Face to Face Day schools: Understanding attendance and non-attendance on psychology modules

• Project Team: Caroline KellyKaty SmithMarianna LatifRachel PennyPaige CuffeMadeline Knightley
• Subject Discipline: Psychology and Counselling
• Theme: Online and blended tuition
• Project Aim: Improves and enhance the learning experience of students
• Status: Complete
• Date: July 2018 to July 2019

This project aimed to understand attendance for optional face-to-face tuition events on psychology modules. A mixed method approach was used to capture the student voice, and the five methods are presented here.

Questionnaires were administered at face-to-face events early in the academic year. This was across the entire undergraduate psychology programme at events across the UK. Students were asked why they had attended the event, what they had liked, what else they wanted, and what they were taking away. Using thematic analysis key themes were:

a. Meeting tutors and students, asking questions and consolidate understanding.
b. Face to face tuition helps build confidence, motivation and academic community.
c. The value of group discussion and interaction, particularly for controversial or sensitive topics.
d. Students requested more face to face opportunities.
e. Students requested better venues (signage, catering facilities, access, ease of travel)

Quantitative data for students booking to attend face-to-face events across all psychology undergraduate modules was collected across three years. During this period there had been an increase in students by 25%, but 6% fewer students booking to attend. The nature of face-to-face teaching changed in this period from smaller to larger events which led to a reduction in the number of events.

A survey was sent to all psychology undergraduates to see what had contributed to attendance, or non-attendance at a recent event. A factor analysis identified that the largest factor for attendance is that face-to-face events make them feel like a student, and provide an academic community, to meet other students and their tutor. The main factor to why they do not attend face-to-face events, is that that they don’t like face-to-face learning and do not feel confident to attend.

A student consultative forum was conducted with 144 students building on initial findings and allowing exploration of key areas. Consistent themes included the importance of meeting tutors and other students; opportunity to discuss and consolidate learning of materials; increased confidence and distance to travel, particularly at higher levels of study with fewer and more geographically dispersed events.

27 interviews were conducted with students unable to attend early face-to-face events. A thematic analysis was conducted, and key themes were distance and travel experience; timing/caring commitments; calculating the ‘added extra’: does face-to-face give enough ‘added extra’ over online events; anxiety and lack of confidence; and preferring online study to face-to-face.

Conclusions
Capturing the ‘student voice’ requires Mixed Methods Research, as it captures breadth of information from many students across geography and different stages in their study, as well as depth of information through interviews.

The reasons for attendance and non-attendance is multifaceted. Students value face-to-face events for opportunities to meet other students and tutors and be part of a community of learning. The reasons why they don’t attend are complex: some students don’t like or want this approach of learning, and others are not able to. The increasing effort required to attend an event is more likely to lead to a student not attending.