HERE Project Interim Report 2008-2009

What Works? Student
Retention and Success
Programme

Interim report 2008-9

The HERE Project

Submitted: 25th September 2009 to inclusion@heacademy.ac.uk.

HERE Project Interim Report 2008-09 Page 1 of 129

Introduction
1.1.Institutional context

The HERE project is a joint collaborative project operated by Nottingham
Trent University (NTU), Bournemouth University (BU) and the University of
Bradford (UB). NTU is the lead partner.
The project team is as follows:

Nottingham Bournemouth University of
Trent University University Bradford
Steering Group Professor Nigel Dr Janet Hanson Professor Geoff
Representatives Hastings, Pro-vice Head of Academic Layer, Pro-Vice
Chancellor Services Chancellor
(Steering Group (Learning &
Chair) Teaching)

Project Staff Ed Foster, Study Christine Keenan, Becka Currant,
Support Co- Teaching Fellow, Dean of Students,
ordinator, Centre School of Design,
for Academic Engineering & Ruth Lefever,
Standards & Computing Research Assistant
Quality (CASQ)
Natalie Bates,
Sarah Lawther, Research Assistant,
Learning & School of Design,
Teaching Officer Engineering &
(CASQ) Computing


Project Background

1.2.Project background, to include:

1.2.1.Aims and objectives
1.2.2.Primary topic/focus and other topics/foci (e.g. academic support,
personal tutoring, study skills development etc)
1.2.3.Target group(s) (if any);
1.2.4.Stage of student lifecycle;
1.2.5.Levels of intervention (individual, discipline/department/faculty,
institution)

The HERE Project aims to research two areas related to student retention:
student doubters and programmes with better-than-peer rates of
retention. We are looking to investigate two areas:

Student Doubters
If a higher proportion of students consider leaving than actually leave, what can
we learn from those ‘doubters’ about staying in higher education? Are there any
systematic differences between doubters and leavers? A basic hypothesis
suggests that students who are less satisfied with their experience, have doubts
about being on the right course, or have considered leaving are more likely to
withdraw from their programme than those who have no doubts1. Different
studies have shown that between 21% (Rickinson & Rutherford, 1995) and 46%
(Ozga & Sukhnandan, 1998) of students have considered leaving their
programme. In 2004-05, 8.4% of UK students did not progress into the second
year (NAO, 2007). However, researchers (Mackie (2001) and Roberts et al
(2003) found differences amongst groups of doubters that meant that many
doubters remained on their courses despite their concerns.

The HERE project is therefore targeting first year students to explore the issues of
doubting:

• Are doubters actually more likely to become leavers than non-doubters?

1
This may be more ‘normal’ amongst young students. There is some evidence that amongst
mature students and those with family commitments, it is often an external crisis (for example
a partner being made unemployed or family illness) that leads to withdrawal (Ozga &
Sukhnandan (1998), Quinn et al (2005)


• Are there any factors amongst doubters that appear to be stronger predictors
for withdrawing? (For example do doubters who leave have lower levels of
satisfaction with course factors, future goals or friendships?)
• Amongst doubters who stay, what factors helped them remain at university?
What were the most important issues and how can institutions make use of
these findings?

Programmes with better-than-peer rates of retention
There is a high degree of variation between the withdrawals rates of students on
different programmes. Some are nationally recognised as having poorer rates of
retention (typically STEM subjects, Business Studies etc) and others traditionally
have very high rates of progression (Law and Art & Design). However within
ostensibly similar programmes there are often striking differences in retention
rates. Staff at NTU conducted an analysis of withdrawals amongst first year
programmes (2005-06 data set) and within programmes requiring 240 UCAS
points on entry, student withdrawals ranged from 0% to 21%.

The second strand of research will seek to explore programmes that appear be
from subject disciplines with ‘average’ or ‘normal’ rates of retention and yet
appear to have a higher rate of retention than their peers. We will be seeking to
uncover any practices that may account for better rates of retention.

Our primary target will be on exploring the experience of first year students. We
will ensure that over the three years we gather data that includes:

• Students on STEM subjects
• Students from BME backgrounds
• Students studying on part-time programmes

At this stage, we believe that the interventions will be at the institutional and
programme level. Our preliminary feedback from student doubters suggests that
the social factors play a particularly important role in motivating students with
doubts. If this trend is confirmed when we are able to analyse students
withdrawals data (October – December 2009), we will be making
recommendations that institutions consider the manner in which they support
student socialisation. The second strand of research (programmes with better-
than-peer rates of retention) will primarily focus on academic programmes,


although we expect that there will be implications that arise for institutions and
individual teaching/ pastoral support.

Glossary of terms

Doubter – student who has responded ‘yes’ to the survey question ‘have you
considered leaving university at some point this year’ on the Student Transition
Surveys.

Non-doubter – student who has responded ‘no’ to the survey question ‘have you
considered leaving university at some point this year’ on the Student Transition
Surveys.

Retention – We use this word generally to indicate the number or percentage of
students who remain at university rather than strictly meaning the number who
graduate.

Progression – Where we use this phrase we are describing a student who
completes the first year and re-enrols on the second year


1.3.Evaluation approach and methodology

The evaluation approach is as follows:

Strand A - Student Doubters

a. Pilot Study - October 2008 (NTU only)
Targeted at first year students within a larger Welcome Week survey

b. Main Survey March – May 2009 (Bournemouth, Bradford & NTU)
40-question online survey actively promoted to all first year students. This was
disseminated by the market research team at NTU and by the team at Bradford
for Bradford and Bournemouth universities.

c. Focus groups May 2009 (NTU)
4 focus groups (1 hour workshops, 13 students in total)
• Control group of non-doubters
• Selection of doubters
• STEM subject doubters
• Mature student doubters

Initial data analysis conducted summer 2009, more detailed analysis looking for
stronger indicators of key risk factors (see e below)

d. Analysis of Students’ Union Leavers’ Survey June 2009 (Bournemouth
University)
6 first year students were surveyed after withdrawing part way through the
2008-09 academic year.

e. More-detailed analysis of student outcomes Oct 2009 – Jan 2010
(Bournemouth, Bradford & NTU)
All student respondents who gave permission for student records are to be
reviewed to be analysed to identify students who actually withdrew or remained.
This data will then be added to results from the survey to identify factors with the
strongest influence over actual withdrawal or retention.


The cycle of analysis is to be repeated in 2010 – 11. There will be an interim
analysis in 2009 – 10 to help modify the research for the final year.

Strand B - Programmes with better than peer rates of retention

a) Developing Research Methodology (All)

The proposed research methodology is to select programmes with a higher level
of retention than their peers and then to survey the programmes for the presence
of a range of interventions, for example the existence of personal tutoring and its
level of support within the programme.

• Grey literature such as course documentation will be reviewed
• A range of programme staff interviewed
• Students on the programme will be interviewed or surveyed
The data will be triangulated from the three sources and findings will be
compared across programmes to see if there are common practices amongst
successful programmes.

A draft questionnaire has been developed identifying a range of possible
interventions. These questions will be developed and we will use the different
iterations to create a Programme Audit Tool for individual programmes to use to
review their own retention practice.

Over the three years, we propose to review seven programmes at each institution
(21 in total). At this stage we propose to analyse some programmes common to
each institution, for example all three have similar business and social science
courses. We will also ensure that some of the programmes are STEM subjects
and will survey part-time courses.

We are testing the programme audit tool and are aiming to share it with other
interested institutions in 2010-11. It is our intention that they will be able to
contribute to its development.

b) Pilot study of two nursing programmes (Bournemouth University)


The pilot study of two programmes at Bournemouth University gave the
programme team some practical experience working with programme staff and
students and has helped shape the development of the Programme Audit Tool.


2.Progress
2.1.What have you done this year? (Progress against plan, additional activities,
dissemination etc)

Project Management
The project team have been working together since confirmation was received
from HEFCE in August 2008. However, there have been some delays setting up
the contractual and financial arrangements between the three institutions that
were not fully resolved until summer 2009. This has had a particular impact upon
work at the University of Bradford who, without a subcontract and confirmed
payments, were unable to complete the recruitment process for a research
assistant until August 2009.

Research staff were appointed earlier at NTU (October 2008) and Bournemouth
University (April 2009).

The steering group has met twice, June and September 2009, to receive progress
reports and shape the future directions of the work. A more-detailed work plan
has been developed to ensure that we achieve the project’s objectives.

In some respects the project has been able to start quickly. The three key staff
have worked together previously on the Learnhigher CETL. However, the delay in
initial funding and contracts meant that there has been a delay starting the
project. Its effect has been more marked at Bradford University, although we are
confident that we will regain lost ground in years 2 & 3 of the project.

Research Management & Ethical Approval
Ethical approval was sought at NTU from the Joint Inter College Ethics Committee
(JICEC) for both Strand A and Strand B of the research. Approval was granted
for Strand A on 23 March 2009, Strand B was approved 13 May 2009.

Strand A – Student Doubters

Doubters’ Pilot Survey (October 2008)


At NTU, a pilot survey was disseminated to first year students as part of the
Welcome Week2 evaluation in October 2008. 1,059 students responded (16%
response rate). The findings were used to shape the Student Transition Survey.
Although the questions were aimed at the student experience prior to the first
year, we have evidence from doubters about factors that helped them remain in
education.

Student Transition Survey (March – May 2009)
Students were asked 40 questions about a range of factors such as satisfaction
with elements of the course so far, how hard they were finding the studies, and
whether they understood the differences between studying in FE/ VI form and at
university and what made them consider leaving and stay.

NTU
All first year students were invited to respond to an online survey. 656 students
responded (9% response rate), of these, 37% had considered withdrawing during
the first year.

Four focus groups were then facilitated to garner a deeper understanding about
the issues faced by students:

• Control group of non-doubters,
• Random sample of doubters
• Mature students
• Students studying on STEM subjects

In total 13 students participated in the focus groups.

The data has been analysed and preliminary hypotheses developed. The team at
NTU have arranged for statistical analysis experts from the School of Social
Sciences to conduct more detailed analyses of the data.

Bournemouth University
89 students completed the survey, of these 46% had considered withdrawing.

2
Welcome Week is how NTU brands ‘freshers’. It is a collaborative project between the University
and Students’ Union offering an extended range of activities that goes beyond alcohol consumption
and is particularly targeted at the needs of groups such as local students, international students and
mature students.


Furthermore, 6 interviews with students who had withdrawn from university
during the 2008-09 academic year were conducted and analysed.

Students’ Union Leavers’ Survey (June 2009)
The team at Bournemouth worked with the Students’ Union to survey students
who departed during the 2008-09 academic year.

University of Bradford
128 students completed the survey. Initial findings suggest broadly similar
patterns to Bournemouth and NTU, more-detailed analysis is timetabled for the
first term of the 2009-10 academic year.

At this stage though, we have to be a little circumspect about our findings. Our
data demonstrates that a number of factors were important in motivating
students to stay until May 2009, but not necessarily until the end of the academic
year. We are therefore waiting to access the final data sets for the 2008-09
academic years when they are completed at each institution. The academic year
for data collection purposes only ends at the start of the 2009-10 academic year;
final data will only be available to us after October 2009.

Programmes with better-than-peer rates of retention

Staff at Bournemouth completed a pilot study looking at the experience of staff
and students on two nursing programmes at physically distinct locations. 150
students were asked to complete a 10-question survey either side of their first
practice (November – December 2008). Programme staff were interviewed for
their opinions about a range of factors associated with student retention.

NTU
Staff at NTU completed an analysis of the student data set for the 2007-08
academic year to identify programmes with better than peer rates of retention in
two academic schools within NTU: Science & Technology & Social Sciences.


The methodology has been written up and shared within the team to allow the
three partners to use broadly similar approaches.

2.2.What remains outstanding in your plans for 2008-9 and why?

Strand A – Doubters
Due to delays recruiting a research assistant at University of Bradford, we have
been unable to complete the data analysis for the doubters’ survey. This analysis
will be completed between October and December 2009.

Strand B - Programmes
Unfortunately the process of identifying successful programmes has become more
complex than expected. The staff at NTU started by analysing programmes
within the School of Science & Technology and whilst there are programmes that
appear to have a higher rate of retention, they are taught as part of a common
first year with a number of other programmes. The team at NTU will therefore
work with a different school (Social Sciences) in 2009-10. We are therefore
behind the original schedule, as we’d intended to conduct up to two analyses in
the first year. We have re-scheduled our work and plan to conduct a minimum of
four programme analyses in 2009-10. This will bring us back on schedule.

An initial analysis of two nursing programmes at Bournemouth has been
conducted. However, once again the delay recruiting a research assistant has
meant that only a preliminary analysis has been carried out. This analysis has
presented a flavour of the responses from both programmes. The findings have
not been separated into those from the programme with better retention and the
one with poorer and are presented here as an indication of the responses
gathered. In the 2009-2010 academic year, responses will be separated into the
relevant programmes.

2.3.Successes and challenges and implications for future work

Successes
We have surveyed over 2,000 students to identify how many students have
considered leaving their studies. We have detailed information about factors that
lead to students considering leaving and those factors that contribute to staying.


We have extensive information about learning, teaching and lifestyle factors that
impact on the likelihood of doubting.

We are set up to be able to then conduct detailed analysis of those students who
actually withdrew from their studies and be able to compare doubters with
leavers.

Challenges

Delays starting project
As stated earlier, the project started more slowly than we would have liked due to
delays with the initial contract and finance and then setting up the subcontracts
between the partner institutions. The delay has been most noticeable at
University of Bradford, due to the internal operating procedures.

At the June and September Steering Group meetings a revised project plan was
approved and put into action detailing our work plan, dissemination events and
internal reporting mechanisms. We are now confident that we will deliver the
project outcomes.

Better than peer programmes
It has taken longer to develop our methodology for working with academic
programmes than originally intended. This, combined with the high workload
from developing the other half of the project, has meant that we are behind
schedule. The programme analysis is also potentially more challenging as there
are many more variables associated with analysing a programme rather than an
individual’s response to the HE experience.

Nature of respondents
Although the doubters’ surveys have provided us with valuable findings, there are
issues associated with the voluntary nature of the responses. Clearly we are
gathering data from more-motivated students who read their emails, but may not
be reaching some of the more at-risk students.

Different institutional response rates
Different response rates to the Doubters surveys have created some issues. The
response rates vary between 5 – 10% and whilst initial analysis suggests that
similar findings are coming from the different surveys, there is some variation.
But if fewer students respond at one institution, are they the more satisfied (and


therefore happier) or the angry dissatisfied? This makes comparisons more
difficult. In a later section, we have asked for some guidance from the HE
Academy in future years.

Repeating research across the three institutions
The initial proposal has been to repeat the same basic research process at all
three institutions, and whilst we plan to continue with this, it has raised issues,
particularly about combining results and developing a coherent set of conclusions.
We will work hard to ensure that at the end of the project we don’t end up with
three related, but disconnected reports. We have begun preliminary discussions
about having a tighter methodology for the Strand B research, but this would be
an area that we would particularly value input from the HEA team.


3.Findings: impact and
understanding
This section should be the main body of the report, and should provide
information about your findings from this year.

Key Findings

This section is split into two

Strand A – Student Doubters

Strand B – Programmes with better than peer rates of retention


Strand A
Student Doubters


Pilot Study
NTU October 2008

In October 2009, all 6,600 new students at NTU were asked whether they had
considered withdrawing from their prior courses of study. If they had, or had
actually withdrawn, they were asked follow up questions about the factors
involved. 1,059 students responded to the survey (16% of the first year), of
these:

• In total, 23% of students had doubted or had actually withdrawn from
their previous programmes of study

• 36 students (3%) actually withdrew from their previous programmes of
study, citing 52 reasons for actually doing so (1.4 reasons per student)

• 215 students (20%) had considered withdrawing from their previous
programmes of study

• When asked the follow up question, ‘what helped keep you on the course?’
the 215 student doubters cited 337 reasons for staying (1.4 reasons per
student)

The data was collected anonymously, and although overall the majority of the
1,059 had most recently studied a further education course at FE or VI Form
College, a number of respondents appear to be describing how they had
withdrawn from a higher education course.

Unfortunately as the three questions were asked as part of a much larger
Welcome Week/ induction survey, in order to save space, we didn’t students who
had considered leaving why (only those who actually departed), although this
question was asked in the main Student Transitions Survey (March-May 2009).


Student Leavers
Figure 1 – NTU pilot: reasons for withdrawal

Reasons why students withdrew from
their previous studies (prior to October
2008)
Survey conducted at NTU in October 2008
37 responses from 36 respondents

30
25
25

20
Responses

15 Series1

10
7

5 3
2

0
Course/ institutional Home/ personal Other Finance
factors

The 36 students who withdrew from their previous studies cited the following
reasons:

Course/ Institutional Factors
The most commonly-cited reasons related to course and institutional factors.
Most common were concerns about the wrong choice of course/subject
(mentioned 12 times, 23% of total reasons given), for example ‘I was too young
and didn't know which direction I was going so the course was not for me’ or ‘I
realised that I wasn't ready for university at the time and also I had chosen the
wrong course for me.’ Lack of enjoyment or interest in the course was mentioned
9 times (17% of total reasons given). The third course-related thread was
concerned with criticisms of the course e.g. ‘the course was a joke’ or ‘there was
a huge lack of organisation, and the research skills module had some very
disorganised lecturers’.

Lack of support was mentioned by two students although it was unclear as to
whether this referred to academic or pastoral support and from whom.

In total, course-related factors accounted for 25 of the 36 reasons (69%) cited for
withdrawing from prior studies. It’s interesting to note that not one of these


responses relates to students struggling to keep up with their studies. This is
perhaps entirely understandable, we are less likely to see entrants to university
who failed or withdrew because they couldn’t cope with studies at a lower level.
We also suspect that there’s an under-reporting of personal academic matters
and some casting blame onto the teaching staff or institution, for example ‘it was
multimedia design, it was shit.’

Home/ Personal Factors
As might be expected there were a number of students (7) who withdrew due to
personal reasons such as ‘family problems’ and, possibly the best answer to a
survey in 2009, ‘I was young, silly and I fell in love.’.

Finance
Finance was only mentioned by two students as the main reason for withdrawing.

