Findings - Section I

1. The first section describes the essential statements and is supported by examples or summary comments directly from the original notes of the co-inquiry sessions.
2. The second section records the findings from the pre and post-evaluation forms and interviews which capture the actual reflections on practice and perceptions of value, as experienced and described by the participants.

Where appropriate, findings will be supported by exemplars and/or hyperlinks/sound files to evaluative statements made by various participants

Section One

From each of the three clusters of significant statements, two final essential statements emerged from the analysis process. These essential statements captured the overall thrust of the descriptions found in the data and created for the researchers a refined and focussed outcome statement.

First Cluster: Student issues/responsibilities

Essential statements:

The way tertiary educators manage inter-student engagements that are peripheral to actual curriculum driven content either hinders or advances individual and/or group student learning.

Establishing the balance of responsibility by tertiary educators for adult student learning creates a dichotomy between reasonable levels of student support/guidance and student self responsibility

The points below are a summary of discussion and debate within the co-inquiry group

• Some students are being ‘propped up’ (beyond what is reasonable) by their peers and their lecturers so that they can successfully complete assessments. This does not prescribe to the theory that adult learners are able to work autonomously.
• Comments about students being more focussed on other students’ achievement rather than their own highlights that some tertiary students do not yet take responsibility for their own learning and that many students want to do only the minimum amount of work to pass.
• Support for tertiary educators who, in turn, are supporting extra student learning opportunities is generally lacking. One School has put a tutor/mentor support system in place, which enhances the student chances of success.
• Other (more) minor examples of discussions in this area focussed around student dress code and student hygiene and the impact these things have on classmates and their teachers.

Second Cluster: Institutional issues

Essential statements:

The impact of administration on the primary role of teaching and facilitating learning is an issue.

Skill acquisition and learning is impeded by an institutional failure to acknowledge both the context and the nature of the subject/curriculum content/material.

The points below are a summary of discussions and debate within the co-inquiry group

• All three groups raised issues that led to in-depth discussions and debate about the role the Institution has in supporting both educators and learners.
• Comments about the Institution’s open entry policy resulting in poorly prepared students began a discussion about the motivation of students to learn and respect their teachers.
• Class size when doing practical classes was also of a concern, as many students were requiring close supervision. Linked to this were many higher-level students (degree) not achieving ‘A’ grades because their potential was being limited by the lack of guidance.
• The feeling was that we were increasingly accepting of mediocrity, with polytechnics potentially being seen as feeders into University sector rather than being recognised in their own right.
• Some institutions put their high achievers on a pedestal, which encouraged achievement of higher grades.
• Issues of intellectual property related to teaching resources, the lack of time to create the resources and the lack of time to do routine class administration were discussed.
• The positive effect of a new manager helped staff morale but the new manager quickly became overworked and unclear about the role the administration person could have in terms of assisting with the everyday management of the department.

Third Cluster: Teaching practice issues

Essential statements:

Student expectations of education, versus the teachers’ role, (pastoral care) cause tension within the Teaching-Learning nexus.

Professional teacher support is needed for skills in teaching to be enhanced.

Below is a summary of discussions and debate within the co-inquiry group

• Student expectations are not always in line with the programme’s outcomes. This can cause stress for both the student and the tertiary educator. Some assessments do not relate to workplace skills so students have difficulty seeing how to put the learning into practice. For this reason, there is frequently no ‘buy-in’ from the students.
• Pastoral care time is substantial (from the teachers’ perspective) and sometimes it is hard to know where the boundaries are. Some students demand a lot more time than others. The question, ‘how much pastoral care is too much?’ was debated.
• Students just want to know what they need to pass; resit opportunities mean that they do not try hard as no recognition of achieving without a resit is gained/acknowledged.
• There are barriers to student learning that all tertiary educators should reflect on. The Institution should support time for reflection alone or in a group such as this. This has the potential to affect the dynamics of class engagement that, in itself, contributes to enhanced student learning.
• Professional discussions with peers (and managers) around teaching praxis helps to form good teaching techniques in practice. Generally, there is no time allocated to discussing the behavioural practice of teaching.
• Deeper learning for students requires tertiary educators to be current in their practice, utilising techniques to suit the learners (such as e learning, blended approaches and problem-based learning). This may require the Institution to be supportive of tertiary educators who return to industry to ensure currency with industry practice.
• A teaching and learning charter to acculturate student learning could enhance the relationships required for effective learning, clarify hidden curriculum and establish clearer links to potential vocations.