Students’ and tutors’ perspective

1. Supporting the socio-academic transition of
postgraduate taught students -
Students’ and tutors’ perspective
Dr Namrata Rao, Dr Zoi Nikiforidou and Linda Kerr
Liverpool Hope University
SEDA Spring Teaching,Learning and Assessment Conference, 9th May 19

2. Overview
1. The issue (is it institutional or sectoral?)
2. The various perspectives (teachers’, students’ and
yours?)
3. The possible solutions/suggestions
4. The way forward (our intentions)

3. 1. The Issue
Sectoral and Institutional Context

4. Your views
● What do you think are the socio-academic
transition needs of postgraduate students?
● Are there are any particular needs specific to your
institution?

5. The Sectoral Context -
Postgraduate loans
Office for Students (2018)
• Increase in number of loan-eligible
courses by 31% (22,000 students).
Decrease in number on loan non-
eligible courses by 1% (600 students)
• Undergraduates going straight to
postgraduate study - 3% increase in
eligible courses but not on non-eligible
courses
• 54000 students eligible for loan -
2/3rds took the loan
• 47% under 25 but rest above 25
• 56% females (LHU 78% females)
• Ethnically more diverse group - Black
(10%), White (65%), Asian (9%) and
Mixed and other

6. The Sectoral Context -
PGT Experience survey
Figure: Response and participation in PTES by year
Source: PTES (2018) https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/downloads/Advance%20HE%20PTES%202018%20report.pdf

7. The Sectoral Context -
Motivations for study

8. The understanding of ‘postgraduateness’
● emphasis on criticality and independence
● the nature of assessment
● changes to student-student and staff-student interactions
● short, intensive study period
→ Masters students = HE ‘experts’
(McEwen et al., 2005; Treby & Shah, 2005)
● taken-for-granted assumption that postgraduate students
are already experts in the realm of higher education and
learning
(Tobell, O’ Donnell and Zammit 2010; West 2012)

9. Your Views
● How might the needs of postgraduate students be
different from undergraduate students?
● What unique challenges do these differences pose
in supporting the transition of PGT students?

10. The Limited Literature on PGT transitions
What hinders transition?
(Heussi, 2012)
● Support (especially at
the start of the course)
● Quality of support (on
assignments)
● Organisation of the
course
● Transitions are not
straightforward and can be
characterised by anxiety, self-
doubt and disorientation.
● Key challenges: do not relate to the
higher learning materials, but lack
of clarity around PGT level study;
limited opportunities for
integration and sense of belonging.
● Clarity of expectations and earlier
feedback, alongside peer support
McPherson, Punch and Graham (2017)

11. The Institutional Context -
Liverpool Hope
• Often mature students [often returning to study after a
long gap] [Of 173 students - 119 mature and 54 under 25]
• more frequent APLs
• Reasons for pursuing higher education -
professional/personal/postgraduate loans
• Diverse disciplinary backgrounds
• Duration of study for f/t - speedy transition
• Classes in the evenings and/or weekends in the Faculty
[Hope Park vs NoH students]
• Research methods training
• Modular system/ Compartmentalised
• Jan/October entry
• Expectations of Masters level study - [lack of focussed
open/applicant days - open house ]
• Nature of assessments - often long essays
• LSPs

12. 2. The various perspectives

13. What did we do?
1. Student survey via Moodle
2. Learning and teaching day - Staff views
3. Student vignettes

14. Why choose vignettes?
Sampson and Johanssen, (2019):
● Generally useful for eliciting values, beliefs and understanding of
abstract concepts (Gould, 1996).
● Triggers draw out responses – anticipated and unanticipated
benefits.
● ‘Real life’ vignettes can ‘turn on the tap’ and elicit rich, frank and
extensive interview materials
● ‘Real life’ better than ‘fictional vignettes’ – the danger of providing
fictionalised answers or the respondents’ understandings of social
norms (Jenkins et al, 2010).

15. Schoenberg and Ravdal, (2000)
● Flexible - allows the researcher to tailor the instrument to specific foci.
- enjoyable and creative for the participant.
- depersonalisation - participant thinks beyond their experience
(Heverley, Fitt and Newman, 1984).
● May reduce feeling of being over-burdened by interview process. (Kayser-
Jones and Koenig, 1994).
Al Sadi and Basit, (2017)
● Does not require respondents to be fully knowledgeable about an issue –
offers the participant information to come to a judgment (Hughes and
Ruby, 2002).
● Triumphs over cross-cultural communication problems – if vignettes are
meticulously planned and short in length (Leighton, 2010).

