It will explore the learning and teaching environment within Higher Education to improve the academic engagement and participation of all students within an expanding and diverse student population. The project will do this through exploring the relationships between university students’ and teachers’ conceptions of themselves and each other within their respective roles, of knowledge and knowing and of learning and teaching.

Methodology

Using a range of investigative techniques, data will be collected through interviews, questionnaires, classroom observations, learning groups and video diaries. Students and teachers will be brought together to reflect on their understanding of the learning they undertake. Comparisons will be made between the expectations and conceptions of students and teachers, encouraging a dialogue on improving classroom practice to enhance student learning for all students. The data will be collected in three phases – students in two local colleges of Further Education, one Sixth Form college and one state comprehensive school will be asked to complete a questionnaire in their final year of study prior to moving on to university. Four tutors in each of two universities will then be recruited and interviewed to gain their conceptions of teaching and in particular, their conceptions and expectations of their students. The third phase will include surveying and interviewing new students in the two universities and then conducting video observation of actual classroom sessions. Tutors and students will be encouraged to reflect on the learning experience, in interviews, focus groups and through the completion of reflective learning logs.

Aims of the project

To explore relationships between university students and teachers conceptions of:

• themselves and each other in their respective roles
• knowledge and knowing
• learning and teaching

Drawing on established research into the experience of students within Higher Education and theories of knowing and knowledge the project aims to provide practical help in the development of good teaching practice within the Higher Education classroom.

The research team

We are a small team of researchers across two universities:

Principal Investigator:

Dr Chris Hockings, University of Wolverhampton
Email: c.hockings@wlv.ac.uk

Co-applicants:

Dr Marion Bowl, University of Birmingham
Email: marion.bowl@canterbury.ac.nz

Sandra Cooke, University of Birmingham
Email: s.cooke@bham.ac.uk

Research Associates:

Hiromi Yamashita, University of Birmingham

Julie Bedward, University of Birmingham

Hilary Bentley, University of Wolverhampton

Administrative team:

Liz Goodman, University of Wolverhampton

Jacqui Wootton, University of Birmingham