Martin Rowley,

1

In their own words second-year university
students' views about their psychology course.
Martin Rowley, Keele University, Staffordshire,
UK.
James Hartley, Keele University, Staffordshire,
UK.
Derek Larkin, Edge Hill University, Liverpool,
UK.
2
Rationale

• Mass higher education system in the UK.
• Psychology one of the most popular degree
  choices.
• Concern about retention.
• - Highest risk of withdrawal in
  Year 1.
• - Course related factors
  preparedness, study problems, course
• choice, how course fits with
  future plans?
• - Continuing Year 1 students cite
  similar study problems as
• students who withdraw. (Rowley,
  Hartley Larkin, in press).
• - Engagement?

3
Other issues in England and Wales

• Psychology NOT part of compulsory school
  curriculum
• (up to age 16).
• Pre-university psychology qualification
  (post-16, A-level)
• NOT a requirement for university study.
• Around four times as many females study
  psychology at university.
• A variety of degree types including
  single-honours, dual honours, combined
  honours, etc.

4

• Sample
• N 334
• Single- (n152) and dual-honours students
  (n182).
• Procedure
• Students surveyed at mid-point of 3-year course.
• Asked extent of agreement with 12 statements.
• Plus gave written justification for each
  response.
• Analysis
• Quantitative Likert scale (1 to 6) response to
  statements.
• Comparisons by Qualification (with and without
  A-level psychology)
• by Gender
• by Degree type (single-
  / dual-honours not reported here).
• Qualitative Justifications for responses.

5
Our survey

• We asked second-year students their views about
• How prepared they had been to study at
  university.
• Generic university study issues (e.g. organizing
  workload, contact time etc.).
• Psychology-specific study issues (e.g. research
  methods and statistics, interest in course etc.).
• How psychology course fits with future plans.

6
Statements about preparedness Mean agreement
score (Agree strongly 6 Disagree strongly 1)
sd.
Students with a pre-university psychology
qualification were more likely to say that when
they came to university

• However, this wasnt the whole story..

7

• 24 of students who took A-level psychology
  felt it had
• not prepared them well for degree-level study.

I wasnt aware of the amount of reading and
research I would have to conduct.
(FDP). Prepared for the subject just not the
workload. (MDP). Never thought it would be
this hard. (MSP). I studied psychology at
A-level and did well but everything is ten
times as hard here. (FSP). I am used to small
seminar classes and so learning psychology in
such a big environment is difficult. (FSP).
(FFemale MMale DDual hons. Ssingle hons.
Ppsych. qual NNo psych. qual.)
8
Around 45 who took A-level psychology said
their expectations about the course had not been
accurate.
Psychology A gives a wrong impression of what
would be covered. (FSP). A-level is very
different to degree level. (FSP).
9
Research methods, statistics and science.At
College level only studies were covered. I had no
idea that statistics were involved. (FDP). I
was not prepared for statistics. (FSP).Didnt
know it would involve biology. (MSP).Some
very new and different content e.g.
neuropsychology. (FDP).Didnt think it
involved so much scientific analysis. (FDP).
Surprising aspects of degree course
10
Statements about generic study issues Mean
agreement score (Agree strongly 6 Disagree
strongly 1) sd.
Between-group differences only occurred for
statement about independent reading.
11
Around 73 of students said they were not
prepared for the amount of independent reading
required at university.

• I thought we would have more independent work
  but not as
• much as we do. It was a big jump. (FSP).
• At A-level everything is handed to you and you
  are told
• precisely what you need to read, whereas at
  university you
• have to motivate yourself. (FDP).
• A-level psychology came from one textbook.
  (FSP)
• We werent prepared at school for this much
  reading. (FDN)
• Most people dont do whats expected anyway.
  (MDP).

12
Around 50 of students had experienced workload
problems.

• I do meet deadlines but I dont stay on top of
  my work, its
• mostly rushed. (FDP).
• I sometimes struggle when we have labs and
  essays and
• other work simultaneously. (FSP).
• Sometimes its difficult to juggle the work from
  two subjects.
• (FDP).
• I wasnt fully prepared for all the social
  distractions university
• brings. (FDP).
• I know what needs to be done and when its just
  motivation
• that I lack. (FSP).

