EDSOC Research Seminar - “What should students gain through university?: Exploring students', parents', and employers' perceptions of learning gain”

The Higher Education Forum presents a School of Education and Sociology research seminar.

Title: “What should students gain through university?: Exploring students', parents', and employers' perceptions of learning gain”

Presenters: Dr Emily Mason-Apps, Senior Research Fellow, School of Psychology and Dr Jessica Gagnon, Senior Research Fellow, School of Education and Sociology

Abstract: The 14 HEFCE-funded Learning Gain projects currently underway across the UK are intended “to measure the improvement in knowledge, skills, work-readiness and personal development made by students during their time spent in higher education” (HEFCE, 2017). We will be presenting initial qualitative findings from the University of Portsmouth led HEFCE Learning Gain project titled “Education as transformation: Developing measures of non-cognitive development”. It is a multi-university partnership that includes the University of Southampton; Royal Holloway, University of London; and the University of the Arts London. We will explore students’ perceptions of learning gain through qualitative data collected from focus groups; parents’ perceptions through hand-written responses to questions posed on postcards; and employers’ perceptions through interviews. The data allows for an in-depth understanding of different stakeholders’ conceptions of learning gain, as well as exploring the similarities and differences between them. Findings from the project are intended to inform policy and practice, especially through identification of where expectations are and are not being met.