Student Doubters
Student doubters are those students who expressed concern/ doubt about being
on the right course, but continued nonetheless. It is important to note that the
reasons these students gave for remaining on their course are not the opposites
of those reasons that students withdrew. For example we don’t see a large block
of responses associated with the course.


Figure 2 – NTU pilot: reasons for remaining

Reasons why students remained on their
courses despite having doubts (prior to
October 2008)
Survey conducted at NTU in October 2008
302 responses from 215 respondents

70 66 66

60
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40 40
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Reasons for remaining despite doubting
The two most popular responses were both future-facing and oriented around
goals and personal objectives, accounting for 132 of the 302 responses (44%).

Wanted to go to university
In the first, 66 respondents stated that wanting to go to university was a reason
that they remained on their programme. For these students getting to university
and being a student were highly important motivators, for example, ‘I wanted to
go to university, so I stuck it out’ and in some there is a palpable sense of
excitement ‘I didn't want to prolong coming to Uni!’. We hadn’t expected to see
university as such an important factor and were interested to see how important
a part of the students’ expectations and goals it appeared to be.

Future Goals
Future goals were usually career-related, e.g. ‘Finding a career path that I
wanted to follow’. Some were about achieving the qualification ‘I thought I was
too tired and stressed to stay on the course as had a 6 week old baby when I sat
the A level exams!! But I just went in and sat them as I knew I needed them to
progress.’ Other responses were stated in aspirational, success-oriented


language: ‘becoming successful’, ‘future plans’, ‘future prospects’ and ‘knowing
what I would get out of it at the end’. In total, 66 respondents cited future goals
as the reason for staying.

Initially, we had grouped all support from other people together, but there may
be more benefit to separating support from the social sphere and professional/
institutional setting. We have therefore created two groups: Support from family
& friends and Support from institutional staff.

Support from Family & Friends
44 students mention support from family and friends as a factor in helping them
remain at university (15%). 34 of the 44 (77%) responses mention friends and
24, family (33%), (many students mention both). Friends appear to include
‘peers’, ‘classmates’ and, in one instance a boyfriend. The most commonly-
mentioned family member appears to be ‘Mum’, e.g. ‘my mum persuaded me
stick it out’.

One student noted that they kept going as they were motivated to succeed by
‘pressure to not let my family down.’

Support from Institutional Staff
40 of the 302 respondents (13%) stated that institutional staff played a role in
keeping them on their course. Most responses appear to suggest that the
support came from a number of staff, suggesting a supportive institutional ethos,
for example ‘support of teachers who believed i was capable of passing because
they believed in me’, fewer refer to a specific tutor, but it’s clear that some
individuals had a very important role, for example ‘my tutor gave me a good
talking to’. It appears that students are referring primarily to teaching staff, 35
staff were described as ‘teachers’ or ‘tutors’ and three, as ‘staff’, there are only
two references made to pastoral/ professional support ‘student support’.

Determination/ internal factors
The next group of factors for remaining on the course (40 responses) were
related to the personal commitment and drive of the individuals. Of these, ten
are visceral in their determination not to fail or to quit, for example, ‘I hate
quitters! I will always continue it until the end, just to get the qualification and to
say that I finished it!’ Ten use the word ‘determination’, seven ‘motivation’ and
one ‘stubbornness’. Although some of these responses are future-focussed, and


use the word ‘ambition’ we have separated these from the future goals as they
appear to be more about factors and motivations within the student facing up to
the problems, rather than forward looking aspirations.

Lack of Choices/ Negative Goals
There were 15 responses indicating that the students felt they had nothing better
to do, or that the other options were worse than remaining with their studies.
These rather fatalistic responses included ‘I had nothing else to do’, ‘no other
options’ and ‘didn't know what I wanted to do otherwise’. One appears to relate
to family pressure to complete studies ‘The fact that my choice was stay at
college or find my own place to live’.

Overcame the Problem
15 students stayed because they managed to overcome the problem that they
were facing, for example ‘overcoming the problems that caused me to want to
leave’; some of the problems appeared to be academic related and were solved
by changing practices ‘[I] spent extra time outside studies revising to help boost
my confidence’. It is worth noting that several of the respondents describe how
they had to change their mindset or perspective to overcome the problem ‘I came
to my senses’, ‘because I knew I was just out of my comfort zone’ and ‘I changed
my mind and I realised that the studying wasn't so hard after all.’ It also appears
that the support of family members, friends and tutors played a role in changing
this mindset, for example ‘[I] grew to like it and had good tutors’.

The Qualification
11 responses indicated that students felt the qualification itself as a factor that
helped them cope. At least one stated explicitly that this was a route to
accessing university and better career prospects. We have chosen to use the
term ‘qualification’ rather than learning and teaching because the respondents
appear to be describing the acquisition of a qualification rather than the learning
experience. Possessing the qualification is the important factor.

Other Factors
There were a smaller number of responses associated with successful learning
and teaching and overcoming the personal problems that students were facing at
the time.


Conclusions from the survey

20% of the 1,059 students stated that they had considered withdrawing from
their previous studies, 3% actually withdrew.

Key findings from the pilot

‘College was a means to an end to me and I'm glad I sat it out’

Withdrawal appears to be primarily about the combination of a poor match
between the students’ goals and the reality of studying and their motivation to
continue (robustness) when faced with an uninteresting learning environment.
Persisting appears to be primarily about the motivation stemming from future
goals and the social/ professional/ familial support made available to students.

The institutional lessons from the pilot appear to be:

1) Improve the match between student goals and the reality of the
programme
a. This may mean engaging the students in discussion about the
benefits/ realities of the course and encouraging them to have
realistic outcomes
b. And creating better opportunities or systems to transfer between
programmes for those students unhappy with the experience

2) Improve the social/ professional interaction within institutions
a. Friends and the support of individual tutors features very strongly
in the survey as reasons to stay. The important point appears to
be that students describe their problems/ reasons for leaving as
systematic and process-oriented, yet describe the reasons to stay
in much more personal and emotional terms. The implication of
this first survey appears to suggest that the interaction at the point
of crisis, not just the support systems in place is very important to
motivating a student to stay.


Student Transition Survey (March – May 2009)

The 40-question survey was used at each institution with minor changes to take
into consideration local factors and a few additional questions were added at
Bournemouth and Bradford.

Response rates

• At the University of Bradford, 128 first year undergraduate students
responded from a possible 2,500 (5% of cohort).
• At Bournemouth University, 89 first year students
• At Nottingham Trent University, 656 first year students responded from a
cohort of 6,600 responded to the survey (9% of cohort)

Aim of the survey

We wanted to uncover:

• How many students have had doubts about staying on their current
programme?
• Why some students thought of leaving?
• Why doubters decided to stay?
• Student priorities and satisfaction with their experiences of university, in
particular, those experiences that have been shown to affect retention in
previous research.
• More detail about these students: age, gender, their ethnic background
etc, to enable us to find any predictors for withdrawal

We also wanted to gain permission to access these students’ course marks and
enrolment status during their time at university to allow us to track whether
students who have had doubts become leavers. This survey was also used to find
students who may be willing to take part in further HERE research, such as focus
groups.

About the survey


The survey was initially written in SNAP (survey software) by the NTU marketing
team and sent via email to all first year students on 23 March 2009. The survey
was open for a month for students to complete online. All completed
questionnaires were entered for a prize draw to win £50 of Amazon vouchers.
Similar prizes were offered at the other two universities.

About the questions
Please see Appendix A for full questionnaire.

The first questions asked the student for their ID number and permission to use
the data anonymously for further research. We then asked the student whether
they were enjoying their course so far and whether they had read any prior
information about their course before coming to NTU (questions 3-5).

The next questions (6-7) were aimed at finding out about the student’s
experiences of their course and university life so far, such as whether the course
was organised, whether they liked where they were living. These questions were
based on prior research on retention (such as Yorke and Longden 2008, Christie,
Munro and Fisher 2004, Willis 1993) as well as findings from the pilot study. We
presented the student with a number of positive statements about their learning
and teaching experiences and their experiences of university life so far and asked
them to rate them on a scale of 1-5, where 1 = ‘strongly disagree’ and 5 =
‘strongly agree’. The student was then presented with the same statements and
asked to rate them according to their importance to them (see example below).

Figure 3 – sample of transitions survey
Q7 Please rate how IMPORTANT the following aspects are to you.
Please use a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = "not at all important"
and 5 = "very important".

1 2 3 4 5
My subject is interesting     
Q7 My course is well organised     
Q7 I have enthusiastic lecturers teaching on my     
course
Q7 My taught sessions (such as lectures and     
seminars) are interesting
Q7 Lecturers are accessible     
Q7 I feel valued by teaching staff     


Q7 The assessment on my course is what I expected     
it to be
Q7 The feedback I receive about my work is useful     
Q7 I feel confident that I can cope with my studies     

This use of two sets of identical statements will allow us to compare the two sets
of answers. If, for example, a student rated that they ‘strongly disagree’ that they
feel valued by teaching staff and rated that this is ‘very important’ to them, is this
a stronger predictor of withdrawal than a student who rated that they ‘strongly
disagree’ that they feel valued by teaching staff but that this is ‘not at all
important’ to them?

Questions 8-10 asked about the student’s prior learning; whether the differences
between their prior learning and learning at university were explained to them,
whether they understood these differences and how difficult they have found their
studies this year.

We then asked about students experience of learning at university so far; how
much focus they were putting on academic studies (compared to other aspects of
their life such as family, part-time work), the grades that they were aiming for at
the end of the first year and on graduation, whether they had a personal tutor,
and how often they saw their personal tutor (questions 11-16).

Questions 17 asked ‘have you considered withdrawing (leaving) at any point
during your first year at NTU?’ (see figure 4).

Figure 4 – considering withdrawal
Have you considered withdrawing (leaving) at any point during your first
year at NTU?

Yes, but I have decided to stay at NTU
Yes, and I have decided to leave NTU
Yes, but I haven't made up my mind yet about my future plans
No, I have never considered withdrawing

Students who answered that they had decided to stay were directed to the
question ‘What has helped you decide to stay on your course?’ (Q18). Students
who answered either that they have decided to leave NTU or that they haven’t
yet made up their minds were directed to the question ‘Please tell us what made
you consider leaving NTU’ (Q19). Students who answered that they have never
considered withdrawing were directed to the following question (Q21).


Questions 22-38 asked a range of questions about the student; their age, gender,
ethnic background, course, about any disabilities, accommodation, whether they
had applied through clearing, whether NTU was their first choice of university,
whether this was their first time living independently and whether they were the
first person in their immediate family to go to university. We then asked students
‘how can we improve this survey?’ (Q39).

The final two questions asked whether the student agreed to be invited to take
part in future HERE research and whether they agreed to allow their course marks
and enrolment status to be accessed from University records during the time they
are registered here and incorporated anonymously with other research findings.

How the data was analysed

A range of data (both quantitative and qualitative) was provided by the survey.
An initial analysis of the quantitative data has been carried out using Excel. The
data will be analysed in more detail when we have information about these
students progression to the second year (after October 2009) using SPSS.

The qualitative answers to the questions ‘what has helped you decide to stay at
NTU’ and ‘what made you consider leaving NTU’ were coded into themes by two
independent researchers using the approach described by Creswell, 2007, of a
‘data analysis spiral’ (Creswell, 2007, p150). The researchers will continue to
analyse the qualitative answers provided from this questionnaire using this
method.

Limitations of the data

We currently do not know how many of the students who completed our survey
will progress into the second year. This data will not be available until after
October 2009. The themes found in this survey therefore tell us about why
students have had doubts, and why they have chosen to stay (or leave) but not


whether these students will eventually become persisters3 (or leavers)4. We hope
to track this data during the duration of the project.

Key Findings by Institution

Nottingham Trent University

Student Transition Questionnaire
243 (37%) of the 656 respondents had considered leaving during their time at
university so far. Of these, 28% of students had decided to stay, 1% had decided
to leave and 8% were still unsure about whether to stay or leave university.

Respondent Demographics
• 62% of respondents were females, 38% males
• 67% were aged 19 – 21, 17% 18 or under, 16% were 22+
• 94% were from the UK, 6% from overseas
• 80% classified themselves as white - British, the next largest group was
Indian, with the remaining students spread over another 16 groups
• 6% stated that they had a disability
• 13% of UK students were originally from Nottingham City, 13% from
Nottinghamshire, 21% from the East Midlands and 58% from the rest of
the UK
• 49% currently live in university halls, 15% are in the private rented
sector, 14% in private halls of residence, 11% with relatives and 11% in
their own home
• 64% were living independently for the first time

What has made you consider leaving NTU?
263 reasons were given altogether by 219 individual respondents (1.2 reasons
per student). The figures indicate the number of times a reason was given.

3
Students who stay to complete their degree (put reference for who initially used this term)
4
In our overall sample, for example, we have found that 31% of the males who completed our survey
had had doubts about staying at NTU, 41% of the females had had doubts. Our NTU data from 2004-5
however found that males were just over 2% more likely to withdraw than females indicating that
perhaps female students have more doubts but don’t necessarily leave because of them.


figure 6 – NTU transitions survey – reasons for considering withdrawal

Reasons why students considered leaving
(NTU)
HERE Project March - May 2009
(263 responses from 219 individual respondents)

120 112
100
80
60 Series1
38
40 28 26 22
20 13
7 7 7 3
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Course-related factors
The most common theme mentioned by students for considering leaving their
studies were course-related factors, accounting for 43% of all reasons given.
These included wrong choice of course, a lack of interest in the course and
criticisms of learning and teaching. Several students commented about the
problems coping with the workload, for example ‘the workload felt too much’.

Student Lifestyle
The second most common reason given for considering leaving (38 responses,
14%) was associated with the student lifestyle. Students described factors such
as not enjoying the social life of the university, disliking the student
accommodation and having problems with flatmates. One student wrote that


they were struggling to cope with ‘Really bad flat mates into drugs and partying
every night. I was unable to get any sleep and my studies were suffering badly.’

Financial reasons
The third most common reason provided by students considering withdrawal was
financial reasons (28 responses, 11%). There were also fewer doubters that
stated that they were confident that they will have enough money to complete
their course.

Personal Incidents/ Problems
The factors included here are broad and refer to a range of different issues that
happened in students’ personal lives including having twins, deaths in the family,
personal injuries and problems at home. In total students cited 26 examples of
personal incidents and problems.

The following two categories could be aggregated giving a total of 35 responses
(13%); however, we felt that as homesickness was a distinct factor in its own
right associated with the transition into university, it would be better to keep
them separate.

Personal/ Emotional
‘Everything was so new and scary, very overwhelming’. The 22 responses
included in this category cover a broad range of issues ranging from a more
general sense of ‘not fitting in’ to the more serious ‘depression’. It appears that
for some students there are a number of issues connected to how they felt about
being at university. They appeared to have struggled to develop into the new
identity of being a university student and a number describe being stressed about
the transition.

Homesick/ Missing Family
For a small minority of students, homesickness was a significant factor in having
doubts about being on their course. 13 stated that homesickness had made them
consider leaving.

Doubts about Future Goals
‘Future goals/ employment’ is the second-most common factor cited by doubters
to explain why they have stayed. Therefore it’s perhaps not surprising that
uncertainty about how the programme will fit the students’ future needs is a
factor amongst doubters. 7 students stated that they considered leaving due to


‘doubts about future goals’, for example ‘[I] didn’t know if I was doing the right
course or even wanted to be at university’.

Lack of Support
7 students cite lack of support as a reason to consider leaving. This appears to
relate primarily to the academic support provided by tutors and there are three
aspects of concern: problems accessing tutors (‘Most lecturers are not accessible
and you have to take a very long and unhelpful route to even see them about
issues or concerns.’), a sense of a lack of institutional commitment/care towards
the individual (‘[a] SEVERE LACK OF SUPPORT FROM UNI AND NO MATTER HOW
MUCH I COMPLAIN NO ONE SEEMS TO GIVE A SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’), and poor
levels of academic support (‘the feedback given from work is most of the time
illegible and in no way helpful.’).

Location
3 students describe location as a problem, two describe travelling to and from
NTU’s smallest campus as a problem, one, rather more vehemently, cites ‘Awful
university, awful city’ as a reason to consider leaving.


What has helped you decide to stay at NTU?
figure 6 – NTU transitions survey – reasons for remaining

Reasons why Student Doubters stay at
University
HERE Project March - May 2009
NTU data 198 responses from 171 first year respondents

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171 students gave comments about what had helped them stay; in total they
made 198 points (1.1 reasons per student).

It’s interesting to note that the relative ordering of importance has changed; in
the FE survey, wanting to be at University and future goals account for 44% of
the reasons why doubters chose to stay on their programmes. There is no
comparable factor to the pull of university in the HE doubters’ survey, for
example no respondent mentions postgraduate studies as a motivator to remain.
For the respondents, the undergraduate course appears to be the last stage on
the educational journey before employment.


Differences between the two surveys

Order of importance in FE Order of importance in HE Doubters’
Doubters’ Survey (Oct 2009) Survey (mar – May 2009)

263 responses from 215 196 responses from 171 respondents
respondents
1 Wanted to go to university Support from friends & family ↑
2 Future goals/ employment Future goals/ employment ↔
3 Support from friends & family Determination/ internal factors ↑
4 Support from Institutional
staff Adapting to Course/ University **
5 Determination/ internal Lack of options/ hard to transfer/
factors cost ↑
6 Lack of choices/ negative
choices Support from Institutional Staff ↓
7 Overcoming the problem ** Other ↑
8 The qualification Financial Difficulties Resolved **
9 Other Changed Course

** In the pilot survey, most problems students described overcoming appeared to
be of an academic nature. None were explicitly about finance. We have used a
slightly different set of labels in the HE doubters’ responses: adapting to course/
university and financial difficulties resolved. The language used to describe
overcoming the problems is broadly similar, but it does emphasise adapting to
the new learning context whereas in the FE survey, the responses appear to
relate more to overcoming specific coursework problems. It was felt important to
keep financial difficulties as a separate strand.

Support from friends & family
55 respondents (28%) of respondents mention friends and family as a reason for
persisting despite having doubts. As is the case in the pilot survey, friendships
are more important than family support and account for almost 2/3 of the
responses in the group (35 responses or 64%). It appears that support from
peers has become more slightly more important for university students; in the
pilot survey the ratios are 57% friends/ 43% family. This is perhaps
understandable as only 22% of respondents are living in their own, or their family
home and so are perhaps more reliant upon the surrogate families developed in
their new accommodation. Student responses talk of drawing comfort from
talking to people in the same position as themselves, for example: ‘talking to


fellow students who felt the same way I did’ and importantly having the time to
develop more ‘solid’ friendships. One student explicitly talks about feeling more
positive about their life at university after having joined a sports club.

