Using the NSS to inform strategic enhancement at
university level
Catherine Rendell Deputy Director of Academic Quality Assurance
Helen Barefoot Deputy Head of the Learning and Teaching Institute
Aim
• To explain how we use our NSS
data, and in particular, our
qualitative data to gain a university-
level overview of NSS messages
• To explain how we use the NSS
messages to drive forward strategic
enhancement
• To consider if Herzberg’s two factor
theory has any relevance when
considering student satisfaction and
dissatisfaction
UHSU involvement
• Improving student
representation
• Working closer on Institution
projects – e.g. graduate
attributes competition
• Improved staff development for
UHSU sabbaticals Incl. 360
degree feedback
University of Hertfordshire: Student Demographics
University of Hertfordshire:
Over 27, 000 students
52% of students are from ethnic minorities
51% of students are
mature
14% of students are
from overseas
25% of students are
part time
6% of students
have a declared disability
University Structure
• Business School
• Creative Arts
• Computer Science
• Education
• Engineering and Technology
• Health and Emergency Professions
• Humanities
• Law
• Life Sciences
• Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work
• Pharmacy
• Physics, Astronomy and Maths
• Post Graduate Medical School
• Psychology
Dissemination of Qualitative Comments
• Student Educational
Experience Committee
• Learning and Teaching
Institute: NSS Forum
• Non academic strategic
business units
Student comments;
‘……That's not to say these people are not experienced or knowledgeable in their fields of expertise, indeed almost all of these lecturers are very intelligent and have sound understanding of their topics, but they simply do not know how to lecture effectively........ ‘
‘The best thing about the course by far is the quality of teaching. Whilst the university may not be the oldest or the most recognised ... the staff go above and beyond in delivery of materials and are always around if you need them. Further, the extra activities that are available …’
‘…teachers frequently offer contradicting advice. Whilst it is understandable that marking can be subjective the suggestions on essays can often be totally opposite to other teachers' advice. …I have truly not spoken to a single student who has found that they know what a 'good' essay is or how to know what their grade will be.’
NSS Forum
Introductions from PVC Student Experience and
Deputy Director Academic Quality
Assurance
Staff and students work in mixed discipline teams
to explore challenges and share examples of
good practice
Staff and students from discipline areas discuss specific challenges and
formulation of NSS action plan
Specific activities
• LTI workshops (e.g. Assessment and Feedback,
group work and group assessment, discipline
areas reviewing how they engage students with
assessment criteria)
• Supporting International teaching staff (HEA,
TDF grant)
• Teams of staff from across the University working
with subject areas receiving NSS scores
consistently below university averages.
• LTI support – working with visiting lecturers to
manage group activities
• Analysis for inclusivity – links to other projects
Learning Resources Centre Activities
• Audit of noise levels
• Increased security
• University level working party on
room allocation and timetabling
• Enhanced support from
Information Hertfordshire staff
for programmes (particularly
during induction and early
weeks)
Impact of qualitative analysis
• Has resulted in the voicing of strong
feelings among staff at the grass roots
• Has been useful in facilitating discussion
• Raised quality of discussion around the
NSS
• How are you using your qualitative
comments at Institutional level?
