Personal tutoring and the expansion of higher education
Rosalind Crouch, University of Hertfordshire
Student numbers in higher education, particularly in certain subject areas,
have increased dramatically over the last ten years. In that time staff-student ratios have doubled whilst real resources per student have halved (Bogdanor 2002). This must inevitably have an impact on student experience and on personal tutoring provision, particularly in three areas: the impact on student support, staff support, and on the academic environment, though all three areas will also affect each other. I will look briefly at each of these areas, considering the implications for personal tutoring systems, and then give an example of such a system with case studies.
Particular pressure points in student life are the period of transition to higher education and examination time (Fisher 1994). Undergraduates need to feel both known and contained in a new environment, but as the majority of them are in late adolescence, they also need to negotiate their move towards independence. The personal tutor has to be aware of these tensions whilst bridging the gap in an environment where it is much more difficult than it used to be for teaching staff to know all students individually and to be aware of their needs. International students, arriving in increasing numbers, also undergo a major cultural transition and may be under considerable pressure to succeed (Harris 1997 p.38, Stanley & Manthorpe 2002). The extra need for support, at the beginning of the academic year and at examination time, also comes when staff time is likely to be in short supply. Such peaks of demand are not so easily accommodated with large numbers unless they are anticipated and planned for and appropriate support is available for staff involved.
Student support in academic departments has always involved a much wider range of academic and administrative staff than just personal tutors, but this is outside the scope of this paper. Academic staff acting as personal tutors are under pressure from dealing with large numbers of students and also find themselves in a two-edged position – needing to support students, but also needing to assess their academic progress (an even more complex problem on certain professional training courses). Staff need to be able to cope with the boundary issues that can arise in dealing with student problems, and to have suitable training and support available.
Staff are also under pressure of time and yet personal tutees need to feel known by their personal tutors, while there seems an increasing need for help to be provided with study skills, time management etc. as well as support for students with more personal problems such as illness or bereavement. The demands of the job are great, yet personal tutors often feel their role is undervalued.
With large student numbers, central student support services, such as counselling and financial advisors are particularly important. There is also a need for academic support services, such as centres to help students with study problems, including problems with particular subject areas etc. However, it should not be expected that these will replace personal tutors, or vice versa. Students are most likely to go for help to those they are most in contact with, such as personal tutors (Grant 2002 p.100), but both tutors and students need the support offered by these services.
Accommodating large numbers of students often leads to changes in departmental administrative arrangements, which may have unintended side-effects on the student experience and which need careful monitoring. Administering big courses may necessitate a more complex set of written rules and conventions e.g. for handing in work, making course choices etc., causing problems for students who have not yet fully understood the rules of the new environment. Staff have less time to explain and to offer support. Where there are international students, there may not only need to be an awareness of these issues, but a need for staff to develop an ability to communicate across cultures (Cortazzi & Jin 1997). Assessment practices may change to accommodate large numbers, and these may affect students' interpretation of how they need to learn (Norton, Tilley et al. 2001). On the other hand, new ways of communicating with students may be explored which, if used well, may help both students and staff e.g. use of e-mail, on-line course materials etc.
As personal tutoring programmes need to consider the needs of all students (not just those identifying themselves as having problems), in the context of increasing student numbers, departments cannot rely on ad hoc provision and the hope that the environment will provide sufficient support. There is a need for some kind of organized proactive system particularly for new students, international students (Cottrell et al 1994, Barker 1997 p.117) and final year students (where the role of project supervisors should not be underestimated).
There needs to be training and support for staff who need to be suited to the demanding nature of the role, particularly for new students. This role needs to be valued and resourced in the department and the institution and have the support of well-resourced central student services. Time needs to be allowed for organizing and administering student support in the department, with provision for supporting tutors, fostering links within the wider institution, and monitoring the effects on students of academic and administrative changes.
Personal tutoring systems need to arrange extra support for students at critical times and general support with problems, study skills and time management. Early feedback on assessment can help so that students have some idea of what is required. Some students will need additional staff support and time, which must be carefully targeted where it is most needed. Our research suggests that, with the help of an initial interview and early feedback on academic progress, tutors could successfully distinguish first-year students needing extra support (Crouch et al. 1998).
