The residues of learning: Autobiographical accounts by graduates of the impact of higher education

Abstract

Earlier work on the enduring effects of education is reviewed and then data are presented from 22 autobiographical accounts written by graduates. Content analysis showed that most importance was attached to the learning of high-level intellectual skills and to attitudes and values of personal and professional significance. The implications of these findings for curricula and teaching methods in higher education are then discussed before considering the strengths and weaknesses of life history material as a research tool. It is concluded that written accounts combined with interviews offer a promising method for investigating the long-term impact of higher education.

The Enduring Effect of Science Education: graduates’ views on what they learnt

“…87-88) We readily admit the truth of this and the problems it poses for the interpretation of data that are self-reported, but remain convinced that a great deal of value can be gained from the analysis of what graduates say about the impact of their prior learning experiences. A discussion of the methodological issues involved in a project of this type may be found in Powell (1985).…”

“…One approach to the exploration of these effects is to seek the views of graduates on the residual impact of their undergraduate learning experiences. Despite the many difficulties inherent in this approach a previous study (Powell, 1985), based upon written accounts of prior learning, indicated that valuable insights into the enduring impacts of higher education could be gained from its use. In addition, the study provided suggestions as to how these might be related to the daily experiences of teaching and learning.…”

Strategies to enhance student motivation: A conceptual analysis

“…On top of that, to expect the majority of students to be primarily motivated by interest in their subject of study may actually be unfair, since the majority will not pursue their studies beyond the first degree and will then go on to work that is quite unconnected with their degree work. For such students, the how of learning is vastly more important than the what (Powell, 1985).…”

From secondary school blues to lifelong learning? - aspects of the retrospective re-evaluation of formative educational experience by adults

“…But ® rst let us note the sheer diversity of perspective: what counts to individual people ± what they focus on, what meaning and value they take from their schooling ± none of these issues seems susceptible of arti® cial boundaries or predictable norms. This, at least, is one of the preliminary observations which I can make, with reasonable con® dence, on the basis of several years work in this ® eld, a review of the contribution of published autobiographie s (as illustrated above) of research (Powell 1985, Hirsch 1993) and my involvement in three small-scale research studies of earlier educational experience using biographical methods. One of these studies is reported here.…”