Memorandum 82
Further submission from Bernard Longden[337]
and Mantz Yorke[338]
RESEARCH DATA
SUBMISSION
Full-time first year undergraduate university
provision: the gap between expectation and experience
ABSTRACT
— Full-time student experience in the
UK has been under researched without a robust potential for trend
analysis. — The survey covers a diverse range of universities
in the UK—data collection occurring in 2005-6. — The
analysis focuses on the gap between student experience and expectation
of first year university life.
INTRODUCTION
1. This submission is grounded on data collected
during the academic year 2005-06. The full report has been published
and available on the Higher Education Academy website (Yorke and
Longden, 2007).
2. In the light of presentations of this data
to several academic audiences over the past academic year it was
decided to provide the data with a limited commentary to support
it to I.U.S. Select Committee.
3. wenty-five institutions, spanning a wide
range of institutional types from "Russell Group" universities
to institutions specialising in Art and Design, expressed a willingness
to participate in the project. Nine broad subject areas were represented,
spanning a wide range of disciplines.
4. 7,109 usable questionnaires were generated.
RESEARCH QUESTION
Is there a gap between the expectation and experience
for the first year students?
5. The data collection provided the opportunity
to dichotomise the responses into those students who had considered
leaving university, for what ever reason, and those who had not
considered the option.
6. Data was collected as part of the Higher Education
Academy study on the first year student experience of university.
Responses to the questionnaire were subjected to a factor analysis
in an attempt to identify latent variables. The data reduction
identified five such variables that form the basis of this analysis.
The latent variables are labelled
"Coping with academic demands of university
life";
"Supportive teaching";
"Stimulating learning environment",
"Understanding the academic demands made
by the university".
7. Each one of these latent variables is
assessed against the dichotomised variable for considering withdrawing
from university during the first few mouths of integration into
university life.
8. Where appropriate statistical confidence
measures are provided.
Data
9. The survey sample reports that about
thirty percent of the population had considered leaving at some
stage. This can be interpreted as a measure of mismatch between
the expectation and the experience of first year university life.
Elsewhere possible reasons for early departure have been considered.(Yorke
et al., 1997; Yorke, 1999; Longden, 2004).
10. It might be expected that selecting
the university of choice would require a sound level of understanding
of the university selected—its facilities, organisation,
structures etc. However there is a considerable gap between those
students who had considered leaving and those who had not considered.
The analysis indicates that the percentage who had considered
withdrawing while having a good level of knowledge of their chosen
university were twenty eight percentage points lower than those
who had not considered leaving. The difference is significant
at p<0.01.
INDEPENDENT SAMPLES TEST
|
| Levene's Test for Equality of Variances
| t-test for Equality of Means
|
| | |
| | | |
| 95% Confidence
|
| | |
| | | |
| Interval of the
|
| | |
| | | Mean
| Std Error | Difference
|
| F |
Sig | t
| df | Sig (2-tailed)
| Difference | Difference
| Lower | Upper
|
|
Considered withdrawal? Equal variances
assumed
| 132.507 | .000
| 4.874 | 6864
| .000 | .091
| .019 | .055
| .128 |
| Equal variances | |
| 5.362 | 830.653
| .000 | .091
| .017 | .058
| .125 |
| not assumed | |
| | | |
| | | |
|
11. Similarly the level of understanding of the subject
selected to study at university is twenty percentage points lower
for those who had considered leaving university in their first
year and who had a considerable knowledge of their subject. The
difference is significant at p<0.01.
INDEPENDENT SAMPLES TEST
|
| Levene's Test for Equality of Variances
| t-test for Equality of Means
|
| | |
| | | |
| 95% Confidence
|
| | |
| | | |
| Interval of the
|
| | |
| | | Mean
| Std. Error | Difference
|
| F |
Sig | t
| df | Sig (2-tailed)
| Difference | Difference
| Lower | Upper
|
|
| Considered withdrawal? Equal variances | 194.191
| .000 | 5.782
| 6863 | .000
| .105 | .018
| .069 | .140
|
| assumed | | |
| | |
| | | |
| Equal variances | |
| 6.467 | 919.409
| .000 | .105
| .016 | .073
| .137 |
| not assumed | |
| | | |
| | | |
|
12. Frequency of attending university is a proxy for
commitment to and assimilation into university life. Students
who had considered leaving were forty six percentage points lower
for high level of attendance at the university compared to those
students who had not considered leaving.