Method: analysis of qualitative comments
• Total of 3,026 comments were
analysed and coded to identify 2,373
positive citations and 2,101 negative
citations;
• Categories/coding were obtained by
reading 150 comments each and then
agreeing themes
• Over two years we have compared the
top eight and bottom eight scoring
subject areas (Department IDs)
Themes
Themes
Learning Resources Centre
StudyNet (VLE) Resources
Subject Specific Environment
Programme Organisation
Timetabling
Support of Staff
Teaching Activity
Assessment: Feedback
Assessment: Fairness/method
Value for Money
Extra curricular (subject related)
Careers: Placement
Careers: Employability
Careers: Personal development
General University positivity
Themed qualitative comments
25%
21%
9%
8%
7%
7%
6%
5%
4%
2% 2%
1%
1% 1%
1%
Positive Comments (All Programmes) Teaching activity
Support of Staff
Programme Organisation
LRC (Environment/Resources)
Careers: Employability
University Positivity (incl parking/accomm/social)
Careers: Personal Development
Careers: Placement
Subject Specific Learning Environment (incl subject specific resource issues)
Studynet Resources
Extra Curricular (subject related)
Assessment: Feedback
Assessment: Method/Fairness
Timetabling/Cancellations
Value for money: Staff input
Themed qualitative comments
16%
12%
18%
9% 2%
4% 0%
3%
5% 2%
1%
7%
11%
7% 3%
Negative Comments (All Programmes) Teaching activity
Support of Staff
Programme Organisation
LRC (Environment/Resources)
Careers: Employability
University Positivity (incl parking/accomm/social)
Careers: Personal Development
Careers: Placement
Subject Specific Learning Environment (incl subject specific resource issues)
Studynet Resources
Extra Curricular (subject related)
Assessment: Feedback
Assessment: Method/Fairness
Timetabling/Cancellations
Value for money: Staff input
Herzberg Two Factor Theory
• Suggests that satisfaction and
dissatisfaction at work nearly always
arose from different factors: Motivation
and Hygiene Factors
• The idea has been applied to student
surveys by e.g. DeShields, Kara and
Kaynak (2005), Danielson (1998),
Beelick (1973)
Herzberg Theory
Positive comments from top eight scoring courses
24%
21%
12%
8%
8%
6%
4%
4%
3%
3%
2% 2%
2% 1%
0% Teaching Activity
Support of Staff
Programme Organisation
Careers: Employability
Careers: Personal Development
General University Positivity
Extra Curricular (Subject Specific)
LRC
Subject Specific Environment
Assessment: Fairness/Method
Studynet Resources
Timetabling/Cancellation
Assessment: Feedback
Careers: Placement
Value for Money
Negative comments from bottom eight scoring courses
18%
18%
17% 8%
7%
6%
6%
5%
5%
4%
2% 2% 2%
0% 0%
Programme Organisation
Support of Staff
Teaching Activity
Assessment: Fairness/Method
Assessment: Feedback
Timetabling/Cancellation
LRC
Subject Specific Environment
Value for money
Careers: Placement
Studynet Resources
General University Positivity
Careers: Employability
Extra Curricular (Subject Specific)
Careers: Personal Development
Herzberg Theory
What are the motivating and hygiene factors for students?
Motivation and hygiene factors for students
• Learning Resources
• Studynet Resources
• Subject specific environment
• Programme Organisation
• Timetabling
• Support of Staff
• Teaching activity
• Assessment: feedback
• Assessment: Fairness/method
• Value for money
• Extra curricular (subject related)
• Careers: placement
• Careers: Employability
• Careers: personal development
• General University positivity
Hygiene Factors Motivation Factors
Hygiene and Motivation Analysis
Comments from top scoring courses
Comments from bottom scoring
courses
Hygiene positive 155 110
Hygiene negative 179 160
Motivator positive 320 157
Motivator negative 104 124
Totals 758 551
Relation to findings of Douglas et al (2006) and Fielding et al (2010).
The tutors and the modules have been stimulating and interesting and I have achieved something I never thought I would
Some lecturers are not enthusiastic … they make the subject boring or do not seem to care about what we learn
The timetable problems
Great access to a lot of useful information via library and websites
References
• Beelick, D.B. (1973) Sources of student satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Journal of
Educational Research, 67(1), 19-23
• Danielson, C. (1998) Is satisfying college students the same as decreasing their
dissatisfaction? Association for Institutional Research Forum Papers. Minneapolis,
Minnesota.
• DeShields, O.W., Kara, A., and Kaynak, E. (2005) Determinant of business student
satisfaction and retention in higher education: applying Herzberg’s two-factor theory.
International Journal of Educational Management, 19(2), 128-139
• Douglas, J., Douglas, A., and Barnes, B. (2006) Measuring student satisfaction at a
UK University. Quality Assurance in Education, 14(3), 251-267
• Fielding, A., Dunleavy, P.J. and Langan, A.M. (2010) Interpreting context to the UK’s
National Student (Satisfaction) Survey data for science subjects. Journal of Further
and Higher Education, 34(3), 347-368
• Herzberg, F., Mausner, B., and Snyderman, B.B. (1959) The motivation to work.
John Wiley & Sons; New York.
Thank you
• Any questions?
Discussion questions:
• Is Herzberg’s two factor theory
helpful in thinking about student
satisfaction and dissatisfaction?
• Is there enough emphasis on
percentage dissatisfaction?
• Would it be beneficial for the NSS
to provide more opportunities for
open comments?