Future goals/ employment
34 respondents (17%) felt that the benefits to their future goals and employment
were important in keeping them at university. Most related directly to future
career prospects ‘I need a good career with good pay’, but a few appear to be
about a more fundamental issue of identity ‘my goal to become something’.

Determination/ internal factors
28 students cited determination as a factor for remaining at university. The
language was notably more measured than in the FE survey, for example ‘I have
made a commitment that I should stick with’.

Adapting to Course/ University
We coded the ‘overcoming problems’ heading used in the FE survey slightly
differently to reflect the slightly changed emphasis students place. 27 responses
describe how students have overcome doubts by adapting to the institution and
the academic expectations upon them. The language is similar in tone to the
friendship responses, primarily about acclimatising to the new environment and
having time to adjust, ‘I became more comfortable with the studies’, ‘[I became]
familiar with the structure of the course and the lecturers’ and ‘settled in more’.
9 responses indicates that this goes beyond acclimatising and they describe liking
or enjoying the course, e.g. ‘I enjoy the course too much’.

Lack options/ hard to transfer/ cost
As with the pilot survey, there are a number of students (24) who have decided
to stay due to a perceived lack of options. Unlike in the FE survey, almost half of
this group (10) state that finance and the lost opportunity cost of a wasted year
are reasons to continue with their studies. For example one student wrote that
‘the fact that if I did leave I would still have to pay my student loan but I
wouldn't have had anything to show for it.’ Some students were resigned to the
fact that they needed simply a degree and not completing a programme would
put them at a disadvantage, and others felt that they were unable to transfer
their credits to other institutions: ‘There are no other Uni’s that I can transfer my
degree to otherwise I probably would’.

Support from Institutional Staff


Most typically, the 14 students described support from their tutors, but five
picked out student support services explicitly, a higher proportion than in the pilot
study.

Financial Difficulties Resolved
Again student services played a role in some of the 6 responses, along with
additional money from students’ families and help negotiating with the University
regarding payment arrangements.

Changed Course
Finally, three students had managed to change course and therefore felt that they
were on a programme more suited to their needs.

Impact of Student Demographics on incidence of doubting

Gender
41% of female students had considered withdrawing, only 31% of males had.

Age
37% of students aged 19-21 had considered leaving, incidences broadly rise with
age, 42% doubters amongst 22-25 year olds and 44% amongst 26-45 year olds.

Disability
36% of those students who declared that they had no disability had considered
withdrawing (n=595). However, 50% of those who stated they had a disability
had declared that they had considered withdrawing, as did 52% of those who
chose not to declare.

Home location
41% of students from the City of Nottingham had considered withdrawing, in
contrast with only 25% from Nottinghamshire. Those from the East Midlands and
the rest of the UK doubted at 37 and 38% respectively.

UK/ International students
39% of international respondents had considered withdrawing, 2% higher than
the 37% of UK doubters


Ethnicity
NTU uses 18 different ethnic descriptors; the largest of these (White-British) had
a doubt rate of 36%, marginally below the average. The highest incidence of
doubting was amongst the five students of Mixed-Black Caribbean and White
origins (80% doubt rate), but the numbers are so small that they ought to be
treated with care. Amongst the four Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi
students, none had considered leaving. Clearly there is a very broad spread, but
at this stage, the small sample sizes for most groups will restrict the usefulness of
the data.

First generation in Higher Education
48% of respondents to the survey stated that they were the first person in their
immediate family to come to university, 39% of them had doubts compared to
35% amongst those for whom other members of the family had already
experienced higher education.

Student Lifestyle and other factors

Route to university
Amongst students entering University through the normal UCAS process, 37% are
doubters, amongst those who entered through the clearing process, 45% had
considered leaving university. However, this is slightly contradicted as we also
asked the question ‘was this your first choice of University?’. 38% of those who
answered ‘yes’ had considered withdrawing, only 31% of those who said ‘no’ felt
the same.

Accommodation
Interestingly, 37% of students who lived away from home for the first time had
doubts and so did those students who were not living away from home for the
first time. Those living with relatives were least likely to have doubts (30%),
those in private halls the most (42%), other types of accommodation such as
NTU halls had doubt rates of 37 – 39%.

Information from the University
Most students had read the information sent to them by the university before
they started. 81 (12%) had not though. The rate for considering withdrawing
was the same amongst both groups (37%).


Accuracy of information from the University
This however was strikingly different, 36 students (5%) found that the
information was either ‘not very accurate’ or ‘very inaccurate’. Although the
numbers are small, 73% and 67% of students in these groups had doubts about
being at University, against 37% who found it ‘reasonably accurate’ and only
27% of those who found it ‘very accurate’.

Understanding the nature of higher education
Only 52% of respondents felt that since coming to university, anyone had
explained the difference between learning at university and earlier educational
institutions. Amongst these students 33% had considered leaving whereas 42%
of those who had not been informed about the differences had done so.

Furthermore, when asked how much they understand the differences between HE
and other systems of education, 62% of those who didn’t understand the
differences had doubts, against 38% who understood a little and 30% of those
who understood in detail.

Coping with studies
Students were asked to report how hard they had found their studies on a scale
of 1-5 (1= not at all difficult, 5 = very difficult). Those who reported finding it
very difficult were extremely likely to have doubts (74% of the group). Those
least likely to have doubts were amongst those who found it fairly easy (27%
doubters). The small group (13) who found it very easy were marginally more
likely than average to have doubts (38%).

When asked to report how hard they were working, those working the hardest
were slightly more likely than average to have doubts (38% doubters), those not
working hard at all were much more likely to have doubts (69% doubters) and
the group with the lowest level of doubts were those who reported to be working
fairly hard (30% doubters).

Academic Outcomes
Students were asked what grade they were aiming for upon graduation and at the
end of the first year. Interestingly, 54% believed that they were going to get a
first class honours degree when they graduated. As might be expected, those
aiming for a higher classification were less likely to have doubts. Amongst those
who claimed to be aiming for a 3rd class honours degree, 100% had doubts about
being at university. Only 27% of respondents were aiming for a 1st class grade


by the end of the first year and once again, there is a correlation between aiming
for a higher grade and a lower incidence of doubting.

Academic tutors/ Pastoral support
The results are slightly contradictory as 53% of respondents claimed to have a
personal tutor at NTU, but all students answered the question ‘how often do you
see your personal tutor’. It appears that there was an oversight in setting up the
questionnaire and non-respondents should have been moved to the next
question. 38% of students who reported that they didn’t have a personal tutor
had doubts against 36% who did. The most common answer to how often do you
see your personal tutor is ‘less than monthly’ and may be partly explained by the
problem with the questionnaire. The small number of students who have
fortnightly meetings with their tutors (11 students) report a 27% incidence of
doubting, 33% amongst those seeing their tutors monthly, 34% amongst weekly
and 38% amongst less often than monthly. This appears to be much les
significant than we had imagined it might be.

Mode of study
The very small number of part-time respondents (14 students) were more likely
to have doubts than their full-time counterparts (43% compared to 37% amongst
full time students).

Academic Schools
NTU has nine academic schools. When responses are analysed by school, the
highest incidence of doubting was 50% and the lowest 27%.

Campus
NTU has three academic campuses. Doubt rates were 38% at the main city
centre campus, 37% for the smaller suburban campus and 35% at the much
smaller agricultural site.

Testing Student Satisfaction about the learning environment with the
incidence of doubting

All students were asked to evaluate the importance of 17 academic and student
lifestyle factors, for example ‘I have enthusiastic lecturers’. They were then also


asked to what extent they agreed with the statement on a scale of 1 – 5 (1 –
disagree strongly, 5 – agree strongly). In the next section we describe this
agreement as ‘satisfaction’ with the experience. Whilst strictly, we asked
students ‘how much did you agree’, not ‘how much are you satisfied’, we feel that
using the term ‘satisfaction’ makes the next section more readable than ‘the
extent to which the participant agreed with the statement’.

Figure 7 - NTU Student Satisfaction compared to Experience– all students
ig My subject is interesting 85%
91%
Completing my degree will help me achieve future goals 86%
89%
I have easy acess to University resources 82%
87%
On average My family is supportive 83%
84%
I have enthusiastic lecturers 67%
83%
I'm confident that I can cope with my studies 63%
82%
My course is well organised 59%
81%
Feedback on my work is useful 57%
81%
59% Agree
My taught sessions are interesting 80% Importance
Lecturers are accessible 66%
77%
I'll have enough money to finish my course 47%
74%
I like where I am living 59%
74%
I have an enjoyable social life 74%
73%
My fellow students are supportive 70%
68%
I know where to go if I have a problem 50%
68%
Assessment on my course is what I expected 60%
68%
I feel valued by teaching staff 49%
67%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

In 15 of the 17 areas, students report a higher importance than satisfaction.
Satisfaction is, on average, 12% lower than importance for this group of all
students.

For example, in response to the statement ‘My subject is interesting’, 91% of all
students report that it’s important that the subject is interesting and 85%, report
that their subject has been interesting so far. The two areas where students
indicate a higher level of satisfaction than importance are against the measures ‘I
have an enjoyable social life’ and ‘my fellow students are supportive’. It is also
interesting to note that this phenomenon is almost repeated in a third area ‘my
family is supportive’; 83% of students report that their family is supportive and
84%, that having a supportive family is important. These differences between
the importance and satisfaction about social factors are repeated in both the
doubters and non-doubters results.

We would tentatively suggest that this strengthens the case for more
consideration to the importance of social and lifestyle factors within institutions.


The largest gaps between importance and satisfaction are those associated with
having enough money (27%), quality of feedback (24%) and course organisation
(22%).

Non-Doubters

413 students (63%) reported that they had not considered withdrawing from
their course. We found that across all measures they had rated both importance
and satisfaction more highly than doubters. Also the gap between importance
and experience was relatively low, on average only 8%.

Figure 8 - NTU Student Satisfaction compared to Experience– non-doubters

My subject is interesting 92%
94%
92%
90%
My family is supportive 88%
85%
85%
88%
83%
84%
68% Agree
My taught sessions are interesting 83%
Importance
79%
76%
75%
73%
71%
69%
72%
71%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

The largest gaps between importance and satisfaction were the same as for the
group as a whole: money (21%), quality of feedback (20%) and course
organisation (17%).

Student Doubters

Doubters have lower scores in both importance and actual satisfaction.
Furthermore the gap between importance and satisfaction is much larger (21%
difference). We might expect a lower level of satisfaction, but it’s interesting to
see a lower score on importance too. This suggest a level of semi-detachedness,


that students don’t feel as invested in their experience as their non-doubting
peers, or may reflect that students were feeling more negative about the
experience and so found it harder to score anything highly.

Figure 9 - NTU Student Satisfaction compared to Experience – Doubters

86%
83%
84%
82%
78%
73%
79%
76%
Agree
My taught sessions are interesting 43%
75% Important
74%
70%
72%
72%
65%
67%
61%
60%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

The largest gaps have a slightly different ordering. Once again money is the
largest (37%), but second is confidence that students can cope (34%) and two
factors are joint 3rd with a 32% gap: feedback and interesting sessions.

Some analysis of the impact of satisfaction on propensity to have doubts

When each of the 17 factors are analysed, it is very apparent that if a student
rates the experience more negatively, they are more likely to be a doubter.


For example, 63% of students who disagreed with the statement ‘my course is
well organised’ had doubts about being at university. 40% of those who
answered neutrally had doubts and only 30% who answered the statement
positively were doubters. Therefore those students who answered the question
negatively, were more than twice as likely to have considered withdrawing from
university.

On average across all 17 statements:

• 63% of students who disagreed with a statement were likely to be
doubters
• 45% of students who answered neutrally were doubters
• 30% of students who answered positively were doubters

There appears to be therefore a relationship between a poorer level of satisfaction
and having doubts; whilst this is clearly stating the obvious, it’s interesting to see
the actual numerical difference.

However, some individual factors appear to have a stronger impact on the
likelihood of having doubts. For example, 93% of those students who do not find
their subject interesting are doubters, whereas only 53% of students who do not
know where to go if they have a problem have doubts.

The relationship between factors are in the table below. It’s interesting to note
that those connected to interest in the subject and the learning process, a
meaningful relationship with academic staff (accessible lecturers, feeling valued)
and future goals have a stronger impact on doubting. Those factors associated
with having a poorer quality of social life, resources or feedback do not have a
strong impact on doubting. That’s not to say these factors aren’t important, but
that having a poor quality of experience is not significantly more likely to make a
student have doubts.


Figure 10 NTU the relationship between satisfaction and dissatisfaction with the
individual factors and the impact on doubting, ranked in order of respondents

who DISAGREED with the statement and were doubters

% of % of % of
respondents respondents responden
who who were ts who
disagreed neutral agreed
with this about this with this
statement statement statement
who were who were who were
doubters doubters doubters
My subject is interesting 93 56 32
I feel confident I can cope with my 78 54 23
studies
Lecturers are accessible 71 42 30
Completing my degree will help me 67 57 33
achieve future goals
I feel valued by teaching staff 66 37 26
My taught sessions are interesting 65 48 27
My course is well organised 63 40 30
Assessment on my course is what I 63 42 29
expected
I have enthusiastic lecturers 62 49 30
I have enough money to finish my 59 34 26
course
I have an enjoyable social life 58 51 31
My family is supportive 57 51 34
Feedback on my work is useful 57 43 29
I have easy access to university 56 41 35
resources
My fellow students are supportive 56 49 31
I like where I'm living 53 39 31
I know where to go if I have a 53 37 30
problem


Figure 11 NTU - Relationship between satisfaction and dissatisfaction with the
individual factors and the impact on doubting, ranked in order of respondents

who AGREED with the statement and were doubters

% of % of % of
respondents respondents respondent
who who were s who
disagreed neutral agreed
with this about this with this
statement statement statement
who were who were who were
doubters doubters doubters
I feel confident I can cope with my 78 54 23
studies
I feel valued by teaching staff 66 37 26
I have enough money to finish my 59 34 26
course
My taught sessions are interesting 65 48 27
Assessment on my course is what I 63 42 29
expected
Feedback on my work is useful 57 43 29
Lecturers are accessible 71 42 30
My course is well organised 63 40 30
I have enthusiastic lecturers 62 49 30
I know where to go if I have a 53 37 30
problem
I have an enjoyable social life 58 51 31
My fellow students are supportive 56 49 31
I like where I'm living 53 39 31
My subject is interesting 93 56 32
Completing my degree will help me 67 57 33
achieve future goals
My family is supportive 57 51 34
I have easy access to university 56 41 35
resources

When the results are ranked by the impact of agreeing with the statement on
doubting, the results are not simply inverted.

Only 23% of students who agreed with the statement, ‘I feel confident I can cope
with my studies’ identified themselves as doubters. In other words students who
are confident that they can cope have a very low incidence of doubting when
compared to any other risk factor.


Whilst not finding the subject interesting is more likely to lead to a student
doubting, finding it very interesting does not appear to lead to a significantly
lower incidences of doubting. There are 13 other factors that students agreed
with a lower level of doubting. It may be that an interesting subject is a hygiene
factor.

Those factors that, when answered positively, lead to a lower incidence of
doubting related to: confidence coping, some aspects of learning and teaching
(feeling valued and interesting taught sessions) and having enough money to
cope.


Student Transition Survey

46% of the 89 respondents had considered leaving during their time at university
so far. Of these, 38% of students had decided to stay and 8% were still unsure
about whether to stay or leave university.

Respondent Demographics

• 89 first year students (enrolled as first year students in 08-09) responded
to the survey overall.
• 70% female; 30% males

Age range:
• 16-18: 11%
• 19-21: 61%
• 22-25: 10%
• 26-45: 16%
• 46+: 2%

• 92% UK; 8% international/EU
• Of the UK students, 62% were from Dorset/Hampshire/South West; 38%
from rest of the UK
• The majority classified themselves as White:
• 93% White
• 2% Asian
• 1% Mixed
• 1% Other
• 2% Unspecified

• 11% said they have a disability; 3% did not wish to declare

• 42% currently live in Bournemouth Halls of residence
• 15% live in private halls of residence
• 21% live in private rented/shared houses
• 12% live with their parents
• 10% live in their own homes


• 59% said this was their first time living independently

Student profile – Study

• 84% applied through the standard UCAS process; 8% through clearing;
7% applied directly to Bournemouth University and 1% transferred from
another university midway through the first term

• 87% said that Bournemouth had been their first choice of University,
whilst 13% named other institutions as their first choice

• 55% said they were the first person in their immediate family to go to
university

• 78% undergraduate (BA/BSc), 10% undergraduate (LLB), 4% foundation
and 8% diploma/advanced diploma

• 97% full time; 1% part time, 2% part time distance learning

Academic Schools

27% The Business School
16% School of Conservation Sciences
10%Design, Engineering and Computing
19%School of Health and Social Care
12%The Media School
16%The School of Services Management

What made students consider leaving?

• Wrong choice of course/not happy with course
• Financial reasons
• Homesickness – missing friends and family
• Personal problems
• Disheartened by assignment marks
• Managing workload
• Feeling alone/not getting on with housemates at university


• Not adjusting well to university life

Student quotes:

‘The course is very, very challenging, and my grades are always disappointing to
me, no matter how hard I work. I think I would feel better about these is I got
some personal feedback in detail from my marking lecturers. I am aware that the
course is of an excellent quality but I feel that there is not enough time to learn
everything needed and it is difficult to balance time proportionately. I feel like the
course is not tailored enough to individual requirements and interests which
might give me more of a focus to my learning. I find my work more stressful than
enjoyable’

‘The pure lack of organisation and communication across the school. The lack of
consistency with lecturers and the fact that there does not appear to be an
appropriate level of support for first year students’

‘Just don't really enjoy uni. Find it hard to be away from home, friends and
family’

‘Course seemed a bit pointless at times’

‘It was a bit overwhelming at the start and I questioned whether I should be at
university at all’

‘I panicked due to the fact that bursary is hard to live off, to pay bills rent and
food’

‘I find my course interesting but struggle with what exactly we should be looking
at during independent work and how much to do, which in turn makes me feel
like I’m not achieving’

‘I find that some lecturers aren't very helpful and don’t reply to emails etc. when
you ask for their help and aren't very encouraging’

What has helped students decide to stay at Bournemouth University?

