross-national project provided a unique opportunity to compare students’ perceptions of readiness for university where students are prepared for higher education in quite different secondary school systems. Departing from a transition framework, and comparing the results in both countries using logistic regression techniques to investigate which aspects of readiness could predict perceived preparedness, we discovered similarities in as well as differences between students’ perceived readiness for university study. It could be argued that differences are caused by the different educational systems at secondary level. However, overall we can conclude that, in spite of differences between the educational systems in the two countries, many differences were not remarkable or very significant. This has clear implications for how we view the relative importance of secondary school preparation and tertiary induction. We can expect greater benefit from implementing first-year pedagogical practices in universities that would assist students to develop their academic skills, than from demanding that high schools prepare students better.     

An exploratory study of first-year students at a historically black university campus in South Africa: their academic experiences,success and failure

Abstract

This article reports on a study focusing on the first-year academic experiences, success and failure of a cohort of students at a historically black university campus in South Africa. It examines their academic experiences and factors which influenced their success and failure at the end of the first year. Views were sought from a sample of 100 lecturers and 500 first-year students using quantitative (survey) and qualitative (questionnaire) data collection methods. The results indicate that on the one hand, academic success for this cohort was influenced by class attendance, completion and timely submission of assignments, and group discussions/group work. On the other hand, academic failure was attributed to late submission of assignments, inability to ask questions and poor communication skills. The results also point to a need to pay serious attention to improving the academic learning environment of first-year students in order to enhance students’ chances of success.     

Evaluating student satisfaction - restricting lecturer professionalism: outcomes of using the UK national student survey questionnaire for internal student evaluation of teaching

Abstract

In the neo-liberal context of a UK university, responding to student feedback in order to raise student satisfaction levels is important in improving National Student Survey (NSS) scores. This article focuses on the impact of a UK university’s new student feedback questionnaire - for individual modules - which used the NSS questions. The research draws on survey data (N?=?101) to identify lecturers’ views and three student focus groups. The outcomes raised issues relating to performativity, professionalism and ‘provision’, the latter defined as the university’s contract with each student, including the aspects that affect the student learning experience but are beyond the lecturers’ control, for example, class sizes and timetables. The results indicate that by recognising the impact of provision university managers may be better able to develop systemic improvements to student experience and (in the UK) a corresponding uplift in NSS and Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) results. The article puts forward a model linking performativity, professionalism and provision to the relationships between university managers, academics and students. This model could enrich understandings of professionalism and performativity, extend the range of issues affecting student experience in SETs and support data analysis in future research studies.     

How Social Class Differences Affect Students' Experience of University

The present paper outlines the experiences reported by students from different social class backgrounds who have recently graduated from university. Students from manual skilled and partly skilled backgrounds were classed as disadvantaged, while students from professional or intermediate backgrounds were classed as advantaged. Data were collected from the same cohort of students on seven occasions across their university career. Students completed questions about their family background, paid employment, financial concerns, participation in recreational activities, perceptions of academic quality and perceptions of social support. Results showed that students from disadvantaged backgrounds were less likely to have parents that attended university, more likely to have been in paid employment, less likely to have participated in non‐academic activities and spent fewer evenings per week socializing compared with students from advantaged backgrounds. Also, there was some evidence of less positive perceptions of social support among disadvantaged students. However, there were no social class differences in ratings of teaching quality and all students reported high levels of financial concern. These findings are discussed in relation to proposed changes to the way higher education is funded in Britain and the implications these changes will have on recruiting students from disadvantaged backgrounds.