An answer from research to the Teaching Excellence Framework – student engagement and graduate engagement to evidence legacy
Abstract
At a time when the quality and legacy of degree education is a focus within the UK higher education sector, this paper explores the perception of value among graduates at differing distances from graduation. The relevance of graduates to support development of quality within the sector was identified by Nelson (1964) over 50 years ago. However political and hegemonic discourse in UK higher education has focused around value for money, and earning capacity. This paper draws on research with 202 graduates from one to forty-two years from graduation to identify the areas where they perceive value, and how that is created. It shows how, within this sample at least, degree value was seen to exist, although not in line with the hegemonic discourse. The research indicated two clear routes for enhancing experience and legacy for future generations by developing student self-authorship and engagement.
Downloads
References
Alderfer, C.P. (1967). Convergent and Discriminant Validation of Satisfaction and Desire Measures by Interviews and Questionnaires. Journal of Applied Psychology, 51(6): 509-520.
Alderfer C.P. (1969). An Empirical Test of a New Theory of Human Needs. Organizational Behaviour and Human Performance, 4(2), 142-175.
Allen, C. & Imrie, R. (Eds.).(2010). The Knowledge Business: The Commodification of Urban and Housing Research. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing Ltd.
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy and health behaviour. In A. Baum, S. Newman, J. Wienman, R. West, & C. McManus. (Eds.) Cambridge Handbook of Psychology Health and Medicine (1st ed.).(pp.160-162). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Barber, J.P., King, P.M., & Baxter Magolda, M.B. (2013). Long Strides on the Journey Toward Self-Authorship: Substantial Developmental Shifts in College Students’ Meaning Making. The Journal of Higher Education, 84(6), 866-896.
Baxter Magolda, M. B. (1999). Creating contexts for learning and self-authorship: constructive-developmental pedagogy (1st ed.). Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Press.
Baxter Magolda, M. B. (2001). Making their own way: Narratives for transforming higher education to promote self-development. Sterling, VA.: Stylus Publishing.
Baxter Magolda, M. B. (2008). Three elements of self-authorship. Journal of College Student Development. 49(4), 269-284.
Baxter Magolda, M. B. (2009). Authoring your Life: Developing an Internal Voice to navigate life’s challenges. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.
Baxter Magolda, M. B. (2014, March). University-Learner Partnerships to help learners author their lives. Address to the Learning Lives Conference: Encouraging, Supporting & Recognising Lifewide Learning in universities & Colleges, London. Retrieved from http://www.learninglives.co.uk/uploads/1/0/8/4/10842717/journey-to-self-authorship.pdf
Bell, L. & Stevenson, H. (2006). Education Policy: Process, themes and impact. (Leadership for Learning Series). London: Routledge.
Brooks, R. (2003) Young people’s higher education choices: the role of family and friends. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 24(3), 283-297.
Brooks, R. (2004). 'My mum would be pleased as punch if I went, my dad seems more particular about it': paternal involvement in young people's higher education choices. British Educational Research Journal, 30(4), 495-514
Brooks, R. & Everett, G. (2009) Post-graduation reflections on the value of a degree. British Educational Research Journal, 35(3), 333-349.
Bryson, C. (2013). Creating space for student autonomy and engagement through partnership and letting go. In T. Bilham. (Ed.). For the Love of Learning; Innovations from Outstanding University Teachers (pp. 180-184). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Bryson, C. (Ed.).(2014). Understanding and developing student engagement: perspectives from universities and students. Abingdon: Routledge.
Buckton, L. (2008). Student complaints and appeals: the practitioner’s view. Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 12(1), 11-14.
Callender, C. & Feldman, R. (2009). Part-time undergraduates in higher education: a literature review. Prepared for HECSU to inform Futuretrack: Part-time students. Manchester: HECSU. Retrieved from: http://www.hecsu.ac.uk/assets/assets/documents/Futuretrack_Summary_2012_-_Part-time_students.pdf
Caul, B. (1993). Value-Added: Personal Development of Students in Higher Education. Belfast: December Publications.
