Where did it all go right?

Study habits, attitudes & expectations among students who stay

Anna Round Student Services Centre Northumbria University [email protected]

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about university (e.g. media stereotypes, individual opinions, ‘hearsay’, poorly informed teachers/advisers, out-of-date sources)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 academic support the amount of 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 1:1 contact time the amount of 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

workload on their course…   estimated the 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

100 80 60 61 81 90 40 20 0 good academic adjustment 71 91 70 30 50 70 48 64 90 good social adjustment consistent worker easy to understand content rationale heavier as expected lighter

Expectations of academic support

Accurate expectations/‘pleasant surprises’ = good adjustment

100 80 67 76 60 92 61 88 92 56 79 83 79 83 68 92 72 56 44 40 33 20 16 0 good academic adjustment good social adjustment good time manager easy to understand content rationale good independent worker financial worries expectations too high expectations accurate expectations too low

Expectations about study habits

Accurate expectations = good adjustment

100 80 83 87 81 81 69 62 60 56 50 44 40 18 20 0 good academic adjustment good social adjustment good time manager easy to understand content rationale good independent worker accurate inaccurate

Expectations & Adjustment

Expectations about study & adjustment

100 80 83 79 82 79 84 74 60 60 52 48 47 44 40 29 20

good time management good independent worker

0 accurate inaccurate inde pe nde nt le arning accurate inaccurate te aching me thods accurate inaccurate acade mic staff

Expectations & Adjustment

Expectations about physical environment & adjustment 100 80 60 40 20 0

78 54 72 38

accurate inaccurate good time management good independent learner

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 more likely to say that it is ‘too heavy’ (35%) than students who accurately estimated workload (11%) are significantly 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 demands (15%) underestimated academic demands are significantly more likely to say these are it is ‘too difficult’ (36%) than students who accurately estimated academic

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 independent learners expectations of… have accurate pace at which they are required to become       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

60 54 52 50 40 34 30 20 10 0 I'm doing enough I lack motivation I think I understand it well enough 34 27 19 7 It's boring social life too busy earning money personal/medical

Academic orientation

40 20 0 100 80 60 72 23 14 I found my course very interesting 74 18 8 intellectual satisfaction 84 12 3 learn new things strongly agree/agree not sure disagree/strongly disagree

Study habits (self-assessment!)

80 73 66 60 48 40 22 30 20 17 9 19 16 0 I worked consistently good time management good independent study skills strongly agree/agree not sure disagree/strongly disagree

Motivation

100 80 91 60 40 20 0 52 38 48 28 20 14 7 1 difficult to get motivated need to know how I'm doing to get motivated inherent ability is the main factor in university achievement strongly agree/agree not sure disagree/strongly disagree

Types of motivation

95 100 80 60 40 57 45 40 20 18 25 15 0 only want to study topics I believe to be relevant to my career generally only did minimum work 64 35 15 5 0 want to get high marks often find my course boring but will stick with it to get a good job strongly agree/agree not sure disagree/strongly disagree

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 be an independent learner academic orientation and the were associated with need to higher and a stronger ‘sense of belonging’ Accurate expectations about academic staff with a stronger ‘ sense of belonging ’ E were associated Expectations of academic demands and workload appear

not

to correlate strongly with actual hours of private study Good social adjustment high motivation correlates with ‘ hard work ’ and

      

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?