The overlooked cohort? – Improving the taught postgraduate student experience in higher education

Coneyworth, Lisa; Jessop, Rachel; Maden, Pauline; White, Gavin

Abstract

Taught postgraduate students in the UK have a limited timeframe for study, with most full-time courses requiring intense scholarship, typically over a 12-month period. Many of these students face challenges and concerns with the transition from undergraduate to taught postgraduate study as they adapt to a new learning environment with higher academic expectations. In this paper, we discuss the results of a new experience survey, designed to capture a holistic view of taught postgraduate student feedback beyond traditional academic content and to also capture self-reported challenges experienced during their studies. This article also describes the development of a new collaborative support programme in response to student feedback. The programme has been designed to offer a cohesive package of workshop sessions around academic skills, well-being, support and career development. The importance of providing a targeted support framework for this specific and often overlooked cohort within the HE sector is discussed.

Citation

Coneyworth, L., Jessop, R., Maden, P., & White, G. (2020). The overlooked cohort? – Improving the taught postgraduate student experience in higher education. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 57(3), 262-273. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2019.1617184

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 15, 2019
• Online Publication Date: May 15, 2019
• Publication Date: 2020
• Deposit Date: May 20, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 16, 2020
• Journal: Innovations in Education and Teaching International
• Print ISSN: 1470-3297
• Electronic ISSN: 1470-3300
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 57
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 262-273
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2019.1617184
• Keywords: Education
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2068782
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14703297.2019.1617184
• Additional Information: Peer Review Statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope.; Aim & Scope: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=riie20; Published: 2019-05-15