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TATIONpRÆSEN
6 May 2013CENTER FOR UNDERVISNING OG LÆRINGSCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCESAARHUS UNIVERSITET
Factors underlying student satisfactionKim Jesper Herrmann, Msc., PhDCentre for Teaching and Learning, Aarhus [email protected]
Factors underlying student satisfactionKim Jesper Herrmann 6 May 2013
CENTER FOR UNDERVISNING OG LÆRINGSCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCESAARHUS UNIVERSITET
2
Outline
› Aarhus University Student
Survey
› Dimensions
› Predictors of student
satisfaction
› International perspectives
› Conclusion
Factors underlying student satisfactionKim Jesper Herrmann 6 May 2013
CENTER FOR UNDERVISNING OG LÆRINGSCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCESAARHUS UNIVERSITET
3
Background
› Elite mass university
› ”[research] suggest that there is something the university teachers can do about learning – not by trying to change the students, but by trying to change the context experienced by the students” (Prosser & Trigwell, 1999:7, emphasis added)
› Which factors are important?
Factors underlying student satisfactionKim Jesper Herrmann 6 May 2013
CENTER FOR UNDERVISNING OG LÆRINGSCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCESAARHUS UNIVERSITET
4
Survey
› Aarhus University 2007 and 2011
› Questionnaire:› Surveys of psycho-social work
environment› Study environment surveys› Theories of learning
› n (2011)=11,402
› Response rate = 37 per cent
Factors underlying student satisfactionKim Jesper Herrmann 6 May 2013
CENTER FOR UNDERVISNING OG LÆRINGSCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCESAARHUS UNIVERSITET
5
Dimensions
› Methods› Principal Factor Analysis › Varimax rotation› Kaiser’s criterion› n=11,402
› Physical surroundings (a=,823)
› Constructive alignment (a=,861)
› Feedback (a=,871)
› Work load (a=,734)
› Contact with teachers (a=,758)
› Social infrastructure (a=,683)
› Study groups (a=,706)
› Stress (a=,817)
› Self-efficacy (a=,756)
› Social integration (a=,768)
› Academic integration (a=,707)
› Satisfaction (a=,657)
Factors underlying student satisfactionKim Jesper Herrmann 6 May 2013
CENTER FOR UNDERVISNING OG LÆRINGSCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCESAARHUS UNIVERSITET
6
Predictors of student satisfaction › What predicts student
satisfaction?
› Methods:› Multiple regression (least square)› n=7,393› Y: student satisfaction and well-being› Xn: perception of learning environment› Adjusted R2 = 0.547› Shown here: Zero-order Pearsons r
correlation coefficients› All correlations are statistically significant
at the 0.05 level
› Social integration (r=,541)
› Academic integration (r=,512)
› Social infrastructure (r=,400)
› Constructive alignment (r=,342)
› Work load (r=-316,)
› Contact with teachers (r=,254)
› Study groups (r=,232)
› Feedback (r=,200)
› Physical surroundings (r=,191)
› Stress (r=-,151)
Factors underlying student satisfactionKim Jesper Herrmann 6 May 2013
CENTER FOR UNDERVISNING OG LÆRINGSCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCESAARHUS UNIVERSITET
7
The (statistically) happy student
› ”I feel like being part of an academic community” (academic integration)
› ”The other students are kind and cooperative” (social integration)
› ”There are places for us to meet outside class” (social infrastructure)
› ”It is quite clear what I am expected to learn” (constructive alignment)
› ”I am usually up to speed with set course work” (workload)
› ”Teachers around here seem to care about students” (contact with teachers)
› ”In most semesters, I am part of a study group” (study group)
› ”I can get feedback on assignments” (feedback)
Factors underlying student satisfactionKim Jesper Herrmann 6 May 2013
CENTER FOR UNDERVISNING OG LÆRINGSCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCESAARHUS UNIVERSITET
8
The (statistically) unhappy student
› ”Most courses are quite dull” (academic integration)
› ”I often feel lonely at university” (social integration)
› ”There are no opportunities for students to meet outside classes” (social
infrastructure)
› ”What we learn is not reflected in the way we are assessed” (constructive
alignment)
› ”You can’t possibly keep up with assignments” (workload)
› ”You never see teachers around here” (contact with teachers)
› ” Students here don’t help each other out” (study group)
› ”Grades are the only source of feedback in this programme” (feedback)
Factors underlying student satisfactionKim Jesper Herrmann 6 May 2013
CENTER FOR UNDERVISNING OG LÆRINGSCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCESAARHUS UNIVERSITET
9
The (statistically) unhappy student
› ”Most courses are quite dull” (academic integration)
› ”I often feel lonely at university” (social integration)
› ”There are no opportunities for students to meet outside classes” (social
infrastructure)
› ”What we learn is not reflected in the way we are assessed” (constructive alignment)
› ”You can’t possibly keep up with assignments” (workload)
› ”You never see teachers around here” (contact with teachers)
› ” Students here don’t help each other out” (study group)
› ”Grades are the only source of feedback in this programme” (feedback)
Factors underlying student satisfactionKim Jesper Herrmann 6 May 2013
CENTER FOR UNDERVISNING OG LÆRINGSCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCESAARHUS UNIVERSITET
10
Departmental differences
Factors underlying student satisfactionKim Jesper Herrmann 6 May 2013
CENTER FOR UNDERVISNING OG LÆRINGSCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCESAARHUS UNIVERSITET
11
Constructive alignment
› Items:› Clear learning objectives› Clear assesment criteria› Clearly communicated expectations› Provision of appropriate learning
opportunities› Congruence between objectives and
assessment
› Suggestions:› Meaningful and formalised learning
activities› Alignment› Meta-communication
“The intended learning outcomes stated in the curriculum are meaningless. They are abstract descriptions that apply to any course and they say absolutely nothing about what is expected. […] This uncertainty is very stressful” (Psychology student).
