Students as Consumers of Knowledge: Are They Buying What We’re Selling?

Abstract

Academic entitlement, an attitude marked by students' beliefs that they are owed something in the educational experience apart from what they might earn from their effort, has received attention recently in the literature. In previous work, academic entitlement has been shown to be related to parenting styles and personality constructs. The current study departs from previous research by taking a phenomenological approach to understanding academic entitlement. Focus groups were conducted with a total of 52 first-year students. Responses were coded into six facets of academic entitlement: product value of education, social promotion, role of professors, teaching assistants, administrators, and shoppers or scholars.

Academic Entitlement and Academic Performance in Graduating Pharmacy Students

“…This is commonly referred to as student consumerism and occurs when students perceive their education as delivered goods exchanged for tuition dollars. 11,12 Many institutions rely upon tuition as a main source of revenue and, thus, treat students as customers by catering to their academic desires, which in turn amplifies this belief. 13 This approach can result in students treating their education as something that is owed to them rather than an opportunity for learning and earning a degree.…”

Academic Entitlement in Pharmacy Education

“…2 A lack of personal responsibility for academic success is typical of this attitude. 3 Academic entitlement is more than just a generalized sense of entitlement expressed in the academic domain.…”

“…In this paradigm, education becomes a commodity obtained in exchange for student tuition dollars. 2 This entitlement attitude resulting from consumerism is often expressed through student comments such as "I pay X dollars in tuition, therefore I deserve printed handouts for all my lectures. "…”

“…These rankings have often been criticized on several levels by university and college presidents, administrators, and faculty members. 2,19,20 Driven by reputations, these rankings may not accurately reflect the value of the educational process, but may be perceived as such. When students use rankings to purchase an education, they may expect high levels of "customer service" throughout all aspects of their education.…”

“…In terms of driving academic entitlement, the rankings increase the perception of education as a product commodity and may serve to further "commercialize" and/or sort colleges and schools in a comparative and consumeristic fashion. 2 As institutions of higher learning cope with diminishing revenue streams, the pressure to recoup other financial resources only grows. Some institutions are moving toward budgetary and funding models for individual academic units that are directly tied to student retention and graduation rates.…”