• Ambition to achieve future goals – determination and perseverance


• Friends (both at home and university) / flatmates / course mates
• Receiving help and support from the university and lecturers
• Interesting course
• Family
• Well structured workload
• Getting good grades for assignments done so far
• Personal tutorials

Student Quotes:

‘It is a course that I really wanted to do, and even though it has been hard
sometimes I know that in the end it is definitely worth it’

‘Support from family and friends has really helped me. Also achieving the grades
I am has given me the confidence boost I needed’

‘My determination and the support of friends, family and my personal tutor’

‘Friends and also considering the alternatives if I was to leave’

‘Being here I have received all the help and support I've needed and more, this
has made me want to continue and see the degree through to the end!’

‘Friends and realising the importance of finishing my degree’


Current course experiences: doubters vs. non-doubters
Overall, non-doubters appear to have had more positive course experiences so
far than doubters, for example, having confidence to cope with coursework and
knowing where to go for help. Doubters, however, did experience marginally
more support from family and fellow students than the non-doubters.

Figure 12 – Bournemouth – difference between importance & experience – all
students

Completing my degree w ill help me achieve future goals (e.g. career) 96%
85%
70%
I have easy access to university resources e.g. computers, library books 91%
that I need) 68%
88%

I like the house/flat/halls that I am living in 74%
65%

75%
I have enthusiastic lecturers teaching on my course 74%
45%

75%
Non-doubters
I feel confident that I can cope w ith my coursew ork 72%
45% Doubters
I w ould know w here to go w ithin the university if I had a problem 70%
45%

63%
My taught sessions(such as lectures, seminars) are interesting 66%
53%

I am confident that I w ill have enough money to complete my course 64%
48%
The assessment on my course is w hat I expected it to be 64%
43%

The feedback I receive about my w ork is useful 55%
48%
My course is w ell organised 49%
35%

33%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Important course factors: doubters vs. non-doubters

There were mixed differences between the factors that doubters and non-
doubters felt were important. Non-doubters, for example, felt it was more
important that lecturers are accessible and enthusiastic, and that the course is
well organised. Doubters, in contrast, placed higher importance on receiving
useful feedback about their work and liking where they live.


Figure 13 – Bournemouth – difference between importance & experience – all students

93%
88%
73%
80%
83%
I have easy access to university resources e.g. computers, library books 94%
that I need) 98%
80%
68%
89% Non-doubters
I feel confident that I can cope w ith my course w ork 90%
Doubters
95%
68%
70%
75%
My taught sessions (such as lectures, seminars) are interesting 96%
95%
90%
90%
98%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Comparing experience with expectations: Non-Doubters

There are big differences between some of the non-doubter’s experiences and
expectations, such as organisation of the course and useful feedback on their
work. Important aspects were matched by experience for non-doubters in relation
to completing their degree to achieve future goals and having an enjoyable social
life.

Figure 14– Bournemouth – difference between importance & experience – non-doubters

96%
100%
I have easy access to university resources e.g. computers, library 91%
books that I need) 94%
79%
I like the house/f lat/halls that I am living in 74%
72%
64%
98%
72%
72% Agree
I feel conf ident that I can cope w ith my coursew ork 89%
Importance
87%
91%
96%
91%
66%
89%
98%
72%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Comparing experience with expectations: Doubters


Similar to the non-doubters, the doubters’ biggest difference between importance
and experience was their course being well organised. There is also a large gap
between the importance of receiving useful feedback compared to their actual
experience of receiving useful feedback.

Figure 15– Bournemouth – difference between importance & experience – Doubters

93%
98%
I have easy access to university resources e.g. computers, library 68%
books that I need) 98%

80%

80%

68%
90%

73%
Agree
I feel confident that I can cope w ith my coursew ork 45%
90% Importance
83%
75%

95%

88%
68%

95%

90%

70%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%


Focus groups (NTU)
May 2009

A selection of students who had agreed to take part in further research in the
HERE Transition Survey were contacted by email and invited to take part in a
focus group to talk more about their experiences. These students were selected
from the groups who had doubts, but remained and those who had not doubted
in the first place. Participants were given a £15 Tesco voucher at the end of the
session.

Structure of groups

Four structured ‘group’ activities were facilitated

• 1 non-doubters control group – 6 students
• Three focus groups of student doubters who had decided to stay5 (6
participants in total)
• Furthermore, one student contacted us to ask if they could speak to us
individually and so was interviewed.

Limitations of data
All students that we spoke to were female (no males replied to our emails). Four
students were mature students, one student was a mature international student,
one student was an international student and one student was a home student
with English as a second language. This is therefore not representational of the
profile of the total respondents. The initial themes emerging from these two
groups are discussed here. All names have been anonymised.

Student doubters who had decided to stay

There seemed to be a spectrum of reasons why students who had had doubts had
decided to stay, ranging from those students that were staying only because they
felt they had no choice to do otherwise to those that had made a positive decision
to stay.

5
We didn’t contact students who had stated that they were still not sure about whether to stay at
university.


There were two students, Michelle and Sharon, who stated that the only reason
they were staying was because they felt that they couldn’t leave because of
finances and time. These students described a focus on placements and
employment upon leaving.

At the other end of the spectrum were two students (Sara and Charlie) that had
made a conscious decision to stay and were happy with their choice to stay.

There were three students in the middle of this spectrum. One student (Jane), for
example, described that she was staying because it was her ‘last chance’ because
of her age, but also that she had resolved some of the difficulties that she had
had at the beginning of the course and now feeling ‘more comfortable’ here.

Key differences between doubters who had decided to stay and those
students that had never had doubts.

Relationship with personal tutor/staff
The two students who described staying because they had no other choice both
described having no-one to talk to “I could die next week and probably they will
realise next year that I didn’t go to uni”. Of the three students in the middle of
the spectrum, two also described having no-one to talk to and one described
having one tutor that had been of help. The two students who had described
making a positive decision to stay both described having a tutor that they could
talk to and who had helped them to stay.

All of the students who had never had doubts about being at university all
described that they had someone that they could talk to (either a personal tutor
or a lecturer).

Belonging
The two students who described staying because they had no other choice both
described that they didn’t feel part of the university,that they didn’t ‘fit in’, “I
don’t seem very involved with the University to be honest”. A theme that


emerged here was one of recognition, that “probably if I see my tutor on the
road, he wouldn’t recognise me”.

Charlie, on the other hand, who had had doubts but made a positive decision to
stay, described that now she could recognise places and people, “I feel better
now because now I feel like I know where everything is and I always see
someone walking around that I know if I want to stop and talk to them”.

All of the students who had no doubts could all describe the time when they felt
that they belonged to the university, either through societies, or again, through
recognising others “I think it starts when you walk down the street and you see
someone and you go hey … I know them from University and that’s what made
me feel like it [like I belonged]”.

Finance
Both non-doubters and doubters described struggling with finance. However,
doubters also complained that they felt that they were not receiving good value
for money. If, for example a lecturer failed to attend a lecture, doubters
complained that they weren’t receiving the service they had paid for and
compared the service to that their friends were receiving.


Student Leavers’ Survey
June 2009

Background

The past experience of Bournemouth University’s Students’ Union (BUSU) has
shown that involvement in community and volunteering work (Bournemouth
University Students’ Union Leadership Programme) can be a real motivating
factor for students, not only enhancing their personal development but also
providing opportunities to meet new people. The Student’s Union evaluated the
involvement of students in voluntary and community activities over the past four
years. Results highlighted the positive impact such involvement can have. For
example:

It was the main reason I stayed at uni. I had actually considered leaving before I
did it – it gave me a great way to make new friends and do something other than
my coursework that was worthwhile.

I remember sitting in my room in the student village and thinking ‘I haven’t met
anyone. I can’t do this’. Champs gave me something to do with my time and
gave me the opportunity to meet people and do something helpful at the same
time. I really was going to go back before I came up (to the SU).

Therefore it was decided to survey student leavers to identify whether or not
participation in such activities might have helped students who withdrew to
remain. In particular feedback on the impact of the Leadership Programme and
Speed Meet events were tested.

Student leavers (first year students in the 08-09 academic year) were contacted
approximately 4 months after they departed and were invited to complete an
online survey. Unfortunately mid-way through the survey process the staff
member left the university and consequently the planned follow-ups to improve
response rates to the survey were not undertaken and this work is more limited
than originally intended.


Sample profile
A total of 6 students completed the first year experience survey, all of whom left
university between 4 and 10 weeks after their arrival. The students were aged
between 18 and 23 and all of them had studied at Talbot Campus in their first
year. The students were enrolled on courses in three academic schools, and lived
in a variety of accommodation types.

Reasons for leaving university
When asked to list their three main reasons for leaving in order of importance,
four participants responded. The most common reasons cited were
homesickness, a lack of money and living in a Uni-let were the most important
reasons that caused the students to withdraw. Course related issues featured
more prominently as a second factor, where courses had differed to student
expectation or they had not enjoyed their chosen course. One student "hated the
lifestyle" and named this as a second influential factor. Third reasons for leaving
included being unhappy in a flat, the Bournemouth nightlife and homesickness
again.

Use of spare time
To gain an indication of the students’ involvement in university life, the
participants were asked what they did when they were not in lectures or
seminars, what they did in their free time and who they spent their time with.
Four students responded to these questions, two of whom spent their time on
campus between lectures, either wandering around with friends and people from
their course or relaxing in the food hall and Dylan’s Bar. One respondent chose to
study at home in their spare time or go into town with friends; another student
just stayed at home.

Involvement in Students’ Union activities
Four students answered questions relating to the Students’ Union at
Bournemouth University. All four participants confirmed that they knew about the
Students’ Union whilst they were studying at university and two of them had
actually visited the Students’ Union offices during their time there. Two
participants knew about the SUBU Leadership Programme and one person knew
of SUBU Speed Meet. None of the students, however, chose to take part in these
activities and no-one knew about the SUBU Leadership taster sessions. Reasons
for not participating in these activities included not knowing about them, being
interested in other activities that clashed with the Students’ Union programmes
and not having anyone to go to such activities with.


Of the students who were unaware of the SU activities available to them, two said
that they would have considered taking part if they had known about the
activities as it would have provided the chance to meet new people and would
have given them something to spend their time on. One student claimed that
being aware of the activities would not have made any difference, stating ‘it’s not
my sort of thing’.

Friendships
Four out of the six participants answered questions relating to friendships at
university. Before joining university, all four students considered making new
friends as important to them. One student explained that they felt it was
important to make new friends to make the experience more enjoyable. It was
considered both ‘quite important’ and ‘very important’ by the majority of
participants to make one or a few close friends at university. In addition, the
students also felt that it was important to make a few causal friendships. With
regard to the type of friendships made, there was mixed opinion as to whether it
was important to have friends that were like themselves or different from them.
Most, however, believed it was quite important to have lots of different friends.

After joining university in September, two of the students considered that they
had made the friends they had intended to, commenting that they had made
friends with a variety of different people. In contrast, another two students
believed they had not made the friends they would have liked to, expressing that
they had not made any close friendships. Those students who were successful in
making their intended friendships highlighted three main reasons that enabled
them to do so – taking part in social events, talking to other students in the first
few lessons or enrolment; and living with a large number of other people. Those
students that did not make the friendships they had wanted felt that a number of
practical and personal reasons had prevented them. Such factors included ‘not
being aware of all the opportunities that were available to meet people’, ‘living in
a Uni-let property’ and personal feelings of ‘shyness’, ‘unhappiness’ and ‘not
feeling like myself’.

Three of the students found it either fairly easy or very easy to make friends
while they were at university and only one student found the general experience
of making friends fairly difficult. To make new friends, the four participants made
the effort to socialise, in particular talking to as many people as possible on their


course. Attending sports classes and social events was also a popular method
used to make friends.

Three students agreed or strongly agreed that it was important to feel like they
belonged when making friends and that it was important to make friends so that
they did not feel like they were alone. All of the participants agreed that it was
important to have others to share their time with and all four students also
agreed or strongly agreed that it was important to have others to share new
experiences with and to have fun or enjoyment with. The majority of students
agreed or strongly agreed that it was important to make friends with others who
could help them out if they needed it and to also have others who they could talk
to about their problems.

Not all students agreed with all of the friendship statements in the survey. Whilst
most of the students felt it was important to make friends with people who would
introduce them to other people, one participant disagreed that this was important
to them. Three students strongly agreed that it was important to make friends
with someone who could give them advice, yet one student disagreed that this
was an essential friendship quality for them. Whilst most students agreed that it
was important to make friends with someone who would listen to them when they
were upset, one participant disagreed with the importance of this quality when
making friends.

When asked to comment on the impact friendships had on the students’
enjoyment at university, two students believed that the quantity of friends made
at university had an impact on their enjoyment and two did not feel it had an
influence. In comparison, the quality of friendships appeared to have more
impact. Three students claimed that friendship quality influenced their enjoyment
at university and only one student felt it made no difference to their time there.
Overall, the students stated that the friendships had no impact on their decision
to withdraw from university, with only one student claiming that it had a little bit
of an influence on their decision.

Discussion
The small sample size means that it is hard to draw meaningful conclusions.
None of the six leavers who responded had been involved in BUSU community
and volunteering activities. It is, of course, tempting to suggest that participating
in such activities may have made an impact on these students, but not
necessarily. The research raises some interesting questions. Half the sample


group were aware of the BUSU activities, but chose not to participate. What
prevented these students from doing so? Could anything be done to have helped
them take the first step and would it have made any difference to their decision
to leave anyway?

All the respondents had been able to make at least one friend and didn’t see the
lack of a larger friendship circle was a problem. However, homesickness and
loneliness are alluded to in their answers. Clearly, no one wants to admit that
they haven’t made enough friends, so that may explain the slight inconsistency
here.


Strand B
Programmes with Better than
Peer Rates of Retention


Nursing courses within the School of Health and
Social Care

Introduction

During the project’s initial development stage, staff within the School of Health
and Social Care (HSC) approached the Bournemouth team to explore issues of
retention in two BSc/Adv Dip Nursing (Adult) programmes taught at
geographically distinct locations. Whilst, at that stage, the methodology had not
been fully developed for the programme audit process, it was felt that this would
make a useful pilot study and could support the development of the process in
future years.

The programmes were taught at the Bournemouth University Lansdowne campus
(116 students) and at the University College Yeovil (UCY) (34 students). The
approach had been made because students taught at UCY had a higher rate of
retention than their Lansdowne peers and it was felt important to explore reasons
why this might be the case.

Methodology

Qualitative methods were used to explore the first year experience of students on
both courses, including a questionnaire completed by students and semi-
structured interviews with staff. Students were also invited to reflect privately on
their feelings about self-managed learning.

The questionnaire was carried out with students at Bournemouth and Yeovil
during their Personal and Academic Development (PAD) sessions during
November and December 2008 (a learning to learn unit within their programme).
The questionnaire explored the students’ feelings prior to coming to university,
their expectations of support in higher education and an evaluation of the support
they actually received in their first term. Students were asked if they had
considered leaving university at any point during their first few weeks on the
course and, if they had experienced doubts, what had persuaded them to stay.
Students were given the opportunity to share things that they found ‘strange’


about university life and were also asked about their personal expectations of
becoming a nurse.

To gain staff perspectives on the first year experience of students, semi-
structured audio-recorded interviews were conducted with a total of 8 lecturers
from Bournemouth and Yeovil in June and July 2009. The lecturers were invited
to discuss their views on the importance of support for students prior to
university and during their first few weeks of term. They were also able to
consider their role in communicating expectations to first year students and
helping the students engage with information at the start of the course. To
conclude the interviews, the lecturers were asked for their advice to senior
management for improving retention and engagement.

The staff sample consisted of eight lecturers who taught on the BSc/Adv dip
Nursing (Adults) programme at both locations – five at Bournemouth and three at
Yeovil. Five of the lecturers were female and three were male. All of the
participants were lecturers, including three programme leaders6. Seven of the
participants were also personal tutors. Experience in the personal tutor role
varied between those who had been a personal tutor for many years and those
who were new to the role. One of the participants with dual lecturer/personal
tutor responsibility had experience of being a personal tutor with the Open
University, one had a psychology background as opposed to nursing, and another
lecturer was also coordinator for admissions. These differences in background
were valuable in adding a different perspective to the interviews.

All students and staff participated in the study on a voluntary basis and ethical
approval for the project was gained via the lead institution for the HERE Project at
Nottingham Trent University. All data were kept confidential and names and other
identifying information removed for anonymity. At the start of each interview the
participant was referred to the participant information sheet and asked to confirm
that they were happy to take part in the interview and happy for the interview to
be recorded.

Qualitative data from the student questionnaires, personal reflections and staff
interviews were analysed for key themes. Thematic analysis was conducted by

6
The Lansdowne based course has two intakes (September & January); there is a
programme leader for both intakes.


three researchers in the project team and subsequently compared to increase
validity.

Student Surveys
The following represents initial findings from the student surveys. At this stage
the results are not differentiated by campus. The students were questioned in
the following 11 areas:

1. What were the students excited about before
starting university?
2. What were the students concerned most about
before starting university?
3. What sort of support did the students expect
from the university prior to arriving?
4. What role do the students feel that the
university should play in their student journey
into higher education?
5. What support did the students get from the
university during Freshers week?
6. What support did the students get from the
university during Blocks 1 and 2?
7. What is being a nurse all about for the
students?
8. What were the students’ expectations of
themselves as nursing students?
9. Did any of the students think about leaving
during the first few weeks in the first year
and, if so, what persuaded them to stay?
10.What did the students find ‘strange’ about
university life?
11.Additional comments from the students


Student Responses

1. What were the students excited about before starting university?
The prospect of meeting people and making new friends was the main area of
excitement for the students prior to starting university. They were looking
forward to learning new skills and progressing with their knowledge of nursing, as
well as starting something new and experiencing a new challenge. Individual
responses included:

• Excited at fulfilling my dream career
• Maturing as a person both personally and professionally
• I was excited about getting my uniform
• I was looking forward to meeting lots of people and, more than anything,
finding direction in my life. I feel lucky I’ve been able to do something I really
enjoy

The students were also enthusiastic about going on placements, starting their
career and achieving goals.