13. Another proxy for commitment in the study was the
level of private or personal study undertaken each week. Students
defined as undertaking a high frequency of study when dichotomised
on the question relating to considering withdrawing showed a considerable
gap (fifty percentage points) ie student fully engaged and committed
to university life were more likely to commit to private study
at a higher frequency than those less committed to university
life.
14. Understanding the demands made by the university
indicates that a gap exists between the two groups. Those declaring
a considerable understanding and who had not considered withdrawing
are fifty eight percentage points difference compared to those
who had considered withdrawing. The difference is significant
at p<0.01.
INDEPENDENT SAMPLES TEST
|
| Levene's Test for Equality of Variances
| t-test for Equality of Means
|
| | |
| | | |
| 95% Confidence
|
| | |
| | | |
| Interval of the
|
| | |
| | | Mean
| Std. Error | Difference
|
| F |
Sig | t
| df | Sig (2-tailed)
| Difference | Difference
| Lower | Upper
|
|
| Considered withdrawal? Equal variances | 115.009
| .000 | 11.904
| 6254 | .000
| .264 | .0228
| .221 | .308
|
| assumed | | |
| | |
| | | |
| Equal variances | |
| 10.734 | 487.612
| .000 | .264
| .025 | .216
| .313 |
| not assumed | |
| | | |
| | | |
|
15. Awareness of the support teaching systems offered
by the university indicates that students fully engaged with the
university are sixty percentage points different when compared
to those students who had considered leaving with a probability
value of p<0.01.
INDEPENDENT SAMPLES TEST
|
| Levene's Test for Equality of Variances
| t-test for Equality of Means
|
| | |
| | | |
| 95% Confidence
|
| | |
| | | |
| Interval of the
|
| | |
| | | Mean
| Std. Error | Difference
|
| F |
Sig | t
| df | Sig (2-tailed)
| Difference | Difference
| Lower | Upper
|
|
| Considered withdrawal? Equal variances | 130.554
| .000 | 16.261
| 6221 | .000
| .316 | .019
| .278 | .354
|
| assumed | | |
| | |
| | | |
| Equal variances | |
| 14.813 | 679.722
| .000 | .316
| .021 | .274
| .357 |
| not assumed | |
| | | |
| | | |
|
16. Perception of the level of feedback on assessment
work provided by the university again indicates that those students
fully engaged with the university and persistent have a higher
positive perception about the nature and quality of the feedback
they received from the university committed compared to those
student who had considered leaving. The difference is significant
at p<0.01.
INDEPENDENT SAMPLES TEST
|
| Levene's Test for Equality of Variances
| t-test for Equality of Means
|
|
| | |
| | | |
| 95% Confidence
|
| | |
| | | |
| Interval of the
|
| | |
| | | Mean
| Std. Error | Difference
|
| F |
Sig | t
| df | Sig (2-tailed)
| Difference | Difference
| Lower | Upper
|
| Considered withdrawal? Equal variances | 265.685
| .000 | 10.436
| 5834 | .000
| .149 | .014
| .121 | .176
|
| assumed | | |
| | |
| | | |
| Equal variances | |
| 9.812 | 1933.788
| .000 | .149
| .015 | .119
| .178 |
| not assumed | |
| | | |
| | | |
|
17. The gap between those who had considered withdrawing
and those who had not considered withdrawing suggest that when
there is recognition of the quantity and quality of supportive
teaching provided by the university evident then those who had
not considered withdrawing are sixty percentage points better.
The difference between the two values is significant at p<0.01.
INDEPENDENT SAMPLES TEST
|
| Levene's Test for Equality of Variances
| t-test for Equality of Means
|
| | |
| | | |
| 95% Confidence
|
| | |
| | | |
| Interval of the
|
| | |
| | | Mean
| Std. Error | Difference
|
| F |
Sig | t
| df | Sig (2-tailed)
| Difference | Difference
| Lower | Upper
|
|
| Considered withdrawal? Equal variances | 130.554
| .000 | 16.261
| 6221 | .000
| .316 | .019
| .278 | .354
|
| assumed | | |
| | |
| | | |
| Equal variances | |
| 14.813 | 679.722
| .000 | .316
| .021 | .274
| .357 |
| not assumed | |
| | | |
| | | |
|
18. The latent variable termed "Coping" provides
two interesting measures when dichotomised for considering withdrawing.
In both cases the percentage is stronger for those who had not
considered withdrawing, however those who were coping less effectively
suggest a greater gap between those who had considered withdrawing
and those who had not. This difference is significant at p<0.01.
