Abstract
In this article, we sought a relation between orientation to higher education and curricular experiences, and elucidated the nature of transformative curricular experiences. Twenty-four graduates from humanities and science degrees in the year 2000 were interviewed approximately five years later to obtain their retrospective views on the purpose of higher education, as well as their undergraduate experiences of teaching and learning. Drawing on phenomenographic principles, four orientations to higher education were generated. Four participant cases are analyzed, representing each orientation to higher education. In the ‘gaining a qualification’ orientation, graduates valued being told what to learn, as well as learning practical skills. For the ‘preparation for a job’ orientation, graduates wanted lecturers who were good at conveying information, but they also valued project work, having some autonomy over learning and practical applications. In the ‘developing skills and learning how to think’ orientation, graduates valued being challenged and learning in groups, but also wanted to learn professional skills. In the ‘growing as an individual’ orientation, graduates valued being challenged, gaining different perspectives, developing critical thinking, learning about theory, interacting with lecturers, research, and study for its own sake. Some curricular experiences transformed thinking about the purpose of higher education, including learning through discussion in small groups, authentic learning tasks including inquiry-based assignments, exercises in developing critical thinking, opportunities to interact with teachers, opportunities to develop practical skills, experiencing different cultures and personal growth through lifestyle and social experiences. Our research has implications for advising students, as well as for teachers aiming to encourage a deep approach to learning.
Highlights
In this study we explore a possible relation between graduates’ orientations to higher education and their retrospective views of their experiences of their learning environment— the curriculum, teaching, and learning
Our study aimed to determine if there was a relation between orientation to higher education and curricular experiences, as well as elucidating the nature of transformative curricular experiences
A close internal relation was found between an individual’s ori entation to higher education and what they valued in terms of their formative learning experiences
Summary
In this study we explore a possible relation between graduates’ orientations to higher education and their retrospective views of their experiences of their learning environment— the curriculum, teaching, and learning. Beaty, Gibbs, and Morgan (1997; see Gibbs, Morgan, & Taylor, 1984) described students’ orientations to learning as their personal relationship with the context of their study: the complexity of experiences and characteristics that they brought to their study, their personal goals, attitudes, values, and expected outcomes. They identified four orientations to learning: vocational, academic, personal, and social
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