Exploring Personal Academic Tutoring (Academic Advising)

Only those students who have received an email inviting them to participate in this research from their personal academic tutor or academic advisor can participate.

The Project

Students in universities across the UK usually have a Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) or an Academic Advisor (AA) to provide them with the help, support, and guidance needed to excel in their studies and future career. However, anecdotally engagement with PAT/AA can vary.

This research aims to understand the factors influencing students’ engagement with their PAT or AA and the barriers preventing it. The research will explore the students’ perceptions regarding their academic tutor or advisor and how their PAT or AA could contribute to their success.

The data collected will help identify recommendations to improve existing models of advising/tutoring. It will also open a discussion among participating institutions about ways to improve student engagement with their PAT or AA.

The project is open by invitation only. The participating institutions will identify students with lower-than-average engagement with their personal tutor or advisor and invite them to participate.

Participating Institutions

The University of Birmingham, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Leicester, and Sheffield Hallam University are participating in this research to explore students’ relationships with their PAT or AA.

The Research

The research will be facilitated by Listening Rooms, an initiative of Sheffield Hallam University. It will collect, store, and analyse the data. Listening Rooms uses a friendship approach – a recorded conversation between two friends on a particular topic. No researcher will be present during the conversation, and participants are provided with six themes for discussion. The themes serve as prompts to encourage participants to stay on the topic.

The conversation is transcribed and anonymised. It is then analysed through Round Table Analysis. The findings and recommendations will be sent to the respective participating institution to bring the necessary change to their existing system.

Each participant will receive £20 voucher for their participation in this project.

Steps for Participating