Analysis of Student and Faculty Perceptions of Textbook Costs in Higher Education

Abstract

The cost of textbooks has continued to impact students in higher education. Students have reported that they make decisions on which courses to take based on the specific cost of textbooks. Faculty have reported willingness to use open textbooks to help ease the burden on students but are unsure where to find viable options. We examined the responses of 676 students and 573 faculty from a large private university (Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah) to understand the real impact of textbooks costs to students and how they are dealing with this ongoing problem. We found that 66% of students at this institution have not purchased a textbook due to cost. We also discovered that 91% of faculty at this institution would be willing to use OER alternatives and that 53% of them would welcome assistance identifying and adapting materials for their course.

Open Praxis vol. 9 issue 4

“…Our study context differs from that described in the Senack (2014;Senack & Donoghue, 2016), Jhangiani and Jhangiani (2017) and the Martin et al (2017) studies. Our study was conducted on one campus of one institution in New Zealand.…”

“…Evidence from outside our context indicates that the cost of textbooks is having a negative effect on student behaviours (e.g., Martin, Belikov, Hilton, Wiley & Fischer, 2017;Jhangiani & Jhangiani, 2017;Senack & Donoghue, 2016). The problem is serious enough that it is not only influencing students' choice of courses but also their academic achievement (Hilton, 2016;Martin et al, 2017;Senack, 2014).…”

“…The problem is serious enough that it is not only influencing students' choice of courses but also their academic achievement (Hilton, 2016;Martin et al, 2017;Senack, 2014). Researchers argue that one alternative to the traditional textbook is the open textbook; one benefit being that they are free and readily accessible (Hilton, 2016;Jhangiani & Jhangiani, 2017;Martin, et al, 2017). (Erroneous) assumptions often underpinning such claims include: that all students are connected; that open textbooks are free; and that open textbooks are digital only.…”

Helping Keep the Costs of Textbooks for Students Down: Two Approaches

“…Resonating somewhat with the COUP framework, student costs, use, and impressions were reported, and faculty impressions of quality, student use, and, notably, opportunities provided by the open licensing for rethinking how they organize and teach the content. Martin, Belikov, Hilton, Wiley, D., and Fischer (2017) surveyed nearly 700 students and more than 550 faculty at a large private university (Brigham Young) to discover how both groups have responded to high textbook costs and their willingness to use OER. They found that two-thirds of BYU students reported not having purchased at least one textbook because of cost concerns, and that many of these students thought this choice negatively impacted their grades (Martin et al, 2017).…”

“…Martin, Belikov, Hilton, Wiley, D., and Fischer (2017) surveyed nearly 700 students and more than 550 faculty at a large private university (Brigham Young) to discover how both groups have responded to high textbook costs and their willingness to use OER. They found that two-thirds of BYU students reported not having purchased at least one textbook because of cost concerns, and that many of these students thought this choice negatively impacted their grades (Martin et al, 2017). These figures are largely similar to those found in a statewide survey in Florida (Florida Virtual Campus Office of Distance Learning & Student Services, 2016).…”