Personal Tutoring - What s tudents want : First Year Students Experiences

2. Personal Tutoring - What students want : First Year Students Experiences Background: • Transition: many not prepared for managing the demands of Higher Education (e.g. Cook & Leckey, 1999) • Early intervention: ‘bridge the gap between school and university quickly & effectively’ (e.g. Lowe & Cook, 2003) • Social and Academic Integration: academic and social integration are vital during students’ first year at University, as is institutional commitment to giving support (e.g. Tinto, 1996, 2002) • Sense of Belonging: a ‘sense of belonging in students’ can make the difference between ‘dropping out’ and staying on for some students (e.g.Kember, Lee & Li, 2002)

3. Student Perspectives on Personal Tutoring: What do students want? Hixenbaugh P., Pearson C., Williams. D. (2006) • Aim: To explore the experiences of our first year students and personal tutors (Regent Street Campus) • Design: • Questionnaire to all teaching staff • Questionnaire to all first year students • Interviews 1st year course representatives – Psychology, Modern Languages, English and Law • Focus Groups – 48 1st year Psychology undergraduates • Interviews - with 15 1st, 2nd and 3rd year undergraduates

4. Results: • Teaching Staff Questionnaire - Main Points: • Agreement 1st year tutees have the greatest need for personal tutoring • Majority 62% felt the personal tutoring system was working well for both staff and students • Student Questionnaire – Questions: • Considered ‘dropping out’? • Who they had talked to? • Personal tutoring – frequency, continuity, accessibility, helpfulness & satisfaction, wanted, improvement

5. Findings: • 69.8% - met personal tutor during Induction • 10.5% - didn’t know the name of personal tutor • 55% - stated didn’t need to see personal tutor – although some had on 15 or more occasions • Data suggested: • Students wanted to see their personal tutor more than they needed to see them • Students gained a sense of support from the knowledge that they could approach their personal tutor – regardless of whether they needed to or not

6. Retention: • 18.6% - considered ‘dropping out’ – financial difficulty, volume/pressure/difficulty of work, feeling overwhelmed • Data suggested: • Lack of confidence – ability to cope with demands • Social Network system – main source of support • Cause of concern – 26.3% reported not discussing this with anyone

7. Personal Tutoring wanted: • Academic and Personal Advice • Continuity • Greater Accessibility • Dissatisfaction - most were actually happy with personal tutors - small number expressed dissatisfaction suggesting tutors needed to: • Understand students better • Cooperate with students more • Be more reliable • Form closer links • Structured regular sessions with active feedback and some sessions compulsory

8. Student Focus Groups and Interviews: • 1. First Contact with Personal Tutor: • All had met their personal tutor during induction • Initial meeting positive - exchange relevant information • All but one reported being happy with the initial contact • 2. Personal experience of Personal Tutoring System • Amount of Contact - sporadic but all had seen personal tutors at least twice. Very little development of relationship with tutor for most

9. Accessibility – major issue for most students • Practical Level – accessible through office hours, email & phone. BUT stressed need for speedy responses • Personal Level – overall positive experience • tutors seen as ‘busy people’ reluctant to bother them • tutors ‘gender’ raised • approachability: • positive = sociable, helpful & understanding • negative = general manner, tone of voice, no familiarity

10. Support: • Academic Support – overall positive. Academic support seemed to take two forms: • University Processes: advice was given on processes such as plagiarism and internal referrals, fees and module enquires • Course Related Issues:advice in terms of referrals to appropriate material, books, websites and other staff • Personal Support – concern none of the students had seen their personal tutors on personal matters • one student would have been appropriate • others felt unable to go to their personal tutor – despite actually experiencing difficulties

11. Suggestions: • Enforced Meetings – not just ‘drop in sessions’ • Email Contact - by students • Academic Tutorials – throughout 1st yr. • Selection of tutors – more selective • Mobile phones contact – main contact source for students • Coverage for absenteeism • Conclusions: • System working well in places • Evidence of good practice • Students wanted more structure • Personal tutors should take more active role • Students want to be able to relate to tutors, they should be enthusiastic and care about them • Overall Conclusion – we should be PROACTIVE not REACTIVE

12. Other research findings relevant to retention: • Students both implicitly and explicitly reported that they had developed a ‘lack of motivation to attend’ • Isolation – have to make a number of difficult transitional moves: directed to self-directed learning; controlled to self-control; familiarity to anonymity; teaching led tutorial to student led tutorial contact • Demoralisation– heavy work load; deadlines; perceived lack of help from staff; fear of failure • In turn this led to feelings about ‘dropping out’ – wanted better pastoral care and a clearer definition of tutoring system

13. What changes were made? • Major changes in particular to level 4 – across the University • Department of Psychology: • Induction – social event to meet Personal Tutors, Key staff and other staff members • Tutoring linked to year long core module – Research Methods – Practical sessions taken by tutors • Full time/fractional staff only • Designated Office hours - two hours per week • E-Mentoring • Attendance monitoring and follow up • 1st Year Coordinator

14. Personal Tutor Policy ‘organic process’ – systematic reviews of quality and standards; Proactive Approach • Other Initiatives: • 30 credit year long modules – continuity, deep learning • Westminster Change Academy - joint project with SU • Student Forum – agenda set by students (3 per year) • Student Charter - • Has it made a difference? • Retention rates are improving year on year. • Contact: pearsoc@wmin.ac.uk