INDEPENDENT SAMPLES TEST
|
| Levene's Test for Equality of Variances
| t-test for Equality of Means
|
| | |
| | | |
| 95% Confidence
|
| | |
| | | |
| Interval of the
|
| | |
| | | Mean
| Std. Error | Difference
|
| F |
Sig | t
| df | Sig (2-tailed)
| Difference | Difference
| Lower | Upper
|
|
| Considered withdrawal? Equal variances | 370.017
| .000 | 18.298
| 6011 | .000
| .271 | .015
| .242 | .300
|
| assumed | | |
| | |
| | | |
| Equal variances | |
| 16.714 | 1518.007
| .000 | .271
| .016 | .239
| .302 |
| not assumed | |
| | | |
| | | |
|
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
AND COMMENTS
ON THE
ANALYSIS PRESENTED
19. The first year student experience is critical to
the process of social and academic integration into the university
community. In each of the latent variables those students who
had not considered withdrawing from the university community were
always percentage points higher than those who had considered
leaving early. In several cases the difference was substantial
and significant.
20. Consideration about the level of commitment to university
life is complex and multifaceted. Research on student retention
and success discussed by Yorke and Longden (2004) has identified
that universities themselves are able to make a difference for
some students. If the student experience is considered by the
university as important and the students' experience appreciated
then a more effective higher education outcome is possible.
21. In this sample, with all the caveats about representativeness
and sample size, it is a possible surprise that one in three first
year undergraduate students had considered withdrawing from their
chosen university and their chosen degree subject.
22. Considering the implications of the differences between
the dichotomised groups based on consideration to withdraw, it
is possible to track the possible barriers that force the dichotomy.
23. The first is marketing.
24. It would appear from the analysis of the data that
despite the considerable resource devoted to marketing and providing
information by each university there would appear to be a disjunction
for the two groups. Marketing and recruitment are required to
steer a fine line between the polemics of hype, spin, hyperbole
and data, information, fact. Clearly there is a problem about
the nature of information provided, access to that information,
understanding the information and interpretation of the information
as it relates to the individual student. If information is basic
is there a risk that it will be rejected?
25. The second issue relates to engagement to academic
study.
26. The data relating to time spent in the university
and the time spent in private personal study suggest differences
that are significant. While these measures can be interpreted
as proxy measures there is risk of taking the wrong weighting
for their importance. It is worthy of note that for both measures,
students who commit to attend with a high frequency—five
day per week ( background information not provided in this report)
and those who engage in a high level of private study, do not
consider withdrawing from university. This can be interpreted
as these students are more likely to integrate and assimilate
into the university community faster and presumably be potentially
more settled and with increased potential for success.
27. For each of the latent variables identified in the
factor analysis the gap between the two groups is consistent and
significant. Perceptions about nature and value of feedback, the
effort to provide an effective learning environment, to understand
the demands that study at first degree level demands all indicate
that students that integrate and experience a positive attitude
to university life have positive stronger views about the level
of support provided by their university.
28. These analyses provide an opportunity to tease out
the qualities that contribute to success while on the obverse
side allowing an insight into those aspects of the first year
experience that may act as a barrier to that success. Universities
might wish to consider the student responses in planning the first
year student experience.
January 2009
REFERENCESLongden, B. (2004).
Interpreting student early departure from higher education through
the lens of cultural capital. Tertiary Education and Management
10 (2): 121-138
Yorke, M. (1999). Leaving early: undergraduate non-completion
in Higher Education. London: Falmer.
Yorke, M., Bell, R., Dove, A., Haslam, E., Hughes-Jones, H., Longden,
B., O' Connell, C., Typuszak, R., and Ward, J. (1997). Undergraduate
non-completion in Higher Education in England Commissioned Report
for the Higher Education Funding Council for England. December
1997 Bristol: Higher Education Funding Council for England. accessible
Yorke, M., and Longden, B. (2007). The first year experience of
higher education in the UK: Report of Phase 1 of a project funded
by the Higher Education Academy. Last accessed 13 November 2008,
from http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/research/surveys/fye
Yorke, M., and Longden, B. (Eds.). (2004). Retention and Student
Success in Higher Education. Buckingham: Society for Research
into Higher Education and Open University Press.
337
Bernard Longden-professor of higher education policy at Liverpool
Hope University. Back
338
Mantz Yorke-visiting professor Lancaster University. Back
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