Abstract
Although students are increasingly cast as consumers wanting ‘value for money’, this study empirically investigated whether students actively seek value for money. In Study 1, 1,772 undergraduates at a mid-ranked English university were asked open-ended questions about what they had wanted from their university learning experience and how that had turned out. Hopes were coded as fulfilled or unfulfilled. Responses were searched for key words related to ‘value for money’. Less than 2 per cent of students referenced ‘value for money’. Those students were significantly more likely to have unfulfilled hopes. In Study 2, 185 first-year science students were asked open-ended questions about why they chose their subject and their programme, and what they had wanted from their learning experience in that programme. None referenced value for money. Students’ reasons for choosing their subjects and programmes were analysed. ‘Value for money’ does not do justice to students’ hopes for university or their programme.
Highlights
In many countries around the world, higher education has become more marketized and commodified (Brown and Carasso, 2013), with students increasingly being cast as consumers (Naidoo and Jamieson, 2005; Molesworth et al, 2009)
Students were asked two open-ended questions: (1) When you decided to come to this university, what learning experiences did you want? (Hopes); and (2) How has that turned out? Have you had this opportunity? Have your hopes or expectations changed? How? (Hope fulfilment)
Of 185 first-year students taking a science module, only two made statements directly related to money
Summary
In many countries around the world, higher education has become more marketized and commodified (Brown and Carasso, 2013), with students increasingly being cast as consumers (Naidoo and Jamieson, 2005; Molesworth et al, 2009). The study was intended, in part, to identify whether students’ expectations of value for money were primarily related to inputs to higher education (for example, teaching and learning resources) or outputs (for example, careers and salaries). They surveyed 685 current higher education students in England, 534 recent graduates, 410 Year 12 and 13 school students, and sampled across 31 higher education institutions in England. The survey asked students to rate three statements: ‘(1) The tuition fee for my course represents/represented good value for money. (3) Overall my investment in higher education represents/represented good value for money’ (trendenceUK, 2018: 5) The survey asked students to rate three statements: ‘(1) The tuition fee for my course represents/represented good value for money. (2) Other charges/fees/costs at my university represent/represented good value for money. (3) Overall my investment in higher education represents/represented good value for money’ (trendenceUK, 2018: 5)
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