There are many ways of implementing personal tutoring systems and I will describe one example - a system for the first year of a technology degree with an intake of up to 250 first-year students, most of whom are male. Personal tutors see up to 25 personal tutees in groups for the first few weeks of term, starting in induction week, where students get to know the tutor and each other. This is followed by group study skills sessions and students can also explore feelings regarding the transition to HE. Tests have been introduced 5 or 6 weeks into the first term to provide early feedback on academic progress. Students may ask to see their personal tutor at any time, but students are also proactively offered a one-to-one personal tutor meeting at this point and later, just before the exams. The aim of this meeting is to provide support and explore alternatives, with tutor and student in partnership where possible. Extra interviews are offered to those requesting them or to those whom the tutor considers as needing further support (see case studies below).
In a research study of the system (Crouch et al. 1998) when the intake was 154 students, 70% (108) took up the invitation to the initial individual interview with the personal tutor. Students interviewed were somewhat more likely to improve over the year or maintain their successful performance than those who declined the invitation, despite the latter being contacted and monitored in other ways. With large numbers, it is important to be able to distinguish those students in need of extra help and support and 43% of these students attended subsequent extra interviews. Academic performance at Easter suggested that staff could successfully discriminate between students managing successfully and those needing additional support.
Staff support and motivation is important in the context of large numbers, as staff will be under a certain amount of pressure. Staff teaching first-year students choose to be personal tutors and the personal tutor organizer is always available for consultation. There is good support within the Department and the University, particularly the counselling service which provides back-up and training for personal tutors.
For the research study, personal tutors divided students into three categories on the basis of what they judged students were telling them in the initial interview: students assessed as apparently having 'no problems'; students who had problems with studying, but were assessed as likely to have no additional problems ('study-related problems'); and those presenting with problems such as illness, bereavement, family or relationship problems, social problems etc. ('non-study-related problems'). Illustrative case studies from each category (composites derived from many examples, and not based on particular individuals) are given, together with thoughts on how a personal tutor might respond. For reference, a summary of the outcome from the research study for each category is given first. As 88% of students on the course were male, the case studies reflect this, but females may also present with these issues.
Students reporting 'no problems'
Students seen as reporting 'no problems' comprised over half of students coming for an initial interview in the first term. Although 41% failed in the early tests, 91% were passing in all subjects at Easter, and a further 6% had improved on their previous performance, while 1 student was not assessed (Crouch et al. 1998)
Student A
Student A says he is settling down OK, has made some friends and generally quite likes it, though he has one or two minor complaints. He says he has been attending classes regularly, but did not do as well as he had hoped in the recent tests, failing some, but is now putting in a lot more work. He says he had not realized that he was not putting in enough work until he got his marks, so he has changed his part-time job to give him more time to study. He reports that his latest marks have improved. He does not appear to be anxious about the situation.
From a personal tutor's point of view, this student seems to have made a realistic appraisal of the situation, though it would be necessary to listen out for other issues that might have been missed. He seems able to self-adjust his behaviour in response to feedback from the environment and shows confidence in dealing with the transition to HE despite this initial setback. Such students seem to appreciate feeling 'known' by the tutor, but contact is not sought out. The tutor needs to keep in contact, but with a light touch unless circumstances change
Students reporting study-related problems (and failing early tests)
Nearly a third of students interviewed reported they had study-related problems, of whom 74% failed in their early tests. Over half of the early failures passed at Easter while another 13% improved. 5 students were not assessed (Crouch et al. 1998).
Student B is an 18 year old male from a background where no-one has previous experience of HE. He appears confident and street-wise, with a touch of bravado. He says he failed in his subject tests due to 'bad luck' or a problem in the environment. If pressed, he concedes he might do more work on the course than he does, but seems unworried. Despite his test results, he has not modified his working habits (which appear to the tutor to be insufficient work combined with ineffective work methods and a surface approach to study) and seems not to see it as his responsibility.
From a personal tutor's point of view, this student is having difficulty with the transition to HE and is not able to adjust his behaviour in response to environmental feedback. It seems probable that he is adopting a strategy of it being better to fail by not doing any work, than to try and still fail (Covington & Omelich 1979), though it would be necessary to listen out for other issues that may have been missed. Students with this particular approach to transition difficulties are, in my experience, more likely to be male and at risk of failure or dropping out without adequate support. They are unlikely to seek counselling and many may not approach the personal tutor at all unless the system is proactive.
