Equality and Diversity Committee
5 February 2013
Agenda Item: 7 (f)
Paper: EADC/13/08
2012 Student survey results by student characteristics
Aims of the paper
1. The paper presents the results from the 2012 student surveys: the Student satisfaction
Survey (SSS), the National Student Survey (NSS) and the Postgraduate Taught
Experience Survey (PTES). It examines variations in student satisfaction by four of the
‘protected characteristics’: age, gender, ethnicity and disability 1 . The paper identifies
equality-related issues emerging from the survey results for consideration by Equality
and Diversity Committee (EADC).
Background to the surveys
2. The NSS is a survey of final year undergraduate (UG) students in the UK which has
been conducted annually since 2005. The survey asks students to rate the extent to
which they agree or disagree with 21 statements covering six broad areas of their
learning experience:






Teaching on my course
Assessment and feedback
Academic support
Organisation and management
Learning resources
Personal development
Students are also asked to rate their overall satisfaction with the quality of their course
(Question 22), and for the first time in 2012, satisfaction with their students’ union
(association or guild).
3. The SSS is a survey of UG students run by the University. It surveys those students not
covered by the NSS i.e. non-final year students. The questionnaire broadly replicates the
NSS survey, asking students to rate the extent to which they agree or disagree with 29
statements covering seven areas of their learning experience:







Degree content
Teaching on my degree
Assessment and feedback
Academic support
Organisation and management
Learning resources
Personal development
As with the NSS, students are also asked to rate their overall satisfaction with the quality
of their course.
1
Note that the student surveys do not collect information about the other protected characteristics (e.g. gender
reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, and sexual orientation).
1
4. The PTES is an annual UK-wide survey designed to collect feedback from taught
postgraduates (PGT) about their experiences of their programme. The survey asks
students about seven main areas of their experience:







Quality of teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Dissertation
Organisation and management
Learning resources
Skills and personal development
Career and professional development
Students are also asked a set of overall satisfaction questions which ask them to rate the
extent to which their experience met their expectations in relation to six of the areas
above2 and the experience of the course overall.
Method
5. The analysis presented in this paper looks at variations in student satisfaction across the
three surveys by protected characteristics. In relation to the NSS and SSS, the analysis
focuses on the scores (percentage agreed) for the main survey sections and the overall
satisfaction question. For the PTES, the analysis is based on the overall satisfaction
questions only. In the commentary below we identify differences of +/- 5 percentage
points or more across groups of students (e.g. male versus female). A full breakdown of
the results is given in Appendix A.
6. Table 1 below shows how students have been grouped for the analysis. This has been
done to ensure sufficient numbers for meaningful analysis and, where possible,
comparability across the three surveys.
Table 1 Grouping of student characteristic by survey
Student
characteristic
Age3
Gender
Ethnic group
Disability
NSS
SSS
PTES
Young (under 21 years)
Mature (21 years or over)
Male
Female
White
Black
Asian
Other
Not known
Young (under 21 years)
Mature (21 years or over)
Male
Female
White
Black or Black British
Asian or Asian British
Other ethnic background
Mixed
Not given
No known disability
Known disability
25 years or younger
26 years or older
Male
Female
Not collected by survey
No known disability
Known disability
2
Information collected
by the survey but
number of respondents
too small for analysis
(25 with a known
disability).
The overall satisfaction questions do not ask students to rate their dissertation.
The age data for the NSS and SSS refer to age on entry to the University, PTES refers to the student’s age
when surveyed.
3
2
SSS results (non final-year UG students)
Age
7. Figure 1 shows the scores (percentage agreed) for the six main SSS sections and the
overall satisfaction question by age on entry. Young students (under 21 years) reported
lower levels of satisfaction than mature students (21 years or older) in relation to
teaching, assessment and feedback, academic support and personal development.
Figure 1 SSS 2012 Section scores (percentage agreed) by age on entry
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Degree
content
The teaching Assessment
on my degree and feedback
Academic
support
Organisation
and
management
Learning
resources
Personal
development
Overall
satisfaction
Young (under 21 years)
84%
79%
65%
78%
83%
81%
72%
90%
Mature (21 years or older)
88%
86%
75%
83%
81%
78%
79%
93%
Gender
8. Male students reported less positive views than their female counterparts in relation to
teaching: 81% of male students said that they were satisfaction with the teaching on their
degree compared with 89% of female students.
Ethnicity
9. Figure 2 shows the SSS scores by ethnic group. Generally white students reported more
positive views than those from minority ethnic groups. Noteworthy findings include:






Degree content – students from asian, black or mixed ethnic backgrounds reported
lower levels of satisfaction than their white counterparts.
The teaching on my degree - asian and black students reported lower levels of
satisfaction than those from a white or mixed ethnic group.
Academic support – asian and black students reported lower levels of satisfaction
than white students.
Organisation and management – asian students reported the lowest levels of
satisfaction.
Personal development – asian and mixed ethnic background students reported the
lowest levels of satisfaction.
Overall satisfaction – students of a mixed ethnic background reported the lowest
levels of satisfaction.
3
Figure 2 SSS 2012 Section scores (percentage agreed) by ethnic group
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Degree
content
The teaching Assessment
on my degree and feedback
Academic
support
Organisation
and
management
Learning
resources
Personal
development
Overall
satisfaction
White
87%
83%
67%
81%
83%
81%
75%
91%
Asian or Asian British
79%
73%
69%
73%
77%
78%
70%
90%
Black or Black British
77%
70%
67%
69%
85%
79%
73%
87%
Mixed
81%
82%
64%
77%
82%
80%
70%
81%
Disability
10. Figure 3 shows the SSS survey scores by whether the student has a known disability.
Students with a known disability were less satisfied than those without a disability in
relation to organisation and management and learning resources.
Figure 3 SSS 2012 section scores (percentage agreed) by known disability
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Degree
content
The teaching Assessment
on my degree and feedback
Academic
support
Organisation
and
management
Learning
resources
Personal
development
Overall
satisfaction
No known disability
85%
80%
67%
79%
83%
81%
73%
91%
Known disability
85%
83%
63%
77%
76%
76%
74%
87%
4
NSS results (final year UG students)
Age
11. Figure 4 shows the NSS survey scores by age on entry. Young students were less
satisfied with assessment and feedback than mature students, which corresponds to the
pattern among the SSS respondents (see above). At the same time, mature students
were less satisfied than young students with learning resources and the students union.
Figure 4 NSS 2012 Section scores (percentage agreed) by age on entry
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Teaching on Assessment
my course and feedback
Academic
support
Organisation
and
management
Learning
resources
Personal
development
Overall
satisfaction
Students
union
Young (under 21 years)
86%
66%
79%
82%
79%
78%
89%
73%
Mature (21 years or over)
89%
75%
83%
83%
71%
79%
90%
66%
Gender
12. As with the SSS, male students reported less positive views than their female
counterparts, although on different measures: male students were less satisfied with
organisation and management and the students union.
Ethnicity
13. Black students reported lower levels of satisfaction than students from other ethnic
groups on four of the measures: teaching on my course, academic support, overall
satisfaction and the students union. Asian students also reported comparatively low
levels of satisfaction in relation to teaching.
5
Figure 5 NSS 2012 Section scores (percentage agreed) by ethnic group
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Teaching on my Assessment and
course
feedback
Academic
support
Organisation
and
management
Learning
resources
Personal
development
Overall
satisfaction
Students union
White
89%
68%
81%
82%
77%
78%
90%
73%
Black
81%
67%
71%
85%
74%
78%
84%
62%
Asian
82%
72%
80%
82%
79%
77%
89%
73%
Other
87%
70%
82%
82%
76%
81%
92%
69%
Disability
14. As with the SSS results, students with a disability were less satisfied with learning
resources than those with no disability (65% compared with 78%).
6
PTES results (PGT students)
Age
15. Figure 6 shows the PTES results by age. Younger students (25 years or younger) were
less likely than older ones (26 years or older) to feel that their programme had
met/exceeded their expectations in relation to organisation and management.
Figure 6 PTES 2012 Percentage of students who said their programme exceeded or
met their expectations, by age group
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Quality of
learning and
teaching
Assessment
and Feedback
Organisation
and
management
Learning
resources
Skills and
Career and
Overall
personal
professional experience of
development development
my course
25 years or younger
89%
79%
87%
90%
91%
87%
91%
259
26 years or older
87%
81%
80%
88%
88%
85%
88%
451
Number of
respondents
Gender
16. Female PGT students reported less positive views than their male counterparts in
relation to organisation and management and learning resources, the reverse of the
pattern among UG students.
Conclusions
17. The analysis has highlighted equality-related issues arising from the 2012 survey results.
To summarise, the results suggest the following about the UG student population:

Younger students are less satisfied than mature students with teaching, assessment
and feedback, academic support and personal development. At the same time,
mature students are less satisfied with learning resources and the students’ union.

