An exploration of undergraduate students’ views on the effectiveness of academic and pastoral support

Cahill, Jo; Bowyer, Jan; Murray, Sue

doi:10.1080/00131881.2014.965568

Cited by 18 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…These differences are interesting and in line with earlier studies showing that hard and soft sciences differ in student experiences and study approaches (e.g. Parpala et al 2010; see also Kam-Por 1999; Kember and Leung 2011) as well as students' satisfaction with academic support (Cahill, Bowyer, and Murray 2014;Walsh, Larsen, and Parry 2009). The students of the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Information Technology were most satisfied with the guidance.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…When it comes to guidance practices, little is known regarding the possible differences between disciplines. Some differences have been found in regard to students' satisfaction with academic support (Cahill, Bowyer, and Murray 2014), while similarities have also been reported (Walsh, Larsen, and Parry 2009): students from different disciplines who had successfully progressed in their studies preferred academic tutors and peers as support mechanisms for academic issues. In the present study we paid attention to disciplinary differences when examining the relationship between students' guidance experiences and their learning outcomes, especially concerning the development of generic skills.…”

Section: Previous Research On Guidance and University Studiesmentioning

confidence: 95%

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Study guidance experiences, study progress, and perceived learning outcomes of Finnish university students

Skaniakos

Honkimäki

Kallio

et al. 2018

European Journal of Higher Education

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In recent decades, the massification and diversification of higher education have generated new challenges for the guidance of university students. The present study focuses on students' experiences of guidance in relation to their study progress and perceptions of their learning outcomes. The data (n = 4916) were collected from 2010-2013 through yearly Internet surveys whose targeted respondents were the students of a Finnish University. According to the results, general study guidance was a very strong predictor of students' self-assessed development of their academic and generic skills as well as working life orientation. It also decreased the probability of slow progress in studies. Significant differences between disciplines were found: the Faculty of Education outperformed other faculties in regard to students' satisfaction with the guidance and the students' evaluations of their own learning outcomes. The main result of the study is that guidance can play a significant role in students' academic success.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Previous Research On Guidance and University Studiesmentioning

confidence: 95%

Study guidance experiences, study progress, and perceived learning outcomes of Finnish university students

Skaniakos

Honkimäki

Kallio

et al. 2018

European Journal of Higher Education

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“…A powerful predictor of non-attendance across both lectures and seminars within university students from various courses was lack of belonging to the university. Research has suggested that making students feel part of a community and engaging with them from the beginning of their course is vitally important for student engagement (Cahill et al, 2014), and it is likely the effects would be similar on student attendance. The Higher Education Academy (Thomas, 2012) has made some suggestions to universities that would improve belonging, including developing meaningful interactions between staff and students and having supportive peer relationships.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is some evidence to suggest that living arrangements have an impact on a range of outcomes in the student population. Students living away from home often report having significant problems with their accommodation particularly when completing academic tasks (Cahill, Bowyer and Murray, 2014). Negative experiences of accommodation at university can therefore have a significant impact on withdrawal from a course, which presumably begins with falling attendance levels (Harrison, 2006).…”

Section: Predictors Of Non-attendancementioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological and demographic predictors of undergraduate non-attendance at university lectures and seminars

Oldfield

Rodwell

Curry

et al. 2017

Journal of Further and Higher Education

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Background-Absenteeism from university teaching sessions is increasingly becoming a common phenomenon and remains a major concern to universities. Poor attendance has significant and detrimental effects on students themselves, their peers and teaching staff. There is however, a lack of previous research that has investigated demographic and psychological predictors of non-attendance alongside salient reasons student offer for their absence; it is this 'gap' that the present study attempts to fill. Method-618 undergraduate university students from a single UK university studying various courses completed a bespoke questionnaire that assessed their estimated percentage attendance at lectures and seminars over the academic year. Students answered demographic questions, completed psychometric tests of perceived confidence (Perceived Confidence for Learning: Williams and Deci 1996) and university belongingness (Psychological Sense of School Membership; Goodenow 1993a), and rated the degree to which possible reasons for non-attendance applied to themselves. Results-Multiple regression analyses were carried out separately for estimated attendance at lectures and seminars. Results demonstrated that significant predictors of poorer attendance for both scenarios were; experiencing a lower sense of belongingness to university; working more hours in paid employment; having more social life commitments; facing coursework deadlines and experiencing mental health issues. Conclusions-Improving a sense of belonging to university and targeting interventions at students working in paid employment may be effective at increasing attendance. Providing support for students with mental health issues, structuring courses around coursework deadlines, and helping students to management their attendance around social activities could also be advantageous.

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“…In addition to academic support, pastoral support is seen to be an integral part to the students experience in HE (Cahill et al, 2014). Although the Sheffield Business School policy states that academic advisors are there to support students on academic and professional matters and that Student Support Advisors and associated services provide support on pastoral matters, the importance of pastoral support from the academic advisor was evidenced in the data collected.…”

Section: Pastoral Supportmentioning

confidence: 98%

Underestimating the Relationship Between Academic Advising and Attainment: A Case Study in Practice

2020

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The Higher Education Academy (2015) highlighted attainment alongside access, retention and progression as key areas of foci in order to fulfill the aspiration to provide all students with the opportunities and support required to succeed in Higher Education (HE). Although previous research into academic advising has focused on the impact upon student satisfaction and retention, the impact upon attainment is underexplored. This research aims to explore the extent of the relationship between advising and attainment and answers the call by bodies such as Advance HE (formerly the Higher Education Academy) to recognize that academic advising is vital to student success. This research provides a contribution to the body of knowledge around academic advising, in the form of a case study undertaken to identify the impact of academic advising on student attainment at Sheffield Hallam University. A focus group and questionnaire were employed to gather data from final year undergraduate students at Sheffield Hallam University. Findings indicate that the impact of academic advising on attainment is both explicit and implicit, with support in areas beyond academic studies having a significant impact on student experiences. In addition this research also questions the perceived meanings of attainment in HE and proposes that attainment should be viewed as holistic attainment whereby students are developed as a whole, better enabling them to deal with the HE environment and beyond rather than being limited to academic numerical attainment.

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An exploration of undergraduate students’ views on the effectiveness of academic and pastoral support

Cited by 18 publications

References 14 publications

Study guidance experiences, study progress, and perceived learning outcomes of Finnish university students

Study guidance experiences, study progress, and perceived learning outcomes of Finnish university students

Psychological and demographic predictors of undergraduate non-attendance at university lectures and seminars

Underestimating the Relationship Between Academic Advising and Attainment: A Case Study in Practice

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