The personal tutor would work together with the student to look (firmly, but supportively) at the reality of situation, in particular what he wants from the course and how this can be achieved, providing realistic information as required. It is helpful to catch this student early when there is still time for progress to be made. Help with study skills is usually necessary and the student may be referred for academic help. The tutor would aim to give support and containment, with tutor and student working in partnership to solve the problem. The tutor may need to give information on how to study, whilst encouraging the student to move towards a more independent approach. If he has got in debt, he may need referring to a financial advisor in the university. This student may need regular meetings so he can work initially towards a series of shorter-term goals. He may need reminding of them. Whilst many students improve sufficiently to pass, some students may not manage to improve quickly enough and may need to repeat the course the following year if possible.
Student C is a young student who has not done well so far and is very worried. He feels he has study problems, though he felt he was OK at school. He is having problems settling in, desperately missing his family and the old environment. At his old school or college, his teachers took an interest in him and gave him lots of help. His parents made sure he did his homework. What he had to do was clearly laid out, so he just followed the indicated path. It is clear that there is at present less environmental support and more demand to function independently than he feels he can cope with at such short notice, despite attending well and studying. He is unsuccessfully applying methods of coping and working that seemed to have been successful in the past, but no longer seem to be so. He does not know what to do about it and is frightened and worried by his inability to make headway.
The personal tutor might consider this student to be at risk of failing or dropping out, particularly if he does not live at home during term-time. He needs to feels 'known', supported and contained, with regular meetings until he has found his feet, which may take some time (some students may need to 'touch base' from time to time throughout the first year). He needs study skills help, and may possibly need referring for academic help. The tutor would listen out for other issues that might have been missed and this student is much more likely than student B to consider going to counselling if necessary.
Students reporting study-related problems (and passing early tests)
A small number of students passed their early tests and yet reported study problems despite working and attending well. They almost all appeared worried, yet all passed at Easter. (Crouch et al. 1998)
Student D is a mature student who very much wants to do well. He says he has study problems – he cannot understand the academic material, he is falling behind etc. He reports that he gets good marks and works and attends very conscientiously, but he is extremely worried about his progress and unsure that he has understood the course requirements. He has always done well in the past, despite thinking he will not.
This student expects high standards of himself, which he may indeed have often achieved. He needs support, containment and a listening ear; a counselling referral may be considered in some cases. Realistic information may be needed about course requirements and the amount of work necessary (the student may be working to excess). The student may be employing a strategy of defensive pessimism (Cantor and Norem 1987) to gain control of stressful situations by worrying in advance. The personal tutor needs to consider periodic meetings to listen, help him with time management where necessary and give feedback and information where appropriate. Meetings may also be necessary before stress points such as exams. Again the tutor needs to listen for issues that may have been missed.
Students reporting non-study related problems
18% of students interviewed; 16 students failed early tests and 3 not assessed. At Easter, 4 students passed and 5 improved; 3 did not pass and 7 were not assessed. (Crouch et al. 1998)
Student E has missed an early coursework deadline and is very worried and anxious. There is a family crisis – the student cannot concentrate on anything but the crisis and has not attended classes or done any work since the situation developed.
The personal tutor would need to spend time listening to the student, whilst also trying to gauge the potential duration and seriousness of the situation for him and the likely support needed. A means needs to be considered of allowing this student the 'space' to cope with the crisis until he is able to return to work. In some cases the student may be unable to cope with dealing with university bureaucracy, and the tutor may need to take over some of this temporarily, such as talking to other tutors on his behalf or helping fill in forms. The tutor may feel the need for consultation with an experienced colleague or counsellor, and may also consider a counselling referral for the student (and in some cases, referral to other student services).
Regular supportive meetings are needed with the tutor, and students may need help with planning work and time management. Other issues that may have been missed need to be listened for. In some cases (particularly if the external crisis does not resolve or is part of a larger ongoing very difficult situation and is seriously affecting the student's academic functioning in the longer term) it may be necessary to consider with the student the option of withdrawal or of coming back to the university the following year.
In the context of large student numbers, personal tutoring systems have to operate more efficiently and under some pressure, yet it is important that, as far as is possible, both tutors and students can feel adequately supported. This may well be more a more challenging task than it was when the student population was much smaller in that being one of a large number may make the transition to university more difficult for many students. Certain key provisions, that may have once been implicit in the academic environment when student numbers were smaller, now need to be explicitly put in place and resourced in order to support students adequately so that they can fulfil their academic potential.
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ã Rosalind Crouch 2002