13
Statements about psychology-specific study
issues Mean agreement score (Agree strongly
6 Disagree strongly 1) sd.
No between-group differences relating to
pre-university qualification or gender. Some
differences between single- and dual-honours
students - not discussed here.
14
Around 61 of students said they were not
interested in all aspects of their psychology
course.

• The biological psychology aspect or the research
  methods
• arent what Im interested in. (FDP).
• I dont like stats or brain related things.
  (FSN).
• Im not interested in the biological /
  neurological aspects.
• (FSP).
• I hate the statistics and biology aspects. I
  dont like numbers
• and molecules, I like people. (FDP).
• Its too theoretical. I dont get a sense of how
  what I am
• learning could help people. (MDP)

15
Around 80 of students agreed that there was more
emphasis on statistics than they would like.

• I really find statistics difficult and I wasnt
  aware how much
• wed have to do. (FSP).
• I seriously did not know statistics was part of
  the course.
• (FDN).
• I dont particularly enjoy statistics but do
  realise their
• importance in psychology. (FSP).
• I have no interest in statistics and do not wish
  to follow this
• route in later life. (FDP).

16
Statements about psychology and future plans
Mean agreement score (Agree strongly 6
Disagree strongly 1) sd.

• Female students were more likely to agree that

17
Females more positive than males about how their
psychology course fits with their future plans.

• Females
• I took the course because I wanted to go into
  clinical psychology. (FSP).
• Even if I dont go into psychology, it gives me
  an understanding of people
• that is useful in many professions. (FSP).
• Postgraduate study is a possible option as I
  enjoy the subject. (FDP).
• Males
• I dont think Ive acquired any lasting skills,
  I have just acquired
• knowledge. (MDP).
• Some of the topics I have learned will be of
  little use e.g. animal
• psychology. (MSP).

18
Statements about engagement.

• Im starting to become slightly bored with
  psychology. (MSP).
• Degree psychology contains too many aspects that
  I find
• boring. (MDN).
• I am not interested in many aspects of my
  course. (MSP).
• I think three years of psychology is enough. I
  dislike most of
• the course but Im carrying on just so that I get
  a degree.
• (FSP).
• Ive thought about dropping out but I enjoy my
  other principal
• subject and know that it would be a waste.
  (MDP).

19
Summary

• Students with A-level qualification felt better
  prepared BUT many still surprised about nature of
  university study and content of course.
• Large proportion of students experience problems
  organizing workload and with the amount of
  independent reading.
• Many students not interested in some aspect of
  their course statistics and biological (science)
  the most unpopular aspects.
• Females more likely than males to see connection
  between psychology course and future plans.
• 5. Some students appear disillusioned but
  may continue just to get a degree.

20
Suggestions

• Align pre-university / university experience more
  closely in terms of
• i) course content (more research
  methods, science)
• ii) generic study issues
  (independent study, reading).
• Promote greater awareness of nature / breadth of
  psychology in schools.
• At university
• i) help new undergraduates to
  structure their study activities
• ii) encourage creation of
  personal development plans and
• learning contracts (Clegg
  Bradley, 2006 Hartley, 2002)
• iii) embed study skills into
  teaching sessions (Reddy et al., 2008)
• iv) encourage emphasis on
  learning to learn!

21
References

• Clegg, S. Bradley, S. (2006). Models of
  personal development planning Practices and
  processes. British Educational Research Journal,
  32, 57-76.
• Hartley, J. (2002). Studying for the future.
  Journal of Further Higher Education, 26,
  207-227.
• Reddy, P., Greasley, A. E., Parson, V.,
  Harrington, K. Elander, J. (2008). Becoming a
  psychology undergraduate Integrating study
  skills and integrating students. Paper presented
  at the Doing University conference.
  Huddersfield, UK. 19th March.
• Rowley, M., Hartley, J. Larkin, D. (in press).
  Learning from experience The expectations and
  experiences of first-year undergraduate
  psychology students. Journal of Further and
  Higher Education.