Questioning personal tutoring in higher education: an activity theoretical action research study

Stuart, Kaz; Willocks, Katie; Browning, Ruth

doi:10.1080/09650792.2019.1626753

Cited by 10 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…The positive experience data described communications and structures that worked for the students, and a congruence between levels of authentic engagement of staff in the act of care and the perceived role of the personal tutoring. This accords with previous empirical work on student perceptions of personal tutoring (Yale, 2019a;Stuart, Willocks and Browning, 2019) which showed that having a negative experience of personal tutoring is worse than having none. The negative experience data surfaced strong feelings in relation to the perceived utility of the activity and the sincerity of the offering of personalised support.…”

Section: Design Considerations For a Successful Personalised Support ...supporting

confidence: 91%

“…This finding is well known (e.g. Stuart, Willocks and Browning, 2019;Tett et al, 2017;Stephen et al 2008;). However, the perception of whether this care was genuine, was also clearly evidenced in the data (see next section).…”

Section: Attitudes and Tutor Knowledgesupporting

confidence: 72%

“…However, where a tutor has ten student tutees at each of four levels of study, a personalised experience for all forty students becomes much less realistic. Institutions across the UK university sector have grappled with this problem, appointing senior tutors (Luck, 2010), running group tutorials (Stephen et al 2008) or instigating systems of peer mentoring to complement activity of academic and other staff are all responses to this situation (Stuart et al, 2019).…”

Section: Implications For Hementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further theory building (e.g. as suggested by Stuart et al, 2019) to achieve some measure of clarity, particularly in articulating the purpose of a personalised student support function still needs to be done.…”

Section: Implications For Hementioning

confidence: 99%

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Design considerations for personalised supported learning: implications for higher education

Prowse

Vargas

Powell

2020

Journal of Further and Higher Education

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Attempts to personalise mass higher education systems have received increasing attention as universities compete to attract students. In the United Kingdom (UK), most higher education institutions have a system of personalised supported learning, usually called personal tutoring.Personal tutors are typically academic members of staff who support students to integrate into the university academic community. Institutions assume that a system of personal tutoring enables student satisfaction, progression and attainment -key performance indicators in competitive higher education landscapes. Personal tutors support their tutees in achieving their personal, academic or professional goals.Systems of personal tutoring are often designed around what role the personal tutor should perform, rather than what purpose the role should serve. This paper uses thematic analysis of students' perceptions of personalised support for university learning, to elucidate improvements to its' design and contributes to theorising effective personalised student support mechanisms.Insights from this analysis showed students could detect design that lacked sincerity, particularly in relation to adequate resourcing.A central contradiction may therefore exist in resourcing personalised support within a mass higher education experience. A design tool using the dimensions to be considered in the approach to creating systems of personalised supported learning is presented and discussed.

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Section: Design Considerations For a Successful Personalised Support ...supporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Attitudes and Tutor Knowledgesupporting

confidence: 72%

Section: Implications For Hementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Implications For Hementioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Design considerations for personalised supported learning: implications for higher education

Prowse

Vargas

Powell

2020

Journal of Further and Higher Education

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“…However, the existing personal tutoring system, reported a British University, has for quite some time been in need of review and improvement, as evidence suggests that it is ineffective [3,4]. The findings raise implications for the formulation of institutional policies for conducting university tutoring and e-learning to improve student experiences [5]; an aspect that is supported by the numerous studies that have shown the effectiveness of tutors on students [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Personal factors associated with satisfaction with tutoring in engineering students

et al. 2021

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The tutoring of university students is very relevant for the achievement of engineering learning and personal factors are associated with satisfaction, establishing that the knowledge of these factors makes it possible to take measures that contribute to improve tutoring actions. The objective of the research was to establish the association of personal factors to satisfaction with tutoring in engineering students. A quantitative approach was chosen, the design was non-experimental and the association of personal factors with satisfaction with university tutoring. The population consisted of 800 engineering students and by means of probabilistic sampling with a 3% margin of error, the sample consisted of 458 students. The results showed that satisfaction with the university tutor is associated with the factors sex, age and college of origin, obtaining the Chi-square value x2 = 189.618a, 157.728a and 118.106a (p < 0.05); satisfaction with the university tutor associated with factors of sex, age and school of origin, obtained a Chi-square x2 = 189.618a, 157.728a and 118.106a (p < 0.05) and satisfaction with the organization and contents of the tutoring was associated with factors of sex, age and school of origin obtained a Chi-square x2 = 8.876a, 23.189a and 17.327a (p < 0.05). It is concluded that personal conditions are associated with satisfaction with tutoring, with the university tutor and with the organization and contents of tutoring in engineering students.

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Can the role of a personal tutor contribute to reducing the undergraduate degree awarding gap for racially minoritised students?

Gabi,

Braddock,

Brown

et al. 2024

British Educational Res J

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The imperative to address the complex problem of degree awarding gaps within UK higher education institutions is multifaceted and messy. Various studies have continually highlighted this persistent undergraduate awarding gap (racial equity gap or/ethnicity gap) between White and racially minoritised students. This disparity in educational outcomes, where racially minoritised students compared to their White counterparts are less likely to graduate with good honours degrees, has gained considerable attention from policymakers and scholars. This underscores the need for comprehensive strategies that transcend conventional approaches and boundaries to achieve systemic change. Efforts to close the awarding gap have predominantly focused on decolonising the curriculum, which is vital. Still, it is also crucial to recognise personal tutoring (PT) as a pivotal and often underestimated role in addressing the awarding gap. The PT role, with its potential to provide a joined‐up experience for students, promoting student engagement and enabling them to navigate the ever‐changing academic landscape, can be a catalyst for racial equity and an antidote to the degree awarding gap. By reviewing the literature, empirical studies, policy frameworks and practical implementations, this paper sheds light on the diverse ways PT can serve as a potent tool for promoting equity and inclusion and enhancing equitable outcomes for all. Through a synthesis of existing literature and critical analysis, this scoping review highlights ways PT in higher education is conceptualised nationally and internationally and how it can drive transformational change in higher education when aligned with principles of equity.

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Questioning personal tutoring in higher education: an activity theoretical action research study

Cited by 10 publications

References 31 publications

Design considerations for personalised supported learning: implications for higher education

Design considerations for personalised supported learning: implications for higher education

Personal factors associated with satisfaction with tutoring in engineering students

Can the role of a personal tutor contribute to reducing the undergraduate degree awarding gap for racially minoritised students?

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