Getting them thinking : the role of the student questionnaire in promoting academic and social integration

This paper reports on the development and administration of a questionnaire whose purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching/learning by examining students’ perceptions of learning. The questionnaire was administered to adult pre-university students. Eighteen mature age students completed nine open-ended questions about how they, other students and the lecturer influence their learning. Participants identified the support and encouragement from other students and the lecturer, and planning, preparation and organisation as key factors influencing their progress. These findings are in line with Tinto’s (1993) argument that what happens in the classroom impacts both social and academic integration. The findings also confirm the assumption of needs theories that basic psychological needs such as the need for belonging and self-worth must be met before engagement and learning can take place.