2. What were the students concerned most about before starting
university?
Interestingly, the most popular concern among students prior to university was
making friends. Whilst they were excited about meeting new people, the students
were concerned about not ‘fitting in’, not knowing anyone and not liking their
housemates. Financial concerns were naturally a worry for many, particularly
those moving away from home. Many students were anxious about managing
their time and coping with the workload, and others were troubled by the fear of
not doing well or not coping with the level of work at university:

• I was nervous about this course because I really wanted to enjoy it and I
didn’t want to fail. I wanted to succeed because I really want to be a nurse

• I was concerned about how much information I would be given before being
given an assignment

• I was concerned about how much time I would be in lessons and how much
would be self-taught over the course


The students also highlighted concerns about having the ability to write
assignments and not knowing what was expected of them academically. The
students appear determined to succeed and are dedicated to their ambition of
becoming a nurse which increases the pressure on them to not fail.

3. What sort of support did the students expect from the university prior
to arriving?
Most students expected clear instructional information prior to starting university
regarding the practical elements of the first week at university, such as where to
go, timetables, accommodation details and financial information on fees, loans
and bursaries. They expected answers to any questions they had and wanted
information about their course, for example, an introduction to the structure,
content and some background reading. Some expected the support of a personal
tutor or someone assigned to them if they needed help, others expected advice
on practical issues about their placement such as finding out which immunisations
were needed and what shoes they would have to wear.

The majority of the students felt that the support they received prior to starting
university met their expectations and had been very good. Students in particular
spoke highly of support from staff at the university:

• My tutor is very approachable. I was pleased by all the other types of support
as well

• I got all the information I needed to be in the right place at the right times
which helped

Some students felt satisfied that they knew support was available if needed but had
not yet required support. Where students didn’t feel they received appropriate
support prior to arriving, communication issues appeared to be at the centre of
most problems e.g. students not feeling they received sufficient course information
or finance details, and being given incorrect practical information for the first day

• I wanted clear instructions as to where I needed to be and at what time I
needed to be there as I was told to be at Bournemouth but I actually should
have been at UCY it was horrible and after turning up at Bournemouth at 9am
I then had to get to UCY and as I do not drive it was stressful and expensive I
was very late and it was a horrid start to my course


One student disliked e-mail as a form of communication, finding it a difficult
method for explaining issues, and another student felt that the course information
given seemed to contradict itself.

It is clear that many of the discrepancies over support have arisen as a result of a
mismatch between student expectations of university life and the reality of the
experience, as the following quotes illustrate:

• I was expecting it to be like school
• I didn’t think I’d be left to just do everything with so little support. We have
to find out what work we need to do on our own

• Sometimes I miss deadlines cause I don’t know about the work because we
haven’t been instructed or it’s not made clear what we have to do
• It was a learning curve to do most of the work on my own

These responses highlight the gap between students’ expectations of school and
university. It demonstrates why some students may have felt they did not receive
the support they expected prior to starting university and emphasises the need
for clear and consistent explanations of the differences between school and
university.

4. What role do the students feel that the university should play in their
student journey into higher education?
The students expected the university to play a supportive role in their journey,
providing advice, guidance, understanding and encouragement. Students also
believed that the university should help them to gain the relevant knowledge
needed to become a good nurse, again linking to the students’ desire for success:

• I feel the university should play a role of teaching me all I need to know to be
the best nurse I can and to be there to support me on my journey
• Provide me with the information or direct me in the right direction to obtain
the information for my knowledge to grow

The students felt that the university should help to ensure that they experience a
smooth transition into HE and that they should be introduced to standards slowly
and efficiently. The provision of good, clear communication was important, with
expectations that all aspects of learning should be explained concisely and
thoroughly.


Whilst the students indicated that support was a crucial role of the university,
some were not averse to independent learning and did not expect to be ‘spoon
fed’:

• I think most learning should be done independently and the university should
be there to make sure you are on the right track and there if you need any
help or have any worries

• Help us how to manage our time and workload effectively – offer
seminars/one-to-one sessions

As well as providing academic support, the students wanted tutors to be there for
emotional support if needed. They also felt that the university should provide
more social opportunities and group activities. One student, for example,
commented that the university should:

• Encourage social team building exercises with class mates as it makes you
feel less alone

Increasing group activities would help to settle the students’ concerns about not
knowing anyone at the start of term and assist the settling in period.

5. What support did the students get from the university during Freshers
week?
During Freshers week the students received lots of information on their course,
university life, who to go to for advice and expectations of themselves as
students in higher education. In terms of practical support, the students were
given tours of their campus and introduced to library and IT support. The overall
consensus, however, was that too much information was given too quickly during
the week and the students found it hard to take everything in. Freshers week was
classed as ‘overwhelming’, ‘confusing’ and a ‘baptism of fire’:

• We had a lot to take on during this week. It’s almost a blur now we’ve started
the course and have taken on so much information
• Everyone felt bamboozled

• Felt that we were given a lot of information all at once and it was difficult to
take on board. Maybe Fresher fortnight would be better!


In addition to receiving a wealth of information during Freshers week, the
students also received support from their peers, tutors and administrative staff.
Some participants felt that Freshers week for them was all about getting to know
each other and being encouraged to interact with other students. This reflects the
opinion of some of the staff interviewed for the study.

A small number of students didn’t believe they received much support at all
during Freshers week or claimed that they did not need any. This may relate to
participants’ interpretation of the question and whether for them, support meant
needing to ask for help as opposed to receiving information and guidance that
week. One student felt there was no support for satellite institutions during
Freshers week. This may be associated with the differences between student
social activities at the campuses in Yeovil and Bournemouth.

6. What support did the students get from the university during Blocks 1
and 2?
Tutor support featured highly as a key source of support during Blocks 1 and 2.
One student at Yeovil felt that there was much better support during this period
than they received during Freshers week. In contrast, a student at Bournemouth
felt they had received more information during Freshers and had just been ‘left to
get on with it’ during Blocks 1 and 2. Students received support in relation to
assignment guidance, expectations of independent study, information about
placements and had their questions answered.

Whilst the students highlighted that they had received help with MyBu, there was
a strong message that they found the system ‘confusing’:

• Other than our personal tutor, I don’t feel the uni made any good attempt at
supporting us. Although I realise HE is more independent, I feel as though the
uni has dropped us in the deep end. MyBU is not useful or easy to learn from

Other students felt that MyBU was useful once they knew how to use it but
agreed that it could have been clearer. The feeling of being dropped in at the
deep end continues to highlight the difficulties experienced by first year students
during the transition phase and tutor support is evidently regarded highly.

7. What is being a nurse all about for the students?


Caring, helping, supporting and were all words that the students associated with
being a nurse. As well as defining the need to be professional, knowledgeable,
constantly learning and able to work well as part of a team, the students also
highlighted personal qualities that they felt were essential for being a nurse, such
as the ability to listen to patients, show understanding and respecting patients’
privacy and dignity:

• To be a good nurse I believe you should be well-informed, honest, empathetic
and have a passion for your role

• It is also about making people feel safe and happy during a stressful and
vulnerable experience

Many of the students felt it was important to take a holistic approach as a nurse
and use their skills to address the physical, psychological, emotional and social
aspects of patient care.

For others, being a nurse was all about the passion of doing something they
enjoyed and making a difference to the lives of others in their role. They felt
proud of the responsibility they would have as a nurse:

• I like how patients put their trust into you. I feel good after a day’s work

• I can’t really explain but I know when I’m not nursing I feel a big part of me
is missing. It’s an opportunity to give something back and a privilege to be
such help and support to people

• To feel I am giving back to the community. I want to be able to look back
over my life and feel that I have given something, to make a difference for
the better. I want people to see that I care by my actions whether they be big
or small

In addition to wanting to improve patients’ health and make them feel
comfortable and at ease, some students acknowledged that they wanted to
empower patients with knowledge to make their own decisions about their care.

8. What were the students’ expectations of themselves as nursing
students?


The most common expectation of the students was to gain nursing knowledge
and develop their skills for practice so that they could become a good nurse and
provide quality care. The responses gave a balance between academic
expectations of themselves as students as well as the perception of their nursing
role in placement, emphasising the dual identity of student nurses. The students
were determined to work to the best of their ability and held high expectations of
themselves. They were generally dedicated to passing their course and doing
well:

• I will take this opportunity as once in a lifetime and will try and work my
hardest to achieve

Achieving good grades was an important expectation of the students and provides
an interesting comparison to the lecturers’ vision of student success which
focused more on individual growth and development of the students as nurses.

Many expected the experience to be a learning curve and wanted to increase their
confidence in practice. They wanted to learn from every opportunity, to ask
questions and to take all advice and instruction when given. They intended to
learn from mistakes encountered and not let it deter them from becoming a
successful nurse:

• Being able to recognise my strengths and weaknesses, achieving academically
good grades and making the most out of the opportunity I have been given. I
feel like a blank canvas with the ability to grow both personally and
academically

As student nurses they expected to be punctual, caring, to listen, be hardworking,
professional and approachable. They also expected to take responsibility for their
actions.

9. Did any of the students think about leaving during the first few weeks
in the first year and, if so, what persuaded them to stay?
Out of the 150 students who completed the questionnaire, 32 students (21%)
had considered leaving during the first few weeks of their course. Five students
had considered leaving from the programme in Yeovil (14%) and 27 at
Bournemouth (23%). Some of those that had not considered leaving in the first


weeks still commented that they worried about whether they’d be able to cope or
manage their time.

The most common reason that persuaded students to stay was their passion for
wanting to become a nurse. The sheer determination of wanting to fulfil their
career and lifelong ambition helped them to persevere:

• I came here to be a nurse and I am going to achieve my dream. I know there
will be ups and downs along the way

• I want to be a nurse. I feel that this is the only career I want to pursue which
made me stay. I know once I get on with the course it will get better for me

Students commented that they had remained at university to prove they could do
it, to better themselves and because they did not want to disappoint themselves.
These feelings reflect the high expectations and pressure the students may have
placed on themselves to succeed as nurses.

Support from other people was a factor in persuading some of the students to
stay, including friends, family, personal tutors and lecturers. This kind of support
also caused one student to feel like they’d be letting down people who tried to
help them if they left university. Another student had struggled with balancing
their student and family life and experienced guilt in leaving her children while at
university. For this particular student, things improved once they were in a better
routine and guilt was overcome as a result. One student’s faith helped them to
stay as they felt they were here for a reason.

Many of the doubters felt that they hadn’t given university a chance and
expressed that it was difficult to tell whether they would enjoy the experience
from the first couple weeks. They also believed things would improve once their
placements had begun. For this reason, they continued with their studies. Other
influencing factors included not wanting to have regrets, not wanting to waste
time and effort by giving up and being unsure of what else they would do.

10. What did the students find ‘strange’ about university life?
The concept of independent learning was considered strange by the majority of
students who found the expectation of self directed work a complete contrast to
their school or college educational experience. Taking responsibility for their self
managed learning was new to most:


• It’s a shock to come into an education environment where nearly everything
is self taught. It’s extremely difficult to get to grips with

Students believed they had been ‘spoon-fed’ in the past and been given more
taught guidance on assignments which may account for their difficulty in
adjusting to independent study in higher education. The amount of time
dedicated to self managed learning at university was consequently considered
strange by the students:

• How much free time I have. It took me a while to learn to use this time
efficiently

Students were surprised at the level of free time they had at university and found
that self-discipline and self-motivation were required. The flexibility surrounding
when the students had to attend university was again very different to the more
rigid structure of school life.

As may be expected, there were also practical elements of going to university
that some students found strange, particularly if this was their first time away
from home. Food shopping, a lack of money and coping away from home were all
factors associated with the first year experience of university life:

• Living alone is very strange, doing things independently had made me mature
as I am able to make my own decisions that will help me with my career
• Being without my family as they are normally always there to help me be
organised

In some respects, the independence of living away from home was viewed as a
positive experience, allowing students to develop in maturity and ‘grow up’.
Others, however, highlighted the bizarreness of having to live with people that
they may not necessarily get on with.

A theme in relation to identity also emerged as an aspect the students found
strange. It appeared that some students were struggling with different identities,
whether relating to their role as a student, family member or employee. For
example, the following student was preoccupied with the characteristics
associated with a 'stereotypical' student identity:


• I hate being called a ‘student’. I have a flat, a job and other things like that
and hate the stigma attached to students

This emphasises how students arrive at university with different backgrounds,
expectations and personal responsibilities. In contrast, another student seemed
disappointed at not being able to fulfill the student identity, feeling that they were
missing out on student life due to family commitments and living far away. The
nursing identity was only referred to in a physical context by one student who
claimed that the uniform trousers were strange as they were ‘unable to bend
when wearing them!’

Age likewise had an impact on how the students identified themselves. Several
students found being a mature student at university strange. Those that
considered themselves older felt that a lot of university life was geared towards
younger students. Having a mixture of age groups in a class was a new
experience for most.

11. Additional comments from the students
A strong message from the students at Yeovil was that they felt segregated from
Bournemouth University. Students claimed that they missed out on the social
aspect of university life by being located at Yeovil and suggested that more sports
and social clubs should be organised for satellite institutions. A student at
Bournemouth requested better support for mature students but it was not
specified whether this related to learning support or social opportunities.

With regard to the content and structure of the adult nursing programme, some
students criticised that there was too much self managed learning time and that
the number of lectures should be increased. Students indicated that they would
like lecturers to explain things thoroughly and not rush through the content of
their lectures. Some students did not see the benefit of including the PAD unit on
the nursing curriculum and there was a request for a greater understanding of the
tutor and mentor role. It was also suggested that students should be advised to
have worked as a Health Care Assistant before starting the course and that
opportunities to learn abroad should be included as part of their practice hours.


Staff Interviews

As was the case with the student interviews, the results have been merged in this
initial report. The Bournemouth team will be working on separating staff
comments about attitudes in the 2009-10 academic year. Staff were asked for
their opinions about the following questions:

1. How important do the lecturers think tutor contact
with students is during the month or so prior to
starting at university?
2. What mechanisms did the lecturers feel were in place
to ensure the ‘seamless’ support of their students?
3. Do the lecturers think that students need transition
support?
4. What do the lecturers think is the right level and right
amount of information that needs to be given to
students about their course and about the university
prior to arriving?
5. What do the lecturers think is about the right level
and right amount of information that needs to be
given to students during Freshers’ week?
6. What do the lecturers do to encourage students to
engage with this information?
7. What did the lecturers think a typical Freshers week
looked like to the student?
8. What do the lecturers feel is the best way to facilitate
engagement of students in their personal and
academic development?
9. How do the lecturers communicate academic
expectations to students?
10. How did the lecturers perceive that first year students
make sense of feedback to assessed work?
11. How did the lecturers define student success?
12. What do the lecturers feel enhances the early
experiences of students at university?


1. How important do the lecturers think tutor contact with students is
during the month or so prior to starting at university?
Overall, the majority of lecturers interviewed thought that contact with students
prior to the start of university was a good idea and would be useful. Most
recognised the potential of prior contact with a personal tutor, considering it
valuable for increasing a sense of belonging for the students and creating
familiarity for them before their arrival:

• In an ideal world yes it would because I think if you can start that initial
contact and a student's actually got a name or a voice that they can sort of
relate to I think that could be quite useful because it gives the student the
feeling that there’s actually somebody at the university who already knows
them or who’s got some idea of what they’re like

Whilst the lecturers believed prior contact with their first year students would be
beneficial, it was acknowledged that resourcing this support would be
problematic. The process would place additional demands on the personal tutor
role, taking up more of their time and increasing their workload. One personal
tutor stated that they were not always aware in advance of which students would
be in their tutor group and conflict with the university vision was also highlighted
as a potential issue, with one lecturer claiming

• “I’m not sure the university would value the time”

Despite the practical obstacles identified for prior contact, all of the lecturers felt
the personal tutor role was highly important. Some lecturers considered that the
tutor role comes into effect from day one in Freshers week and was not applicable
prior to university. They considered Freshers to be the time when most support is
needed by the students:

• I do think that’s important because…it’s not that you want to create
dependency but it’s just to meet their esteem needs, their affiliation
needs. That needs to be right from the beginning so in some ways the
content’s not so important

The personal tutor role was emphasised as being ‘pivotal’ for student support at
this stage and it was recognised that the tutors should provide both pastoral and


academic support, ‘especially for young students who’ve moved out and are
finding their feet’.

One lecturer struggled with the concept of ‘mothering’ students and ‘over-
nurturing’, instead viewing the tutor role as more of a facilitator. Ask BU was
referenced as a useful resource to direct students to for support. One lecturer
associated prior contact with students as a role for the administrative staff of the
nursing programme and felt tutors could deal with more specific enquiries if
needed. Another suggested using a form of prior contact used by the Open
University whereby personal tutors send a letter to students in advance to
introduce themselves and explain the personal tutor role. This lecturer felt that
the letter provided a personal touch which was important for easing students’
anxieties and making them feel included before they start.

The lecturers also commended the Stepping Stones 2HE programme on MyBU as
a useful method of contact with students prior to university. The presentation
activity for nurses on Stepping Stones was considered ‘really invaluable’ for
engaging the students and the interaction helped to increase their sense of
belonging. The lecturers found the ‘About You’ questionnaire on Stepping Stones
useful for finding out about their students in advance, although one personal
tutor admitted they had not followed up responses to the questionnaire.

2. What mechanisms did the lecturers feel were in place to ensure the
‘seamless’ support of their students?
The lecturers listed a variety of support mechanisms that they felt worked well for
their students. In their roles as personal tutors they ensured that students knew
what was expected of them, provided encouragement and reassurance,
highlighted opportunities available and believed it was important to act as role
models for their students. The role of admin was deemed essential in contributing
to seamless support and there was recognition of the need for personal tutors to
invest time in getting to know the students, putting them at the centre of things.
AskBU and the Students' Union were also highlighted as consistent sources of
support when tutors were unavailable.

Good communication was at the heart of seamless support for the students. The
lecturers acknowledged that without efficient communication between support
services, students, lecturers and personal tutors, the ‘seamless service can fall
down’. Even good communication with uniform providers was stated as necessary
to ease students’ anxieties surrounding the arrival of their uniforms. It was also


highlighted that seamless support is, to a certain extent, dependent on students
being proactive.