Complete University Guide (2015). Graduate Salaries and the Professional Premium. Retrieved from http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/careers/graduate-salaries-and-the-professional-premium
Cranton, P. (1994). Understanding and Promoting Transformative Learning: A Guide for Educators of Adults. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Dearing Report (1997). Report of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education. (Report). Retrieved from http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/ncihe/sumrep.htm
Deci, E.L. (1975). Intrinsic motivation. New York, NY: Plenum.
Deci, E.L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, E.M. (2001). Extrinsic Rewards and Intrinsic Motivation in Education: Reconsidered Once Again. Review of Educational Research, 71(1), 1-27.
Denzin, N.K. & Lincoln, Y.S. (2005a).The SAGE handbook of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Denzin, N.K., & Lincoln, Y.S. (2005b). Introduction: The discipline and practice of qualitative research. In N.K. Denzin & Y.S. Lincoln (Eds.). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research (3rd ed.).(pp. 1-32). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Desjardins, R. (2015). Education and Social Transformation. European Journal of Education, 50(3), 239-244.
Durkheim, E. (1956). Education and sociology. New York, NY: Free Press.
Eccles, J.S. (2005). Subjective Task Value and the Eccles et al. Model of Achievement-Related Choices. In A.J. Elliot & C.S. Dweck (Eds.). Handbook of Competence and Motivation. (1st ed.).(pp. 105-122). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Festinger, L. (1962). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford, CA; Stanford University Press.
Fine, M.B. & Clark. P.W. (2013). Satisfaction of Marketing/Management Students in Higher Education. Proceedings of American Society of Business and Behavioural Sciences (ASBBS) Annual Conference, Las Vegas, NV. Retrieved from http://asbbs.org/files/ASBBS2013V1/PDF/F/Fine_Clark(P572-578).pdf
Freire, P. (1968). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. (M. Bergman Ramos, Trans. 1970.). New York, NY: Herder & Herder.
Gallo, M. (2012). Beyond Philanthropy: Recognising the Value of Alumni to benefit Higher Education Institutions. Tertiary Education and Management, 18(1), 41-55.
Gallo, M. (2013). Higher education over a lifespan: a gown to grave assessment of a lifelong relationship between universities and their graduates. Studies in Higher Education, 38(8), 1150-1161.
Gray, H. (Ed.).(1999). Universities and the Creation of Wealth. Buckingham, UK & Philadelphia, PA: SRHE and Open University Press.
Hirst, P. H. & Peters, R.S. (1970). The Logic of Education. (1st ed.) London: Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd.
Ingham, D. (2011). Harnessing Ubiquitous Technologies to Banish Barriers to Learning. Ubiquitous Learning: An International Journal, 3(3), 165-172.
Ingham, D., Habimana, J., & Walker, P. (2014). ‘Involve me and I learn’ – Students Think Big learning partnership. Student Engagement and Experience Journal, 3(1). Retrieved from http://research.shu.ac.uk/SEEJ/index.php/seej/article/view/83
Johnson, J. (2015a). Fulfilling our Potential. Teaching Excellence, Social Mobility and Student Choice. (Report). Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/fulfilling-our-potential-teaching-excellence-social-mobility-and-student-choice-accessible.pdf
Johnson, J. (2015b, July). Speech delivered to Universities UK. (Original script). Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/teaching-at-the-heart-of-the-system
Jones, G. (2010). Managing student expectations. Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 14(2), 44-48.
Kandiko, C.B., Hay, D., & Weller, S. (2013). Concept mapping in the Humanities to facilitate reflection: Externalising the relationship between public and personal learning. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education. 12(1), 70-87.
Kaye, T., Bickel, R.D., & Birtwistle, T. (2006). Criticizing the image of the student as consumer: examining legal trends and administrative responses in the US and UK. Education & Law, 18(2-3), 85-129.
