using the nss to inform strategic enhancement at university level · pdf file ·...

Using the NSS to inform strategic enhancement at

university level

Catherine Rendell Deputy Director of Academic Quality Assurance

Helen Barefoot Deputy Head of the Learning and Teaching Institute

Aim

• To explain how we use our NSS

data, and in particular, our

qualitative data to gain a university-

level overview of NSS messages

• To explain how we use the NSS

messages to drive forward strategic

enhancement

• To consider if Herzberg’s two factor

theory has any relevance when

considering student satisfaction and

dissatisfaction

UHSU involvement

• Improving student

representation

• Working closer on Institution

projects – e.g. graduate

attributes competition

• Improved staff development for

UHSU sabbaticals Incl. 360

degree feedback

University of Hertfordshire: Student Demographics

University of Hertfordshire:

Over 27, 000 students

52% of students are from ethnic minorities

51% of students are

mature

14% of students are

from overseas

25% of students are

part time

6% of students

have a declared disability

University Structure

• Business School

• Creative Arts

• Computer Science

• Education

• Engineering and Technology

• Health and Emergency Professions

• Humanities

• Law

• Life Sciences

• Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work

• Pharmacy

• Physics, Astronomy and Maths

• Post Graduate Medical School

• Psychology

Dissemination of Qualitative Comments

• Student Educational

Experience Committee

• Learning and Teaching

Institute: NSS Forum

• Non academic strategic

business units

Student comments;

‘……That's not to say these people are not experienced or knowledgeable in their fields of expertise, indeed almost all of these lecturers are very intelligent and have sound understanding of their topics, but they simply do not know how to lecture effectively........ ‘

‘The best thing about the course by far is the quality of teaching. Whilst the university may not be the oldest or the most recognised ... the staff go above and beyond in delivery of materials and are always around if you need them. Further, the extra activities that are available …’

‘…teachers frequently offer contradicting advice. Whilst it is understandable that marking can be subjective the suggestions on essays can often be totally opposite to other teachers' advice. …I have truly not spoken to a single student who has found that they know what a 'good' essay is or how to know what their grade will be.’

NSS Forum

Introductions from PVC Student Experience and

Deputy Director Academic Quality

Assurance

Staff and students work in mixed discipline teams

to explore challenges and share examples of

good practice

Staff and students from discipline areas discuss specific challenges and

formulation of NSS action plan

Specific activities

• LTI workshops (e.g. Assessment and Feedback,

group work and group assessment, discipline

areas reviewing how they engage students with

assessment criteria)

• Supporting International teaching staff (HEA,

TDF grant)

• Teams of staff from across the University working

with subject areas receiving NSS scores

consistently below university averages.

• LTI support – working with visiting lecturers to

manage group activities

• Analysis for inclusivity – links to other projects

Learning Resources Centre Activities

• Audit of noise levels

• Increased security

• University level working party on

room allocation and timetabling

• Enhanced support from

Information Hertfordshire staff

for programmes (particularly

during induction and early

weeks)

Impact of qualitative analysis

• Has resulted in the voicing of strong

feelings among staff at the grass roots

• Has been useful in facilitating discussion

• Raised quality of discussion around the

NSS

• How are you using your qualitative

comments at Institutional level?

Method: analysis of qualitative comments

• Total of 3,026 comments were

analysed and coded to identify 2,373

positive citations and 2,101 negative

citations;

• Categories/coding were obtained by

reading 150 comments each and then

agreeing themes

• Over two years we have compared the

top eight and bottom eight scoring

subject areas (Department IDs)

Themes

Themes

Learning Resources Centre

StudyNet (VLE) Resources

Subject Specific Environment

Programme Organisation

Timetabling

Support of Staff

Teaching Activity

Assessment: Feedback

Assessment: Fairness/method

Value for Money

Extra curricular (subject related)

Careers: Placement

Careers: Employability

Careers: Personal development

General University positivity

Themed qualitative comments

25%

21%

9%

8%

7%

7%

6%

5%

4%

2% 2%

1%

1% 1%

1%

Positive Comments (All Programmes) Teaching activity

Support of Staff


LRC (Environment/Resources)


University Positivity (incl parking/accomm/social)

