ABSTRACT

Recognising the changing landscape and financial costs, changes in the higher education sector continue to challenge the purpose and operations of universities, notably the shift towards student consumerism. Given this, what it means to be a student in contemporary higher education can evolve and would arguably have implications about the expectations of university students and staff for learning and teaching practice. To promote greater transparency of expectations, this paper develops the concept of the ideal student further with closer look into the spheres of influence that shape university students’ construction of the ideal student. We draw on 23 focus groups with 105 university students to explore the key factors that contribute to how the ideal student is developed and recognised. Our findings indicate that students’ construction of the ideal student is closely shaped by and rooted in their prior educational experiences, interaction with their peers and the curriculum, and perceptions of lecturers, institution and employer expectations. All these influences lead to a fluid and complex negotiation process as students navigate the meanings of being a university student. We conclude with practical implications for learning, teaching and curriculum development in higher education. The paper therefore provides a platform for key stakeholders to discuss different influencing factors as we support student transition and progression and manage their expectations of higher education.

摘要

认识到不断变化的格局和财务成本，高等教育部门的变化继续挑战大学的宗旨和运作，尤其是向学生消费主义的转变。鉴于此，当代高等教育中的学生意味着什么可以发展，并且可以说会对大学生和教职员工对学习和教学实践的期望产生影响。为了提高期望的透明度，本文进一步发展了理想学生的概念，并深入研究了影响大学生理想学生建设的影响范围。我们利用 105 名大学生的 23 个焦点小组来探索有助于培养和认可理想学生的关键因素。我们的研究结果表明，学生对理想学生的构建受他们先前的教育经历、与同龄人和课程的互动以及对讲师、机构和雇主期望的看法密切影响并植根于其中。所有这些影响都会导致学生在理解大学生的意义时进行流畅而复杂的谈判过程。我们总结了对高等教育学习、教学和课程开发的实际意义。因此，本文为主要利益相关者提供了一个讨论不同影响因素的平台，因为我们支持学生过渡和进步并管理他们对高等教育的期望。以及对讲师、机构和雇主期望的看法。所有这些影响都会导致学生在理解大学生的意义时进行流畅而复杂的谈判过程。我们总结了对高等教育学习、教学和课程开发的实际意义。因此，本文为主要利益相关者提供了一个讨论不同影响因素的平台，因为我们支持学生的过渡和进步并管理他们对高等教育的期望。以及对讲师、机构和雇主期望的看法。所有这些影响都会导致学生在理解大学生的意义时进行流畅而复杂的谈判过程。我们总结了对高等教育学习、教学和课程开发的实际意义。因此，本文为主要利益相关者提供了一个讨论不同影响因素的平台，因为我们支持学生的过渡和进步并管理他们对高等教育的期望。