Authors

• Mäkinen, Jarkko (University of Turku. Department of Education)
• Mäkinen, Mirka (University of Turku. Department of Education)

Keywords

education, expectation, family influence, fields of study, higher education institutions, satisfaction, student behaviour, students, teaching methods, tertiary education, tutoring, university courses

Abstract

A follow-up study of students at the University of Turku. Participating students had started their studies in the autumn of 1998 and the surveys were conducted in 1999, 2000 and 2001. The composite data were part of a research project called Growing Demands of Skills and Knowledge - Learning and Development of Expertise in the Information Society, which in itself was a subproject of the Information Research Programme. The research programme was funded by the Academy of Finland. The surveys contain both one-off questions and annually repeated questions. In each survey, respondents evaluated their study strategies, the quality and nature of teaching in their course/major subject/department and their plans for the future.

In the 2000 survey, the students evaluated their study success, study strategies and time management. Several questions pertained to preparing for exams. Feelings in socially demanding situations involving groups (e.g. seminars) were charted. Study aims and the extent of guidance received were investigated. Other questions covered the respondents' childhood home, occupation and education of their parents, reading and cultural participation of the family, parental attitudes to university studies, respondents' ICT skills when entering the university and current leisure habits. The respondents evaluated the level of their own expertise in their field of study.

In 2001, the respondents were asked whether they worked during terms and whether they had under-age children. They were also asked whether their idea of their future professional field had changed during studies and whether the field was suitable for them. Different aspects of the learning environment in their course/major subject were studied (e.g. teaching methods, work load, degree of abstractness, feedback, quality of teaching). Experiences of guidance from student counsellors, teachers or fellow students were charted. Other questions covered study strategies, workload, study goals, exam preparations and feelings caused by studies. Future plans were studied by asking whether the respondents aimed to continue studying the same subject. Respondents rated the importance of different characteristics, skills and knowledge (e.g. human, language or literary skills, innovativeness, ability to solve problems) for experts in their field.

Background variables included, among others, the respondent's gender, year of birth, faculty, major subject/course and previous degrees.