The programme team at Yeovil felt they were able to provide seamless support to
their students because they were a smaller team. Collaboration of a smaller team
enabled the lecturers to have more direct involvement with the students in
workshops and even enabled them to arrange meetings with the University Link
Coordinators to identify students at risk of struggling on the programme. The
team approach at Yeovil ensures that students are not solely reliant on their
personal tutor. If their personal tutor is absent, other tutors are likely to know
the students well enough to offer guidance instead. Peer support was considered
invaluable at Yeovil due to the small group size and helped to spread the support
network for students, enhancing the seamlessness.

It was considered that the first few weeks were overwhelming for the students
and one lecturer in particular related this to their own experience of being a new
member of staff based at Bournemouth. The lecturer could empathise with the
students’ perspective and did not think the support systems in place were
transparent or connected enough to understand:

• I’m new so if I’m struggling with systems and trying to find information and
for me it’s fragmented, then it must be doubly difficult for students

In contrast to the support provided at Yeovil, this lecturer found the support
systems at Bournemouth unclear and not seamless, highlighting the need to raise
awareness and understanding among staff of the support available to students.
Communication is again highlighted as essential.

One lecturer felt that the university offered everything in terms of support for a
positive student experience, their only criticism being the tendency of some
tutors to over-nurture students. Likewise, another lecturer claimed ‘we don’t
become their parent or friend’ in the personal tutor role. Knowing when to refer
students on to other support services was important. This reflects the need for a
distinction of the personal tutor role and expectations of support that accompany
that role:

• I was trying to deliver PAD and help them adjust to MyBU so it was an awful
lot. I think the boundaries got blurred between my tutor role and PAD


• I think they [students] expect, I think there’s an expectation from personal
tutors that they are this all powerful oracle that knows stuff and unfortunately
we don’t we don’t know stuff we can’t know everything, in my experience of
working here, things change week by week by week you know, policies
change very quickly and what you thought might be current policy
is now changed to be something different

Both quotes above imply that greater clarification of the personal tutor role is
required for students and lecturers.

3. Do the lecturers think that students need transition support?
The lecturers agreed that there was much purpose to the support of students
during transition to higher education and that support was necessary during this
period. It was noted that for many students, university is different to previous
educational experiences and the transition period provided an opportunity to
resolve any misconceptions students had about university life. The lecturers also
believed that clear expectations should be set from the start so that students do
not become frustrated and disengaged:

• It’s just like any life transition. It can be quite stressful it’s a brilliant
opportunity to grow not just as a person but as a professional, but it’s not
always that easy and people often are hesitant to make the leap or, if things
don’t go right, can easily withdraw. So I think it’s important to have support
through transition

A need for both academic and pastoral support was recognised and emphasis was
placed on developing students’ self esteem and self efficacy during transition.
One lecturer had heard a student say ‘I don’t feel I belong’ which indicates the
importance students place on fitting in and being accepted by their peers.
Freshers week was considered a good mechanism for enhancing this sense of
belonging.

Whilst it was of common opinion that personal tutors should support students
during transition, it was evident that the majority were in favour of a facilitative
role during this period. Emphasis was placed on empowering students during
transition as opposed to spoon feeding or over-nurturing:


• Just like you empower your patients when you are in practice you need to
empower the students. So yes, you need to give them help initially but
it is about also telling them where they can find help

• It is a support role but a professional kind of mentoring in the ancient Greek
kind of sense

Personal tutors used their role during transition to encourage, reassure and
increase students’ confidence. Creating a safe environment for failure and success
was imperative.

Self managed learning was classed as a further area requiring support during
transition. The lecturers found that students struggle with the philosophy of self
managed learning and are unsure of the expectations, for example, knowing how
to use their study time. The Yeovil lecturing team dedicated a seminar to self
managed learning to address the difficulties yet in Bournemouth, the subject was
integrated into the course lectures. Support for academic writing in higher
education and IT skills were other aspects identified as needing transition
support. One lecturer also felt strongly that the importance of the professional
registration for nursing should be reiterated during transition as some students
‘don’t appreciate the seriousness of what they’re doing’.

4. What do the lecturers think is the right level and right amount of
information that needs to be given to students about their course and
about the university prior to arriving?
To avoid bombarding students at the start of term, the lecturers felt that certain
information could be sent in advance to students. It was recommended that
information should be broken down into smaller, more manageable ‘chunks’ for
students, providing more functional information prior to arriving (such as
timetables, basic course details) that can be built on during Freshers week. Some
felt that the nursing interviews could be used to identify vulnerable students in
advance and to signpost them to study skills support before the start of
university. Others believed that Stepping Stones 2HE could be used more
effectively, perhaps by giving students access as soon as they have accepted a
place at the university. This in theory would allow students more time to absorb
information at their own pace. Information prior to arriving was also linked to
student retention:


• I think there is scope for engaging with them at an earlier stage and I think
that might have more impact on them staying

Whilst most shared similar views on the level and amount of information that
should be given to students prior to arrival, lecturers at Yeovil placed more focus
on Freshers week. One lecturer at Bournemouth expressed the perspective that
‘one size doesn’t fit all’ and proposed an ‘opt in and opt out’ approach to
information giving prior to university, claiming that some students ‘do want as
much information as possible to sort of get ahead of the game and others won’t
want that’. Achieving the right balance of prior information was, therefore, a
difficult task.

Further suggestions for advance information included the course handbook, the
data stick of information (usually distributed during Freshers), initial lecture and
seminar notes, a list of key reading texts and frequently asked questions and
answers. The creation of student groups on Facebook prior to arriving at
university was considered appropriate by one lecturer, highlighting the impact of
social networking as a communication method.

5. What do the lecturers think is about the right level and right amount
of information that needs to be given to students during Freshers week?
In line with the students’ perspective of Freshers week, the majority of lecturers
considered the experience as ‘full on’ and overwhelming for students. MyBU was
viewed as ‘mesmerizing’ and the tendency to overload students with information
was regarded as having a negative impact. One lecturer linked this to the
cognitive ability of the students:

• They don’t have those processes to enable them to filter out what is
important, what isn’t important, so they either forget everything or get so
worried that they need to know everything that they become these ineffectual
people

As well as coping with a deluge of information, it was also recognised that
excitement can act as a barrier:

• I think there’s such a level of excitement in that first month that they just
completely don’t take it on board


Extending Freshers week was one suggestion to give students more time to
absorb information. This would allow more time for settling in and ensure that
students were then more focused on their course.

Most felt that information should be spread out at a reasonable pace, picking out
relevant information and revisiting details that the students had received in
advance. With regard to the level of information given, the lecturers believed that
overviews were more productive and enhanced by repetition:

• Information isn’t successful if it’s just given once so I suppose it’s giving an
overall view and as the year progresses you’re doing gentle reminders
highlighting particular things

One example given was the data stick distributed to students during Freshers
week. Content on the data stick is not necessarily explored by the students in the
first week but tutors are able to direct them to the resource when needed. This
also emphasised the facilitator role of personal tutors.

As opposed to focusing on information delivery, the lecturers believed that the
most important aim of Freshers week was friendship development and building
self-esteem. Personal tutors concentrated on making students feel safe and
secure and highlighted acceptance and ‘fitting in’ as being vital to students. One
lecturer explained that they spend the first two days of Freshers week bonding
with their tutor group to aid affiliation for the students, yet not encourage
dependency. The social side, such as getting to know each other, the university
culture and the kind of tutoring support they’d received, took priority and was
followed later in the week with a focus on expectations in the first year, an
introduction to support services, the library and IT. Peer support was considered
valuable.

6. What do the lecturers do to encourage students to engage with this
information?
Numerous individual methods were adopted by the lecturers to engage students.
The use of discussion forums, seminars to demonstrate the use of MyBU, skills
development and library sessions all aimed to help students make sense of the
information given to them. Tutors found it more productive to provide small,


realistic ‘chunks’ of information and an overview of the year to avoid overloading
the students. More practical approaches included colour coding the timetable for
students and producing a DVD for students as a modified version of the data stick
that was regarded as more user-friendly. Being a role model to the students and
using assessment to engage the students was also discussed, and getting the
students to work in different groups and not always with the same people was
suggested as a useful way of engaging large, diverse groups.

At Yeovil, the lecturing team ensured that input was purposeful for students
during the transition period by making strong links to practice. They find that
students seem to engage more if they know it will help them in their career to be
a nurse:

• I’m saying to them look these are the skills you’re going to need to reach
year 2 so we’ve started talking about critical analysis being evaluative being
reflective and they actually seem to be engaging a bit better now

Contextualising information in relation to practice, therefore, was successful for
motivating first year students. Group support was also encouraged, with students
helping each other access information. The benefits of small cohorts at Yeovil
were also reflected on by a lecturer at Bournemouth who had a small tutor group.
The smaller group allowed students to engage in IT skills development sessions in
a more practical and positive way. More time could be dedicated to individual
technical problems the students were experiencing, such as logging on to the
system.

Many lecturers expressed that it was the responsibility of individual tutors to
engage students with the information. The Tannenberg Schmidt model of
mentoring was recommended by one lecturer (this emphasises the need for more
input and encouragement at the beginning), with students becoming more
independent as they progress through the programme. Whilst most agreed that it
was important to generate independence, this naturally led to further debate
surrounding the ‘over-nurturing’ of students.

• Some personal tutors have got a very hands off approach and others may be
too much of a hands on approach, you know, that they do mother the
students too much although you could argue that for the first couple of
months that’s what they need


Achieving a balance of support appeared to be a challenge. Tutors did not want to
spoon feed students but they also did not want students to struggle alone. The
facilitative role of personal tutors emerged as the most suitable alternative:

• It is our responsibility to check that they have access to support and
information which would benefit their growth as students

• The only person that can really cater for their individuality is the student
themselves so they have to learn to look after their own needs and you have
to learn to support them. You know you can’t take it over

Effective facilitation skills were required by the tutor and the ability to know the
boundaries of their support. Providing that tutors are fully aware of the support
services available to students and can direct them to information, most felt that
students should be encouraged to make sense of information for themselves.
Reassuring students and creating a safe non-threatening environment were
thought to enhance this process.

7. What did the lecturers think a typical Freshers week looked like to the
student?
Confusing, daunting, ‘full on’ and a time for partying were words that the
lecturers associated with Freshers week in the eyes of the students. They implied
that students were overloaded with information and some discover at this point
that their expectations of university are different to reality. The emotional impact
can be intense:

• They find it a rush of emotions…they wonder how they are ever going to get
through the three years
• Total confusion…students can start to become disillusioned

The lecturers claimed that Freshers week should look exciting but there needs to
be clear direction in relation to the logistics of the week and who students can
contact if they have a problem. Again, it was suggested that Freshers week
should be extended ‘to allow them that nice easy transition’ and help avoid
information overload. The need to prioritise information and processes was
emphasised:


• Helping them to get to know each other is far more important than telling
them how to be thrown off the course in the first day which has happened in
the past where we’ve had programmes that have talked about these…rules of
professional conduct which they need to know but not right at the beginning,
that can be developed

This reflects the opinion of tutors who feel more time should be directed towards
friendship formation. Whilst the students may feel overwhelmed and daunted, it
was acknowledged that the drive to be a good nurse keeps them going. This view
is supported by the majority of nursing student doubters who persevered with the
course due to career ambitions.

The lecturers considered that Freshers week could be impersonal for some
students who may feel they are ‘just a face in a group’ and ‘not seen as
individual’. For this reason, many placed more value on the students establishing
themselves in their tutor group and forming a group identity early on as opposed
to overloading with information in the first instance:

• They need to feel accepted and safe first then they need a little bit of practical
information, then they can take on the rest of it…I think sometimes there’s a
tension there…I think Freshers week, if we could develop it in terms of
support, it’s more about helping them feel safe first

Acceptance by their peer group was deemed important. Student interaction and
the importance of making friends was accentuated, and the use of social
networking sites to encourage group development, support and the exchange of
information was utilised by students.

Whilst most lecturers agreed that Freshers week was confusing for the students,
a tutor at Yeovil believed Freshers week worked well, with information staged
effectively. This contrasts to students’ views of Freshers week at Yeovil. It was
perceived that parity between Freshers week at Bournemouth and Yeovil had
improved. However, interestingly students at Lansdowne campus at
Bournemouth still felt isolated from the freshers events taking place at Talbot
Campus:

• I think they have much more fun over at Talbot Campus and I’ve always
believed that the school of nursing should be at the Talbot Campus to allow
our students to actively engage with other students there from other schools


In agreement with the students’ opinion, some lecturers felt there was a lack of
opportunity to engage in social events when based at Lansdowne campus. It
reduced the opportunity for student interaction with peers at a broader level.

8. What do the lecturers feel is the best way to facilitate engagement of
students in their personal and academic development?
There was mixed opinion surrounding the benefits of embedding personal and
academic development within the curriculum. Some lecturers expressed that
integrating graduate skills into nursing programme units was valuable in letting
students see that ‘learning skills’ are integral to all the work that they will do. One
tutor, for example, facilitates discussions in their group when academic study
issues arise and gives the students space and time to talk. In contrast, others
found that separate study skills sessions were more beneficial for students,
focusing in depth on specific graduate competencies such as self managed
learning, essay writing and referencing.

It was recognised that a range of methods were required for effectively engaging
students with their personal and academic development, including small group
activities (which also increased a sense of belonging for the students),
appropriate challenges, face-to-face taught sessions, personal tutorials and online
support. Good communication between lecturers and tutors was regarded as
having a significant impact, as well as providing positive feedback to students. A
clear message was that one size doesn’t fit all:

• It’s about being able to use a range of skills to get students to engage
• Not all students come with the same size, the same abilities, and they all
recognise their abilities at different times so just front loading something, or
just expecting online materials is not enough

It was highlighted that different learning styles and approaches are needed for
different students, at different points in time. One lecturer believed that support
was often first needed by students when they receive their first assignment back
as they are more receptive at that point.

Different levels of staff commitment had an effect on how students were
encouraged to engage with personal and academic development. As some
students found the development of graduate competencies overwhelming by not


understanding the expectations or relevance, most staff felt it was important to
explain the rationale for personal and academic development. They believed it
was necessary to give clear guidelines and explain the learning outcomes which
helped to contextualise the skills for the students. As inferred earlier, students
may engage more if they know that the skills they are acquiring have purpose
for their future career.

The impact of placements on student development and changing attitudes was
likewise acknowledged as improving students’ maturity and sense of
responsibility in the first year:

• I’m beginning to see them developing and changing and calming down

Another lecturer, however, did not feel that students were academically mature
enough to engage in personal and academic development in the first year
strongly believing that such development takes place in the second or third year
and admitted often saying to first year students not to worry about their marks,
‘just as long as you pass’. This draws attention to some fundamental differences
in values amongst staff.

The recurrent theme of the personal tutor role was identified as necessary for
engaging students in their personal and academic development. Personal tutors
were able to aid the development of positive group relationships and use their
knowledge of the wider nursing programme to help the students make sense of
information and support the transition to study in higher education. The personal
tutors also felt it was their responsibility to identify students who were struggling
with their learning and picking the right time to direct them to further support.

9. How do the lecturers communicate academic expectations to
students?
The lecturers aimed to set academic expectations very early on to clarify
assumptions made by the students and clearly define behavioural expectations.
One of the main areas requiring particular focus was expectations of independent
learning:

• I feel very strongly it’s about helping them understand their independent
learning as well cos very often that’s the biggest thing we offer them in higher
education. This opportunity, this freedom to learn for themselves, to be more


effective but they often don’t know how to do it. So again, this idea of saying
you know actually 70% of what you’ll learn you’ll learn yourself

Ways of communicating expectations included the use of gentle prompts and
challenges (such as setting small goals to push the students and build their
confidence), addressing academic and practical assignment guidance during
personal tutor group sessions, tutors role modelling graduate skills and a study
skills session on the transition to higher education. It was felt that expectations
should be reviewed periodically, both when academic expectations are being met
and when they are not, and also revisited in the second and third year.

The most challenging element for lecturers was balancing expectations of
freedom with learning the rules. For example, when setting ground rules for the
group the lecturers were aware of the need to treat the students as adults and
not dictate the expectations:

• I’d be reluctant to give them a list of "this is the behaviour we expect of you"
because I don’t think that’s treating them like adults but I think it would be
nice to give them a list of perhaps what they should aspire to so you know,
accessing the library, accessing their e-mails and sell it as a positive rather
than a punitive list

The tutors wanted to maintain a sense of student responsibility and independence
when communicating academic expectations which would enhance the students’
development in the first year. The role of the personal tutor was regarded as
important for supporting students’ understanding of academic expectations but it
was also recognised that students should develop personal responsibility:

• How they conduct themselves is their own responsibility but it is our
responsibility to check that they have access to support and information
which would benefit their growth as students

In terms of the best time to communicate expectations, one lecturer at
Bournemouth preferred to address expectations in the first week of teaching as
opposed to Freshers week. This avoided information overload for the students
during Freshers week and kept the focus on getting to know each other.


10. How did the lecturers perceive that first year students make sense of
feedback to assessed work?
Whilst the lecturers acknowledged that some students find feedback valuable and
use it to improve their work, there was opinion that some students only focus on
the mark they receive for assessed work and do not engage with feedback. One
lecturer commented that they had rarely seen students improve their work as a
result of feedback. When contemplating the reasons why a student may not
engage with feedback on assessed work, difficulty understanding the academic
language was raised as an issue:

• It becomes difficult to try and get people to start thinking analytically if we’re
just using these big words that they don’t understand….I think that’s the
problem that they face…because we’re writing stuff in our own academic talk
you know to appease ourselves really I think

This highlights the crucial role of the lecturer or personal tutor in the feedback
process. A further issue identified in defence of lecturers was time constraints. It
was claimed that ‘group size doesn’t allow you the time to write constructive
feedback’ which indicates the impact of staff workloads on the quality of feedback
to students. Both issues emphasise the need to accompany feedback with
dialogue from the tutor, a communication method encouraged by the majority of
lecturers when giving students feedback.

