Where did it all go right? Study habits, attitudes & expectations among students who stay

1. Where did it all go right?Study habits, attitudes & expectationsamong students who stay Anna Round Student Services Centre Northumbria University anna.round@northumbria.ac.uk

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about university (e.g. media stereotypes, individual opinions, ‘hearsay’, poorly-informed teachers/advisers, out-of-date sources)

3. 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?

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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%)

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. Expectations of academic demands Academic demands compared to expectations & adjustment

11. Expectations of academic support Accurate expectations/‘pleasant surprises’ = good adjustment

12. Expectations about study habits Accurate expectations = good adjustment

13. Expectations & Adjustment Expectations about study & adjustment

14. Expectations & Adjustment Expectations about physical environment & adjustment

15. Expectations and satisfaction • Students who accurately estimatedworkload 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 estimatedacademic 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%)

16. 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’

17. 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 supportandone-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 andlecturers’ explanations

18. 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

19. 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)

20. Reasons for ‘low’ private study

21. Academic orientation

22. Study habits (self-assessment!)

23. Motivation

24. Types of motivation

25. 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 adjustmentcorrelates with ‘hard work’ and high motivation

26. Entry decisions, withdrawal and study habits • Students were asked about reasons for choosing HE, Northumbria & their course • Subject interestat 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

27. ‘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

28. Questions?