Kear, T.M. (2013). Transformative learning during nursing education: a model of interconnectivity. Nurse Education Today, 33(9), 1083-1087.
Ker, I.T. (Ed.).(1976). The Idea of a University. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Lange, E.A. (2004). Transformative and Restorative Learning: A Vital Dialectic for Sustainable Societies. Adult Education Quarterly, 54(2), 121-139.
Ledden, L., Kalafatis, S. P., & Mathioudakis, A. (2011). The idiosyncratic behaviour of service quality, value, satisfaction, and intention to recommend in higher education: An empirical examination. Journal of Marketing Management, 27(11-12), 232-1260.
Liu, O.L. (2011). Measuring value-added in higher education: conditions and caveats – results from using the Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress (MAPP). Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 36(1), 81–94.
Longden, B. (2006). An institutional response to changing student expectations and their impact on retention rates. Journal of Higher Education Policy & Management, 28(2): 173-187.
Mazur, E. (1997). Peer Instruction: A User’s Manual (Series in Educational Innovation). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Mazur, E. (2009). Farewell, Lecture? Science, 323(5910), 50-51.
McClelland, D.C. & Pallak, M.S. (1985). How motives, skills, and values determine what people do. American Psychologist, 40(7), 812-825
McGivney, V. (2003). A Question of Value: Achievement and Progression in Adult Learning. Leicester: National Institute of Adult Continuing Education.
Mezirow, J. (1996). Contemporary Paradigms of Learning. Adult Education Quarterly, 46(3), 158-172.
Mezirow, J. (2000). Learning as Transformation: Critical Perspectives on a Theory in Progress. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Miller, K., Schell, J., Ho, A., Lukoff, B., & Mazur, E. (2015). Response switching and self-efficacy in Peer Instruction classrooms. Physical Review Special Topics. 11. Retrieved from https://journals.aps.org/pdf/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.11.010104
Milne, P. (1999). Chapter 6: The Role of Universities in Economic Growth: the ASEAN Countries. In H. Gray (Ed.). Universities and the Creation of Wealth. (p. 80-93). Buckingham, UK & Philadelphia, PA: SRHE and Open University Press.
Monteils, M. (2004). The analysis of the relation between education and economic growth. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 34(1), 103-115.
Nelson, J.L. (1964). Follow-Up Study of Graduates, Improving College and University Teaching, 12(2), 111-112.
Office for National Statistics (ONS).(2016). Teaching Excellence Framework: Review of Data Sources – Interim Report. (Report). Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/523291/bis-16-269-teaching-excellence-framework-review-of-data-sources-interim-report.pdf.
Rammell, B. (2006, January 9). Response to the House of Commons. Parliament.uk Retrieved from http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/vo060109/text/60109106.htm
Robbins, C.B. (1963). Higher Education: Report of the Committee appointed by the Prime Minister under the Chairmanship of Lord Robbins, The Robbins Report. (Report). London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Retrieved from http://www.educationengland.org.uk/documents/robbins/robbins1963.html
Rodgers, T. (2007). Measuring Value Added in Higher Education: A Proposed Methodology for Developing a Performance Indicator Based on the Economic Value Added to Graduates. Education Economics, 15(1), 55-74.
Ryan, R.M. & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations: Classic Definitions and New Directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25(1), 54-67.
Schwartz, S.H. (2012). An Overview of the Schwartz Theory of Basic Values. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1), 1-20. Retrieved from http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1116&context=orpc
Smith, M., Lewis, D., & Johnston, M. (1989). Dispositional Theories of Value. The Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Supplementary Volumes, 63, 113-137.
Vroom, V.H. (1964) Work and Motivation. (1st ed.). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Vroom, V.H. (1995) Work and Motivation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Yorke, M. (2014, August). Student ‘belongingness’, engagement and self-confidence in UK higher education. Paper presented at the meeting of EAIR 36th Annual Forum, Essen, Germany.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:a. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
b. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
c. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