Male students are generally less satisfied than their female counterparts (areas
include teaching, organisation and management and the students union).

Generally students from minority ethnic background are less satisfied than their white
counterparts, although there is less disparity among final year students (NSS
respondents).

Students with a known disability are less satisfied than those without in relation to
two areas - organisation and management and learning resources.
7
Variations among the PGT student population include:

Young students (25 years or less) report less positive views in relation to
organisation and management than older ones (26 years or more).

Female students are less satisfied than their male counterparts on two areas
(organisation and management and learning resources).
To gain a further understanding of the reasons for the variations outlined above, free text
comments made by students (by protected characteristics) can be made available to EADC4.
Christine Woods,
Strategic Planning and Change Section
24th January 2013
4
A breakdown of free text comments by protected characteristics is available for the SSS and PTES only.
8
Appendix A
Table A.1 SSS 2012 section scores (percentage agreed) by student characteristics
Student characteristic
Degree
content
Assessment
and
feedback
%
Academic
support
%
Survey section
Organisation
and
management
%
Learning
resources
Personal
development
Overall
satisfaction
Number of
respondents
%
%
%
n
%
The
teaching on
my degree
%
Age
Young (under 21 years)
Mature (21 years or older)
84
88
79
86
65
75
78
83
83
81
81
78
72
79
90
93
1,821
400
Gender
Male
Female
85
84
81
89
68
66
79
78
84
81
79
82
84
73
90
90
1,265
956
Ethnicity
White
Asian or Asian British
Black or Black British
Mixed
Other ethnic background
Not given
87
79
77
81
93
86
83
73
70
82
84
80
67
69
67
64
70
65
81
73
69
77
78
80
83
77
85
82
83
84
81
78
79
80
81
79
75
70
73
70
68
71
91
90
87
81
90
91
1,325
264
168
68
21
375
Disability
No known disability
Known disability
85
85
80
83
67
63
79
77
83
76
81
76
73
74
91
87
2,018
203
All students
85
80
67
79
82
80
74
90
2,221
9
Table A.2 NSS 2012 section scores (percentage agreed) by student characteristics
Student characteristic
Teaching on
my course
%
Assessment
and
feedback
%
Academic
support
%
Organisation
and
management
%
Age
Young (under 21 years)
Mature (21 years or older)
86
89
66
75
79
83
Gender
Male
Female
86
87
69
68
Ethnicity
White
Asian
Black
Other
Not known
89
81
82
87
85
Disability
No known disability
Known disability
All students
Survey section
Learning
Personal
resources
development
Overall
satisfaction
Students
union
Number of
respondents
n
%
%
%
82
83
79
71
78
79
89
90
73
66
1,093
363
80
80
79
85
73
76
79
78
89
89
68
74
616
840
68
67
72
70
70
81
71
80
82
79
82
85
82
82
86
77
74
79
76
75
78
78
77
81
82
90
84
89
92
89
73
62
73
69
64
934
165
227
74
56
87
88
68
68
80
76
82
82
78
65
78
81
89
93
71
67
1,360
96
87
68
80
82
77
78
89
71
1,456
10
Table A.3 PTES 2012 Percentage of students who said that their programme exceeded or met their expectations, by student
characteristics
Student characteristic
Career and
professional
development
%
Overall
experience
Number of
respondents
%
Skills and
personal
development
%
%
n
87
80
90
88
91
88
87
85
91
88
259
481
81
79
90
80
92
87
91
89
88
84
91
88
200
297
80
84
89
90
86
89
500
Quality of
learning and
teaching
%
Assessment
and
feedback
%
Organisation
and
management
%
Learning
resources
Age
25 years or younger
26 years or older
89
87
79
81
Gender
Male
Female
89
88
All students
88
11