It was considered part of the personal tutor role to ‘enable students to engage
effectively’ with feedback. The tutor was again seen as a facilitator and
responsible for referring students to learning support in their feedback if required.
Communication was considered vital in assisting students to make sense of
feedback and most encouraged students to discuss their feedback with them
whether they had received good or bad results. It was felt that all students should
be encouraged to learn from feedback and improve their work and that positive
feedback would encourage and motivate students in future assessment. One
lecturer believed that feedback had more of an impact when students entered
their second year, when low marks tended to prompt them to seek skills support.

Reflection on the learning process involved in feedback was a focus for one tutor
at Bournemouth. Encouragement of students to reflect on the learning process
itself was regarded highly, exploring questions such as how did the student
approach their learning? What new learning can they take from it? What could
they have done to improve the situation? Similarly, another lecturer believed that


students need to be taught how to engage with feedback and encouraged them to
pick out three points from their assessed work to improve next time. Publicising
study skills sessions was also considered useful and it was acknowledged that
students must also take responsibility for engaging with their feedback.

Most lecturers favour different processes of engaging their students in feedback.
In Yeovil, however, a team approach to feedback was evident. It was implied that
the lecturing team use the same structure and content of feedback, providing
more detail than the standard university form, but develop their own methods of
translating the feedback to students. More links to practice were all associated in
the feedback provided to student at Yeovil. One lecturer asserted that it was
essential that students were able to write well and learnt from feedback as they
would need to be able to write clear records as a professional nurse without
errors.

11. How did the lecturers define student success?
Definitions of student success ranged from students reaching their potential and
completing the first year, to developing increased confidence and maturity and
developing competent, safe, knowledgeable practitioners. Student success was
rarely associated with the marks students achieved and it was acknowledged that
success was very individual and related more to personal goals:

• I would define it as students reaching their potential…students feeling
satisfied and perhaps delighted by their performance…knowing you’ve worked
really hard for something and actually it’s paid off. I think that the boost you
get from that sort of feeling is really incredible. It can motivate you forward…
to do even better pieces of work so the mark doesn’t have to be high but I
think the student needs to feel that their hard work has paid off

Whilst the lecturers related student success to satisfaction with personal
performance, many felt that students tend to relate success to the achievement
of high marks. Receiving good marks increased the self esteem of students. In
contrast, one lecturer was disappointed that some students only aim for a pass
mark of 40% in the first year and do not want to achieve higher. This view
contradicted the same lecturer’s attitude reflected in response to a previous
question that marks don’t matter in the first year – to pass is the main focus.


Student success was defined as personal, academic and professional growth,
irrespective of their starting point. It was emphasised that success was not just
the end product:

• It’s not all about the ultimate end assessment, it’s about what they glean and
do along the way

Students were recognised as being successful for overcoming hurdles in the
course and coping with life challenges alongside their studies. This strength and
self reliance was admired by the tutors:

• I can’t predict every personal professional problem they will face in life but if
they can cope then we’ve been successful…it won’t stop them being hurt or it
won’t stop disappointment but builds resilience and hardiness

Success was linked to the development of social responsibility and the ability for
nursing students to see things differently. The personal tutor’s role was
considered to be one of encouragement and providing direction. One tutor felt
their role had been to sow the seeds for the students to act on.

Discussion of success highlighted a tension between the academic side of the
nursing programme and practice. It was indicated that for some students, gaining
the professional nursing qualification was more important than gaining the
academic qualification. It was regarded as the role of the personal tutor to help
address any academic or professional imbalance of skills:

• It’s encouraging students to see their strengths which might be more
academic or it might be more practical but to really work on the areas where
perhaps they are not quite so successful so they’re a bit more of a rounded
professional nurse at the end

Doing well in the workplace and influencing change during practice was an
indicator of student success for the lecturers. The students were likened to
‘shining stars’ when their practice profiles reflected good work and high standards
of nursing on the wards. Successful students were considered to be those who
were passionately determined to become a nurse and achieving that goal despite
doubting their abilities to succeed.


The only controversial view of student success was related to a personal opinion
that students studying for the nursing degree had got more to work towards than
those studying the advanced diploma. They felt the advanced diploma did not
have as much credence in comparison to the degree and the value of success was
therefore different.

12. What do the lecturers feel enhances the early experiences of
students at university?

The role of the personal tutor, peer support and creating a sense of belonging
were considered essential factors for enhancing the early experiences of students
at university. Developing support networks was perceived to be vital:

• I think it’s very quickly slotting into some student network so it’s making
friends and support early on and I think connecting with their personal tutor is
very, very important so I’d probably say those two factors are the most
important

Much value was placed on friendship formation and building group identity. It was
acknowledged that the students can each offer something different to their group
and they experience the journey together. One lecturer reflected that their tutor
group was ‘like a little family’, emphasising the impact of peer support, and
another tutor claimed that group identity helped the students carry each other
through practice issues.

The role of the personal tutor was thought to enhance early experiences by
encouraging independence and directing students to support if required. Some
believed it was the responsibility of personal tutors to help students achieve a
balance between the social side of university life and study and give them the
confidence to take on new experiences. Clear communication of expectations was
regarded as necessary:

• They find it all a bit of a mystery to start with they’re not quite sure what’s
expected of them so I think they do need to feel supported they need
to know who they can go and talk to their contacts

• I’d have said consistency from the academic staff is important for student
stability. The students are actually in that very early stage in quite a fragile
state and if things start to fall apart around them, and that can be things like


timetable changes, room changes, all of those sorts of things it can be very,
very unsettling

The lecturers recognised that unsettling experiences have an impact on retention
and has caused students to leave in the past. To avoid such results, they
expressed that the student experience is enhanced early on by good structure,
support, putting things into context for students and highlighting expectations.
Whilst one lecturer stated ‘I’m not sure it’s anything we do’, most believed it was
their role as a facilitator of support which was most effective and being
approachable as students settle into university life.

The diversity of tutor groups was considered to have both a positive and negative
effect on students. With different levels of maturity, personalities and experience
present in cohorts, the lecturers felt that group dynamics could prove challenging
and that students tended to form friendships with those of a similar age and
background. Most lecturers were in favour of balanced group composition but
indicated that it required good structuring to work well:

• I sometimes find that at the beginning is not to allow the group to go into
little cliques but to actually split the group up as I want them to split and
work together and hopefully that gets the group working in a more cohesive
way

More evenly balanced groups were perceived as useful for friendship formation
and produce less risk of social isolation for students from minority groups. The
role of student representatives was also recognised as important for giving
students a voice and power as a group.

In addition to explaining academic expectations to students, it was felt that
students needed to experience university life in order to increase their
understanding. The lecturers suggested that students can only prepare
themselves to a certain extent prior to university:

• Its when they get going and they actually start experiencing some of, then it
begins to slot into place

• It’s like anything isn’t it. Until you experience it, you know you’re not totally
sure what it’s going to be like


Another physical impact thought to enhance the experience was location. The
lecturers at Yeovil believed a small team makes a huge difference to students’
first year experience and has an impact on relationships within the group - there
were ‘less opportunities for closeness’ at Bournemouth. However, whilst this had
advantages in terms of support, reference was again made to students at Yeovil
feeling left out of the mass student social experience at Talbot Campus.

13. What advice would the lecturers give to senior university
management for improving retention and engagement?
Key areas of advice were raised in connection with the improvement of retention
and engagement:

• increased communication between lecturers and senior management,
• greater links between staff and student placements,
• more contact time with students and
• smaller group sizes
• extending Freshers week,
• supporting the transition to year 2 earlier by changing year one unit level
descriptors to meet the requirements needed for year 2,
• and the introduction of a 4 year nursing course to provide a further year of
learning for students.

Some lecturers felt that senior management did not provide enough visible
engagement at a curriculum planning level. They wanted to see more
involvement of management at planning meetings and increased communication
between lecturers and managers. More focus on attrition rates was advised:

• We’re obviously producing a new curriculum for October and I’ve been very
disappointed in the engagement of any of the managers and I’ve been very
surprised that they haven’t prioritized the new curriculum over anything else…
things like student support and particularly attrition is never ever mentioned
at any planning meetings and I would have thought that would have been…we
know attrition rates to be high and it seems to have absolutely no impact on
what we are doing at all

Addressing student support issues and fixing attrition rate problems were
recommended as a focus for senior management. The lecturers wanted the


reasons for student withdrawal from the course to be explored to raise awareness
of the issues.

It was also suggested that the student selection process may have an impact on
retention, with some students being accepted onto the nursing programme with
incorrect entry qualifications. This could subsequently cause students to struggle
or fail.

It was felt that stronger links should be made between personal tutors and the
practice placements, for example, visiting students on placement to increase
involvement and understanding of their progress. Although believed to be
beneficial for bridging the gap between lecturing and practice for the personal
tutors, time constraints were acknowledged to be a practical difficulty:

• I know it’s all time and we haven’t got a lot of time but if we were faces that
were known to placements we could perhaps build links we might then know
more about the student experience as well and what they are actually doing
in placement…It is a huge commitment but it might help overall the student
experience and the students would also know that we know exactly what’s
going on in placement whereas now we listen to what they say and try
and get a balanced view of what they are saying

Improving communication between university link coordinators, personal tutors
and placement mentors was an alternative suggestion to face-to-face visits.

Reflecting the students’ expectations of spending more time in university, some
lecturers agreed that contact time with students should be increased. It was felt
that being able to see students more regularly would enable lecturers to get to
know their students better and help engage students more effectively in the
processes of coming to university and becoming a nurse. One lecturer reflected
that teaching had recently become overshadowed by a focus on research and
enterprise at the university and an emphasis on teaching needed to be restored
by increasing the number of days students attend lectures:

• If we don’t have students we’re not going to be doing research or enterprise
because there won’t be a university so the students really are central and
across the university students are being frustrated


Investment in teaching was recommended for improving retention but also
highlighted a tension in relation to university policy, with one tutor commenting
‘the university says you should only do this much’.

Most lecturers valued the idea of smaller student group to help create a sense of
belonging for students. Although it was acknowledged that this would be
resource intensive initially, it was believed that the investment would improve the
engagement of students and have other positive outcomes. Whilst small groups
were perceived to be useful for building student confidence, lecturers also felt
that students needed to have the ability to adapt to other learning contexts, for
example, participating in large lectures.

It was felt by one lecturer that more understanding of the role of identity was
needed as it can be problematic for some students trying to engage in the
process of ‘being’ a student and ‘being’ a nurse.


Conclusions

Please identify any specific findings or insights that contribute to the grants
programme meta-analysis questions to inform learning for the wider sector:

Strand A
Student Doubters

• Are doubters actually more likely to become leavers than non-doubters?

At this stage we can’t say. However, there are very strong differences between
the satisfaction of doubters and non-doubters at both institutions we have sorted
the data. The focus groups also suggest that there may be common factors that
differentiate between the two groups, with doubters being less feeling less
engaged with the university community and far less likely to feel that they are
coping with their studies.

• Are there any factors amongst doubters that appear to be stronger predictors
for withdrawing? (For example do doubters who leave have lower levels of
satisfaction with course factors, future goals or friendships?)

Course-related issues are by far the most likely to make students consider
withdrawing. This makes sense, students may enjoy the social life, but ultimately
are present at university for a purpose: to achieve a degree and employment.
Other factors such as student lifestyle, finance and homesickness whilst clearly
very important to some students are much less frequently mentioned.

The strongest individual risk factor gathered from the qualitative feedback
appears to be students not finding their subject inherently interesting. So if the
intrinsic value and enjoyment associated with the subject is low or absent,
students are far more likely to have doubts. The second factor is confidence at
coping with studies. The partners’ work on transition suggests that students that
students are coming from an environment in which they are well supported, it
may be that more can be done to support students to feel that they are coping.
It is interesting to note that those students aiming for lower first year and final
degree classifications are more likely to have doubts. The next highest risk factor
is that students who do not feel that their lecturers are accessible and this
reinforces our suspicions about the second.


Demographic factors don’t appear to be a strong predictor, although it’s
interesting that at both Bournemouth and NTU, female students are more likely to
have considered withdrawing. Given that males are ultimately more likely to
withdraw, we may have some interesting comments to make later in the project
about the nature of male/ female withdrawal from university.

• Amongst doubters who stay, what factors helped them remain at university?
What were the most important issues and how can institutions make use of
these findings?

The most important factor that helped students stay at university is related to the
support offered by friends and family. Of these two factors, it is friends made at
university, the new surrogate family that is most important. We would suggest
that this means institutions need to dedicate more time creating social
environments that enable students to support one another. This may be
facilitated through curriculum design, institutional approaches to induction and
design of the campus.

The qualitative data from the focus groups suggested that the feeling of
belonging was important and having a good relationship with a member of
academic staff (all non doubters felt that they belonged, all had good
relationships with at least one member of staff). However there does need to be
caution here as all the students here weren’t representative of the student
population as a whole (i.e. more mature/female).

In the Bournemouth University nursing programme surveys, the future goals,
particularly around vocation, appeared to have the strongest impact on the
commitment to stay.

Strand B
Programmes with better than peer rates of retention

Have we uncovered any practices that appear to have a positive impact on
retention?


Although the findings gathered at Bournemouth are interesting, at this stage it’s
too early to draw any conclusions about the positive impact of particular
practices.

Overall conclusions

Our research suggests that if we are to improve retention, we need to work on
two areas. Firstly to reduce the impact of those factors that make students
consider leaving in the first place and secondly to augment those factors that
appear to have a positive impact on doubters (and we hypothesise) leavers. It
appears clear that the two are not simply opposites. We will work on developing
models to help staff think about the issues.

Although only tentative, we believe that we have uncovered something
interesting about students’ perceptions of learning and teaching with regards to
retention, namely that it appears to be a hygiene factor rather than a motivator.
We will explore this further.

3.1 How can the learning experience be managed to promote student success?

The most common reasons cited in the pilot study for withdrawing and in the
transitions survey for considering withdrawal were course related. Students’
dissatisfaction appears focussed on the experience of studying. Other factors
such as lifestyle, finance and homesickness clearly all played a part, but it was
dissatisfaction with the course that appeared to have the strongest impact. This
leads us to tentatively suggest that professional and support services have a
lower impact on decisions about doubting. That is not to say that they don’t have
an important role for students considering leaving or actively choosing to do so,
but that the source of dissatisfaction and possible early solutions is likely to be
within the curriculum.

We would therefore suggest that energy is concentrated on supporting students
within the curriculum, particularly in areas such as understanding the differences
and building confidence that they can cope with the learning experience.


Those (albeit few) students who felt they had received inaccurate information
about their university were much more likely to have doubts.

3.2 How can institutions and partnerships (e.g. Aimhigher) ensure that students
are sufficiently prepared to make the transition into HE?

Those students in the transitions survey who felt that they didn’t understand the
difference between learning at University and their previous studies were
significantly more likely to have considered leaving than those who did not. It
would appear therefore important that students are primed before coming to
university to explore the differences between the two and are helped to adapt to
learning and teaching in HE. However discussion with the Flying Start NTF
project leads us to believe that pre-entry workshops can be problematical,
particularly when issues such as academic writing are taught to students who find
it confusing to try and synthesise two approaches to writing at the same time. It
may therefore be more appropriate to concentrate on expectations in a more
general learning sense or even models and approaches to study.

We do feel that there is much work to be done to support a greater awareness-
raising of issues surrounding approaches to learning in HE whilst students are still
in FE. We would tentatively suggest that staff working in both sectors ought to be
given greater opportunities for dialogue between the two sectors and will report
on findings from a shadowing project being conducted at NTU (2009-10).

3.3 How can the curriculum be designed and delivered to promote the success of
all students?

Although not yet confirmed by data on leavers, we appear to have found an
interesting issue. Poor learning and teaching appears to lead to active
dissatisfaction, but good learning and teaching does not appear been a
particularly important factor with regards to making students want to stay. Where
students describe the positive impact of learning and teaching, it is in the context
of support from institutional staff or adapting to the learning and teaching in HE
with only a few stating that they have started to enjoy university. For most
students it would appear that good learning and teaching is a hygiene factor: its


absence is a de-motivator, but as its presence is expected as a minimum and
therefore does not, in itself, motivate.

There are three areas in which we would suggest action needs to be taken to
develop the curriculum:

Firstly, given the importance of friendships for retention, we would strongly
suggest that the curriculum is designed to maximise opportunities to make
friends during induction and throughout the first year. This is likely to mean
plenty of small group work and more opportunities for discussion. It is likely to
mean putting more staff resources into the first year rather than later years.

The second area is to work on helping students understand the differences
between learning in the two sectors. We would suggest that this needs to go
beyond simple explanation during induction, but is comprised of smaller
interconnected tasks in the first term to practice the different academic skills
before tackling longer assignments. Clearly at some point (probably the first
year) support will need to be gradually withdrawn. Given the consistently poor
scores about feedback in the NSS, this may also mean more emphasis on
providing formative feedback and developing the skills to learn from it and
helping students to develop better self-reflection skills. It may also be
appropriate to for programme teams to have a clearer dialogue amongst
themselves about expectations upon students at each level and how they will
support student transition into the later levels of study.

Thirdly, given the impact on not finding the subject interesting, it seems that
making the subject interesting is extremely important for student motivation.
Clearly no lecturer would disagree with the statement, and ‘interest’ is likely to be
a highly subjective experience. Nonetheless it may be worth reiterating strongly
within staff development events.

3.4 How can formal and informal extra-curricular activities support students and
promote their engagement in higher education?

Informal social support has appeared as an extremely important factor in our
research. As the number one reason amongst first years to consider remaining,
clearly the role of friends formed at university is vital. Although the NTU focus
groups following the transition survey met only a few students, there appeared to


be a difference in approach between doubters and non-doubters towards the
social milieu. The word ‘doubter’ appeared to have an interesting relationship
with the word ‘joiner’. Non-doubters appeared to be largely joiners: they joined
clubs and societies and gained value from doing so. The doubters tended to be
non-joiners, they were largely from demographics who tend not to join (mature
students and international students), but nonetheless the difference was
noticeable. The surveys with leavers at Bournemouth suggest that the leavers
had a similar experience to the doubters with regards to joining; whilst they had
developed friendships, they had not been joiners.

Our suggestions would be that institutions consider ways of improving the social
milieu for these groups. Given the additional potential difficulties engaging in
extra-curricular activities for mature, local and international students, this may be
best facilitated by activities within the curriculum (see above).