16. Student Survey
I. As a postgraduate student, what are the some of challenges
you have faced/are facing in making a transition to
postgraduate studies (for example the challenge to return to education
after a long time or something else)?
II. How are these challenges unique to postgraduate studies i.e.
how might these be different from the challenges you would
have faced as an undergraduate?
III.What are the things that may help you to negotiate some of
the challenges (for example, scholarships or help with writing or
something else…)?
IV.In your opinion, what would a successful transition into
postgraduate studies look like i.e. what might be the indicators
– good grades, competence in writing in a particular way etc.?

17. i. The challenges
● ‘So much reading and writing, I thought that a Masters is more
about criticality and personal development.’
(Demands/Expectations)
● ‘Sometimes having to go from zero to hero on a subject / topic /
concept …’ (Demands/Expectations)
● ‘For me, coming to Disability Studies from a completely different
background was a real challenge. I found that those who had
studies Education and SEN at undergraduate level were well
versed in the discipline and I was absolutely clueless.’ (Prior
knowledge)

18. ii. How are they unique to PGT study?
● ‘There is not the same focus on research in undergraduate
studies.’ (Research focus)
● ‘At undergraduate level, you would be gently eased into a
potentially new discipline but at postgraduate level there are
(understandably) higher expectations.’
(Demands/expectations)
● ‘Nevertheless, I think it would be invaluable to carry an
assumption that students know little or nothing of the field
before starting.’ (Prior knowledge)

19. iii. What might have helped?
● ‘Lists of possible / suggested / example topics to research’
● ‘Introductory sessions giving an overview of the discipline or
at least a recommended reading list prior to commencing.’

20. iv. Indicators of successful transition
● ‘The researcher feeling confident in their research and being
able to talk about it and its context at length to interested
and lay audiences.’
● ‘MA students new to their disciplines being confident and
feeling supported and there not being such a gap between
the assessment marks of those new and already familiar
with the discipline.’

21. 3. The Possible Solutions

22. Your views
● What do you believe your institution is doing to best
support the transition of PGT students?
● What else can be done?
○ Pre-application
○ Pre-arrival
○ Induction
○ During the course
○ On Completion
○ Research phase

23. what we found: student views
Student suggestions:
• recommended introductory/pre-arrival reading
• Introductory sessions giving an overview of the
discipline
• suggested topics for research
• ...

24. what we found: staff views
● Pre-application: Open day, invitation to guest lecture, student
and tutor videos on course, student testimonials (videos/blogs)
● Pre-arrival: readings, social media page which is managed by
staff but handed to students thereafter, quiz on course
handbook information, create and share profiles
● Induction:tour, talk by current students, social
● During the course: skills developments, residential, personal
tutor system, Q&A online
● On Completion: Invitation to conferences, co-authored
papers, attendance to EdD sessions

25. 4. The Way Forward

26. Our aims
● A collaborative cross-institutional research study
identifying transition needs sectorally and institutional
specific/type.
● A compendium of case studies to support transition.
● A network to share and develop better understanding of
the transition needs of PGT students within the UK for
future sharing of good practice in this field.

27. references
Al Sadi, F. H., and Basit, T., N. (2017) ‘I have just Understood it from the
Story…’ using vignettes in educational research to investigate cultural
tolerance. Research Papers in Education, 32(2). pp. 183-196.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2016.1158858
Heussi, A. (2012) Postgraduate student perceptions of the transition into
postgraduate study. Student Engagement and Experience Journal, 1(3),
https://dx.doi.org/10.7190/seej.v1i3.52
Sampson, H., and Johanssessen, I. A . (2019) Turning on the Tap: the
benefits of using ‘real life’ vignettes in qualitative research reviews..
Qualitative Research pp.1-17.
https://doi.org/10.117777/1468794118816618
Schoenberg, N., E. and Ravdal, H. (2000) Using Vignettes in Awareness
and Attitudinal Research. International Journal of Social Research
Methodology. 2000, 3(1), pp. 63-74.
https://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/tf/13645579