“The problem is that it’s unclear what is expected of you at the examination. I think this is because teachers don’t talk about it or – more important – that there is no coherence between how we are taught and how we are assessed. Teaching is good. I just wish that there were some written assignment [as at the examination]. Some teachers [names] experiment with written assignments. I think this it good because it makes it clear what is expected of us students” (Political Science student, emphasis added)
Factors underlying student satisfactionKim Jesper Herrmann 6 May 2013
CENTER FOR UNDERVISNING OG LÆRINGSCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCESAARHUS UNIVERSITET
12
Academic integration
› Items› Growing interest in the subject matter› Feeling of belonging to an academic
community
› Results› High in the natural and technical sciences
and in medical science› Lower in social sciences and arts
› Suggestions› Early opportunities to become a
‘scientist’› Authentic problems› Collaboration with faculty on small-scale
research projects
“During my bachelor’s we weren’t assigned to any particular lab and thus you felt as if you didn’t belong anywhere […] This changed once we started to attend the same lab. Now you get in touch with other molecular biologist. (Molecular Biology student, emphasis added).“The good thing [about working in the laboratory] is that you start to bond with the staff.”(Molecular Biology student, emphasis added).
Factors underlying student satisfactionKim Jesper Herrmann 6 May 2013
CENTER FOR UNDERVISNING OG LÆRINGSCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCESAARHUS UNIVERSITET
13
Why bother if students are happy?
› Moral imperative?
› Learning environment › Retention› Quality of students approaches to
learning› Amount of effort invested› Learning outcomes
› (see e.g. Parpala et al. [2013])
Factors underlying student satisfactionKim Jesper Herrmann 6 May 2013
CENTER FOR UNDERVISNING OG LÆRINGSCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCESAARHUS UNIVERSITET
14
The ETL-project
Source: Entwistle (2009: 180)
Factors underlying student satisfactionKim Jesper Herrmann 6 May 2013
CENTER FOR UNDERVISNING OG LÆRINGSCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCESAARHUS UNIVERSITET
15
Conclusion› Student satisfaction depends on …
› … feeling part of a social and academic community which is promoted by a …
› … learning environment supporting› constructive alignment,› frequent and respectful teacher-student
interaction,› students’ academic and social interaction
› These factors relate to high quality learning
› … and they are under our control
Factors underlying student satisfactionKim Jesper Herrmann 6 May 2013
CENTER FOR UNDERVISNING OG LÆRINGSCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND SOCIAL SCIENCESAARHUS UNIVERSITET
16
ReferencesBiggs, J. (2012). What the Student Does: Teaching for Enhanced Learning. Higher Education Research and Development, 31, 39-55.
Entwistle, N. (2009). Teaching for Understanding at University: Deep Approaches and Distinctive Ways of Thinking (Universities Into the 21st Century). (1 ed.) Palgrave Macmillan.
Parpala, A., Lindblom-Ylänne, S., Komulainen, E. & Entwistle N. (2013) Assessing students’ experiences of teaching-learning environment and approaches to learning: Validation of a questionnaire in different countries an varying context, Learning Environment Research,
Prosser, M. T. & Trigwell, K. (1999). Understanding Learning and Teaching: The Experience in Higher Education. SRHE and Open University Press.
Online ressources:
Centre for Teaching and Learning: www.cul.au.dk
ETL-project: www.etl.tla.ed.ac.uk
Study Environment Survey 2011: www.au.dk/studiemiljo2011