Where did it all go right?

Study habits, attitudes & expectations

among students who stay

Anna RoundStudent Services

CentreNorthumbria Universityanna.round@northumbria.ac.u

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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about university (e.g. media stereotypes, individual opinions, ‘hearsay’, poorly-informed teachers/advisers, out-of-date sources)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?