Careers: Personal Development

Careers: Placement

Subject Specific Learning Environment (incl subject specific resource issues)

Studynet Resources

Extra Curricular (subject related)


Assessment: Method/Fairness

Timetabling/Cancellations

Value for money: Staff input

Themed qualitative comments

16%

12%

18%

9% 2%

4% 0%

3%

5% 2%

1%

7%

11%

7% 3%

Negative Comments (All Programmes) Teaching activity

Support of Staff


LRC (Environment/Resources)


University Positivity (incl parking/accomm/social)


Careers: Placement

Subject Specific Learning Environment (incl subject specific resource issues)

Studynet Resources

Extra Curricular (subject related)


Assessment: Method/Fairness

Timetabling/Cancellations

Value for money: Staff input

Herzberg Two Factor Theory

• Suggests that satisfaction and

dissatisfaction at work nearly always

arose from different factors: Motivation

and Hygiene Factors

• The idea has been applied to student

surveys by e.g. DeShields, Kara and

Kaynak (2005), Danielson (1998),

Beelick (1973)

Herzberg Theory

Positive comments from top eight scoring courses

24%

21%

12%

8%

8%

6%

4%

4%

3%

3%

2% 2%

2% 1%

0% Teaching Activity

Support of Staff




General University Positivity

Extra Curricular (Subject Specific)

LRC


Assessment: Fairness/Method

Studynet Resources

Timetabling/Cancellation


Careers: Placement

Value for Money

Negative comments from bottom eight scoring courses

18%

18%

17% 8%

7%

6%

6%

5%

5%

4%

2% 2% 2%

0% 0%


Support of Staff

Teaching Activity

Assessment: Fairness/Method


Timetabling/Cancellation

LRC


Value for money

Careers: Placement

Studynet Resources

General University Positivity


Extra Curricular (Subject Specific)


Herzberg Theory

What are the motivating and hygiene factors for students?

Motivation and hygiene factors for students

• Learning Resources

• Studynet Resources

• Subject specific environment

• Programme Organisation

• Timetabling

• Support of Staff

• Teaching activity

• Assessment: feedback

• Assessment: Fairness/method

• Value for money

• Extra curricular (subject related)

• Careers: placement

• Careers: Employability

• Careers: personal development

• General University positivity

Hygiene Factors Motivation Factors

Hygiene and Motivation Analysis

Comments from top scoring courses

Comments from bottom scoring

courses

Hygiene positive 155 110

Hygiene negative 179 160

Motivator positive 320 157

Motivator negative 104 124

Totals 758 551

Relation to findings of Douglas et al (2006) and Fielding et al (2010).

The tutors and the modules have been stimulating and interesting and I have achieved something I never thought I would

Some lecturers are not enthusiastic … they make the subject boring or do not seem to care about what we learn

The timetable problems

Great access to a lot of useful information via library and websites

References

• Beelick, D.B. (1973) Sources of student satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Journal of

Educational Research, 67(1), 19-23

• Danielson, C. (1998) Is satisfying college students the same as decreasing their

dissatisfaction? Association for Institutional Research Forum Papers. Minneapolis,

Minnesota.

• DeShields, O.W., Kara, A., and Kaynak, E. (2005) Determinant of business student

satisfaction and retention in higher education: applying Herzberg’s two-factor theory.

International Journal of Educational Management, 19(2), 128-139

• Douglas, J., Douglas, A., and Barnes, B. (2006) Measuring student satisfaction at a

UK University. Quality Assurance in Education, 14(3), 251-267

• Fielding, A., Dunleavy, P.J. and Langan, A.M. (2010) Interpreting context to the UK’s

National Student (Satisfaction) Survey data for science subjects. Journal of Further

and Higher Education, 34(3), 347-368

• Herzberg, F., Mausner, B., and Snyderman, B.B. (1959) The motivation to work.

John Wiley & Sons; New York.

Thank you

• Any questions?

Discussion questions:

• Is Herzberg’s two factor theory

helpful in thinking about student

satisfaction and dissatisfaction?

• Is there enough emphasis on

percentage dissatisfaction?

• Would it be beneficial for the NSS

to provide more opportunities for

open comments?

using the nss to inform strategic enhancement at university level · pdf file ·...

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