3.5 How can the structures and processes of the English higher education system
be improved to facilitate institutions to promote the retention and success of
all students?

At this stage it feels to early to say other than to re-emphasise the importance of
informal friendships and learning to cope with the transition from FE to HE.

4. Dissemination of learning
Please provide details of how you have disseminated the learning from your
project this year. We are interested in dissemination activities which are action
focused as well as information sharing. This may, for example, involve
stimulating dialogue in your institution to encourage the development of
improved policy and practice, as well as more traditional forms of dissemination.
It would be appropriate to consider dissemination within the project, across the
participating institutions and to others in the sector and beyond. Please provide
the following information:


Event Audience Objectives Focus Format Reflections

25/02/2009 Academics & Inform about HERE Introduction Discussion
Fourth Annual Student HE Managers Project
Retention Conference -Neil
Stewart Associates
02/04/2009 NTU Annual Academics, Present research as part Transition Workshop Staff highly
Learning and Teaching learning of workshop on student interested in
Conference developers & transition research
managers
06/04/2009 - 7/04/2009 Academics, Explain research HERE Project Poster presentation
ALDinHE conference learning work
Bournemouth developers &
managers
24/04/2009 UK National Academics, Present information about Stepping Stones Workshop
Transition Conference: learning Stepping Stones 2HE 2HE, some
research and good practice developers & mention of HERE
in promoting student managers
engagement in the first
year
University College London

13/05/2009 Academics, Presented workshops on Induction & Workshops Generated interest in
-15/05/2009European First learning induction & transition transition our work


Year Experience developers &
Conference (EFYE) managers
Groningen, Netherlands
18/06/09 AimHigher West Academics, Presented two workshops Transition & Workshops & Lots of interest
Yorkshire learning & keynote about transition retention presentations
developers, and retention
aimhigher
staff &
managers
30/06/2009 - 2/07/2009 Academics, Participated in workshop HERE project Workshop
HEA Academy Conference learning promoting whole project
Manchester developers &
managers
nd
22 International First Academics, Support Me! Develop Develop Me Workshop

Year Experience learning Me! Retain Me! How a
developers &
Conference, Montreal, Reflective Skills Activity
managers
has Increased Student
Engagement, Motivation
and Success.


4.Next stage
4.1.Approach to future work (including an overview of planned work and
identifying any significant variations from earlier plans).

See Appendix two for revised work schedule.

Essentially we anticipate that we will work broadly to the original schedule.

Strand a – Student Doubters

We will conduct a more-detailed analysis of the student doubters’ survey work
making use of actual student withdrawals data. We are unlikely to do much
additional research other than follow up a limited number of students who have
withdrawn or who have raised interesting points in their surveys. We will monitor
those students who have given us permission to look at their student records to
see if factors such as doubting have an impact on the subsequent attainment in
later years. The data from the Bradford survey is only partially complete and so
will need to be completed during the year.

Strand b – Programmes

The main focus for the year will be conducting the programme audits at each
partner institution. We are slightly behind schedule analysing programmes. At
this stage, we believe that we will be able to get back on schedule during the
2009-10 academic year; although there is a potential anxiety that the detailed
programme work may be highly complex and potentially time consuming.

4.2.How is this informed by a) progress to date and b) findings to date

As described earlier in the report, we found setting up strand b to be a more
complex process than expected. The direction has not yet been influenced by
findings as we are waiting for the end of the academic year to confirm
progression rates from the first year into the second. Once the data is available,
we will review all our data and assumptions and revise our strategy accordingly.


4.3.Dissemination ideas or plans for 2009-10. Please include any dates of events
etc to be included in the Calendar.

The project team are involved to a significant event in the following dissemination
events:

Student Writing in Transition Symposium
Nottingham Trent University 15/09/2009
Internal staff development conference, our work will be presented at one of the
seminars and as a key theme

Retention Summit
Bournemouth University 23/09/2009

Research Seminar Series 2009: Access and Success for All
Learning from the Data: Using institutional data to develop an audit tool
to enhance student success

Bradford University 15/10/2009

Learnhigher end of CETL conference & LDHEN Symposium
NTU 30 March – 1 April 2010

In addition, we intend to present at a selection of relevant conferences, probably
including the European First Year Experience, May 2010.

4.4.Support required next year. Please identify any ways in which the Support
and Co-ordination Team can assist your work next year.

We would be grateful for significant inputs into the methodology discussions


5.Outcomes
What do you feel are the most significant outcomes of this year’s work? What do
you feel others can learn from your experiences this year?

The main project outcome is that we now have a large body of data about the
first student experience at University and those factors associated with doubting.
In October – December 2009, we will add the data about actual student
withdrawal and be able to map whether or not student doubters are more likely
to withdraw, or if there are any key factors more relevant to leavers.

Therefore the project is well underway, but we feel that we can only make
tentative claims about doubting in HE.

The main lessons that we will transfer to future projects are about project
management. We will need to dedicate more time to project initiation, rather
than just moving into the research stage.

We are currently working on the methodology for a large scale cross institutional
project, at present we feel that we need more work on methodology.


Appendix A
Student Transition Survey


The HERE Project 2009


On the email put…
NTU has been asked to conduct academic research to better understand the
experience of students starting university. We have been asked to do this
research by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) because
we have an excellent reputation in retaining students. This research (the HERE
Project) will be used to improve the experience of future students here at NTU
and at other universities.

Most questions will require a simple click in a box; some will require more open-
ended comments. When we piloted this survey it took an average of five minutes
to complete. All completed questionnaires will be entered for a prize draw to win
£50 of Amazon vouchers

If you choose not to participate in this survey it will not affect your studies in any
way. If you would like to withdraw at any point you are free to do so with no
affect on your studies. If you would like to discuss any issues connected to
participation in the project please contact sarah.lawther@ntu.ac.uk.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this questionnaire and
would like any further information or would like to discuss this with anyone, you
may wish to visit the NTU Student Support Services webpage for further
information or speak to your personal tutor.

The Market Research Team
Nottingham Trent University
February 2009


bout the research

NTU has been asked to conduct academic research to better understand the
experience of students starting university by the Higher Education Funding
Council for England (HEFCE) because we have an excellent reputation in retaining
students. This research (the HERE Project) will be used to improve the experience
of future students here at NTU and at other universities.

What data do we need?
We are interested in your experience here at NTU, in particular, how you are
finding learning here and if you have had doubts about staying on your course. It
would be very helpful for our research if we could also look at your course marks
during your time at university and incorporate these with other research findings.
This will only be done with your permission and we will ask you about this at the
end of this survey.

What will be done with the data?
We take the protection of your identity seriously. The data will be analysed and
anonymised: when we report our findings your answers will not be linked to you
as an individual. Anonymised data and findings may be shared with various staff
members of the university to help identify the ways in which we can improve the
experience of future students here at NTU (for example to develop activities such
as Welcome Week). Anonymised data and findings may also be used in academic
papers and shared with other universities. If you wish to withdraw from the study
at any time please notify either sarah.lawther@ntu.ac.uk or ed.foster@ntu.ac.uk.

*I agree that my anonymised answers can be used here at NTU, in academic
papers, and shared within the HE sector.

Most questions will require a simple click in a box; some will require more open-
ended comments. All completed questionnaires will be entered for a prize draw to
win £50 of Amazon vouchers.

Thanks for your time.


Q1 Can you tell us your student ID number? We will use this number to
contact you if you win the prize draw. If you choose to withdraw, we will use this
number to trace your answers and delete them from the research. When we
analyse the data we will separate your answers from your ID number.
My ID number is

Q2 How much have you enjoyed your course so far?
Please use a scale of 1-5, where 1= “not at all” and 5= “very
much”

Q3 Before you started your course at NTU, did you read any materials
to help prepare you for your course (e.g. prospectus, course
induction materials)?
Yes Go to Q4
No Go to Q5

Q4 Was the information from NTU before starting your course;
Very accurate
Reasonably accurate
Not very accurate
Very inaccurate

Q5 Please rate the following aspects of your studies, where 1 =
“strongly disagree” and 5 = “strongly agree”, on balance,

My subject is interesting
My course is well organized
I have enthusiastic lecturers teaching on my course
My taught sessions (such as lectures, seminars) are interesting
Lecturers are accessible
I feel valued by teaching staff
The assessment on my course is what I expected it to be
The feedback I receive about my work is useful
I feel confident that I can cope with my coursework

Q6 Please rate the following aspects of your studies, where 1 =
“strongly disagree” and 5 = “strongly agree”, on balance,


My fellow students are supportive
My family is supportive
I have easy access to University resources (e.g. computers, library books
that I need)
I would know where to go within the university if I had a problem
I like the house/flat/halls that I am living in
I have an enjoyable social life
I am confident that I will have enough money to complete my course
Completing my degree will help me achieve future goals (eg career)

Q7 Please rate how important the following aspects are to you, where
1 = “not important at all” and 5 = “very important”…

My subject is interesting
My course is well organized
I have enthusiastic lecturers teaching on my course
My taught sessions (such as lectures, seminars) are interesting
Lecturers are accessible
I feel valued by teaching staff
The assessment on my course is what I expected it to be
The feedback I receive about my work is useful
I feel confident that I can cope with my coursework

Q8 Please rate how important the following aspects are to you, where 1
= “not important at all” and 5 = “very important”…

My fellow students are supportive
My family is supportive
I have easy access to University resources (e.g. computers, library books
that I need)
I would know where to go within the university if I had a problem
I like the house/flat/halls that I am living in
I have an enjoyable social life
I am confident that I will have enough money to complete my course
Completing my degree will help me achieve future goals (eg career)


Q9 Since coming to university has anyone at NTU explained to you the
difference between learning at university and your prior learning,
particularly learning since age 16 (eg A’ Levels, BTEC)?
Yes
No

Q10 Do you feel that you understand the differences between learning
at university and earlier learning?
Yes, in some detail
Yes, a little
No

Q11 How difficult have you found your studies so far this year?
Please use a scale of 1-5, where 1= “not at all difficult” and 5=
“very difficult”

Q12 How hard have you worked so far this year?
Please use a scale of 1-5, where 1= “not at all hard” and 5= “very
hard”

Q13 In your first year at Nottingham Trent University (NTU), how much
focus are you putting on the following? Please use a scale of 1-5,
where 1 = “no focus at all” and 5 = “a lot of focus”
Family
Friends from home
My academic studies
Part-time work
Social life at university
Volunteering and other community activity
Other

Q14 What grade are you aiming for when you graduate?
70+ (1st)
60-69% (2:1)
50-59% (2:2)
40-49% (3rd)


0-39% (Fail)

Q15 What grade are you aiming for at the end of this academic year?
70+ (equivalent of a 1st)
60-69% (equivalent of a 2:1)
50-59% (equivalent of a 2:2)
40-49% (equivalent of a 3rd)
0-39% (equivalent of a Fail)

Q16 Do you have a personal tutor?
Yes Go to 17
No Go to Q18

Q17 How often do you see your personal tutor?
Weekly
Fortnightly
Monthly
Less often

Q18 Have you considered withdrawing at any point during your first
year at NTU?
Yes, but I have decided to stay at NTU Go to Q19
Yes, and I have decided to leave NTU Go to Q20
Yes, but I haven’t made up my mind about my future plans Go to Q20

No, I have never considered withdrawing Go to Q21

Q19 What has helped you decide to stay on your course?
___________________________________________________________
___________________

Q20 Please tell us what made you consider leaving NTU

___________________________________________________________
___________________

Q21 How do you think the University could improve the academic and
pastoral support for students?


_____________________________________________________
________________

Q22 Is there anything that we haven’t asked that you’d like to share
with us?

___________________________________________________________
___________________

Q23 What age are you?

16 - 18
19 - 21

22 - 25
26 - 45
46+

Q24 Are you…?
Male
Female

Q25 At which academic school at are you studying?
Nottingham Business School
Nottingham Law School
School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Science
School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
School of Art and Design
School of Arts and Humanities
School of Education
School of Science and Technology
School of Social Sciences

Q26 What level are you studying?
Undergraduate (BA/BSc)
Undergraduate (Foundation level)
Further Education

Q27 Which course are you studying?


___________________________________________________________
___________________

Q28 Are you…?
Full-time
Part-time
Distance learner

Q29 What part of the world are you from?
UK Go to Q30
European Union (EU) Go to Q31
Outside European Union Go to Q31

Q30 What part of the country are you from?
Nottingham
Nottinghamshire
East Midlands
Rest of the UK

Q31 At what campus are you based?
City
Clifton
Brackenhurst
None (e.g. distance learner)

Q32 Which type of accommodation do you currently occupy whilst
studying?
NTU / UPP halls of residence

Private halls of residence
Private rented / shared house
Living with relative(s)
Own home

Q33 Please tick the category below that you feel is the most
appropriate classification of yourself.
Asian or Asian British - Bangladeshi.
Asian or Asian British - Indian.
Black or Black British - African.


Black or Black British - Caribbean.
Chinese.
Mixed - White and Asian.
Mixed - White and Black African.
Mixed - White and Black Caribbean.
Other Asian background.
Other Black background.
Other Ethnic background.
Other Mixed background.
Other White background.
White - British.
White - Irish.
Other
I do not wish to declare

Q34 Do you consider yourself to have a disability?
No, I have no known disability go to Q36
Yes go to Q35
I do not wish to declare go to Q36

Q35 If yes, please specify
dyslexia
visual impairment
deaf/hard of hearing
mobility or wheelchair user
mental health
autistic spectrum
hidden disability
more than one disability
disability not listed above
I do not wish to specify

Q36 Did you apply to NTU…?
Through the standard UCAS process
Through UCAS at clearing

Q37 Was this your first choice of university?


Yes
No

Q38 Is this your first time living independently?
Yes
No

Q39 Are you the first person in your immediate family (we mean
parents, brothers, sisters) to go to university?
Yes
No

Q40 How could we improve this survey?

_________________________________________________________________
_____________

We would like to conduct further research, for example, focus groups. If
you would like to be invited to take part in further research please tick
the box below.
t I agree to be invited by email to take part in further research

_________________________________________________________________
__________________
The HERE project will run for three years. Do you give permission for
your course marks and enrolment status to be accessed from University
records and incorporated anonymously with other research findings? If
you do, please tick the box below.

y I agree to allow my course marks and enrolment status to be accessed from
University records during the time I am registered here and incorporated
anonymously with other research findings. To ensure the protection of your
identity, we will store this information separately from your student ID number.


_________________________________________________________________
__________________

Thank you for your feedback. By clicking on the submit button now, we
will enter you into the prize draw to win £50 worth of Amazon vouchers.
If you are a winner we will contact you via your student email. Good
luck!


Final page confirmation (after respondents click submit)

Thank you very much for completing this survey, your responses have been
submitted.

Remember, if you would like to withdraw at any point from this survey you are
free to do so with no affect on your studies. If you would like to discuss any
issues connected to participation in the project please contact
sarah.lawther@ntu.ac.uk.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this questionnaire and
would like any further information or would like to discuss this with anyone, you
may wish to visit the NTU Student Support Services webpage for further
information or speak to your personal tutor.

_________________________________________________________________


HERE Project
Steering Group & Planning Group Meetings & dissemination routes
2009-10 Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April May June July

Steering Steering SG
Group Group Bournemouth
9th Sept (proposed 22
(NTU) June – C
Keenan to
check
availability at
B’Mouth)
Planning Planning Planning 21 Jan Planning
Group Group 7 meeting planning Group
16 group Meeting
October meeting (NTU) 1
April
Other Retention 20 Jan LDHEN EYFE HE Academy
Dissemination Seminar Retention Conferenc Conferenc Conference
Series Grants e (NTU) e (proposed)
Bradford Programm 29-31 (proposed)
University e Planning March
15 Oct meeting
(London)

7
To discuss Bradford Symposium, Progress Brochure, Standard format & process for the programme audits


2009-10 Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April May June July

2010-11 SG (prov Planning SG Final Planning
1st week) Meeting Meeting Meeting

Other
Dissemination


HERE Project
Reports & Outcomes

Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April May June July

2009 Draft HEA Research Literature Research Research
-10 Programm Interim Outline & Review of Report Report on
e Audit Report Initial material on First Programme
Tool (end findings relevant to Doubters Audits (all)
Developed of brochure doubters & Survey including
Sept) for HEA programme (including development
Symposium analysis leavers of audit tool
(16 Oct) data) (all)


2010 2nd Research Research End of
-11 HEA Report on report on Project
interim final year 2nd Report
Report Programm Doubters
e Audits Survey
(all) (all)

NB Does not include academic papers which would be written in accordance with different deadlines


HERE Project
Project Work
Aug Sept Oct Nov D Jan Feb Mar April May June July
e
c
2009-10 Data Telephone More Write
analysis interviews detailed- up
Student to confirm with analysis of researc
Doubters destinatio withdrawn Doubters’ h for
n of students Data set interim
student who have report
responde given
nts in permission
2008/09 to follow up
doubters’ (all)
survey
Speak to
doubters’
who have
continued
studies
- if time is
available,
also
interview
non-
doubters (all)


2009-10 Choose Set up Conduct Cond Review
Programm progs prog staff uct Programm
e Audits for audit interviews interviews & stude e Audit
(all) & analyse surveys of 3 nt Tool
2ndry progs (all) intervi against
data ews research
(prog and findings
handbook surve
s etc) ys for
progr
amme
audits
(all)
2009-10 Write Set up Write
Misc interim Project literature
Project report website review (EF)
work (EF)


Outputs stated in original bid

2010-11 Survey Doubters’ Survey Track
Student students Survey – participants academic
Doubters pre- new in 2009 performance
arrival at cohort of Doubters’ of original
University first year Survey to students in
students review the
(all) - experiences doubters’
contains (all) survey
fewer
questions
& possible
personality
test
2010-11 Choose 3 Set up Conduct Conduct
Programme progs prog staff student
Audits (all) interviews interviews interviews –
& 2ndry (all) prog audit
analysis (All)
(all)
2010-11
Misc
Project
work


We additionally stated that we would produce a website to share resources and set up a special interest group for those interested in the
subject

Some of the outcomes have been picked up by the HE Academy’s involvement, particularly the special interest group and, to a certain
extent, the literature review


HERE Project Interim Report 2008-2009

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HERE Project Interim Report 2008-2009