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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON FACULTY OF SOCIAL HUMAN AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES The impact of the National Student Survey on institutional behaviour in relation to student feedback by Caroline Carpenter Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Education June 2016 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON ABSTRACT FACULTY OF SOCIAL HUMAN AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES Education Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Education THE IMPACT OF THE NATIONAL STUDENT SURVEY ON INSTITUTIONAL BEHAVIOUR IN RELATION TO STUDENT FEEDBACK Caroline Sheila Carpenter This thesis examines the impact of the National Student Survey (NSS) on institutional behaviour, from policy inception and stated purpose, through adoption and implementation, to its seeming predominance at sector and institutional levels. The research is based on an in-depth longitudinal case study of a single institution, ‘Greenfields University’. It comprises two elements: an extensive review of university committee documents at four points over a thirteen year period and a contrasting, qualitative analysis derived from individual interviews. The latter constitute slices through the organisational structure, from top to bottom, central to local, augmented by conversations with two recent Students’ Union presidents. This thesis identifies and explores the paradox that whilst the NSS was initially met with suspicion, scepticism and methodological critique, followed by continuing hostile expert and press commentary, it became the preferred and all pervasive means of securing and acting upon student feedback, both for government and the higher education sector that initially resisted it. By comparing official documentary narratives with individual experience within one institution, this thesis is able to offer empirical evidence that partly confirms but also contradicts assertions made by some commentators concerning NSS implementation, notably around managerialism. It contrasts gains made in institutional overview, data consistency, profile of the student voice, coordination, resource allocation, quality enhancement and general effectiveness with a potential for risk aversion. It notes pressures at institutional level to adopt ‘gaming’ tactics and in the case of Greenfields, alien management performance techniques, in order to raise scores in pursuit of league table i position. It notes that the widely held belief that NSS matters to student recruitment lacks corroborative evidence in terms of what is known about student choice. It concludes with a discussion of the implications for higher education practice and policy as the NSS looks set to extend its sway, not least through the new Teaching Excellence Framework. ii Table of Contents Table of Contents iii List of Figures vii DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP .................................................................................. viii Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................ix Abbreviations ........................................................................................................ x Introduction – the national context .................................................. 13 1.1 The development of the higher education sector: expansion and diversification 13 1.2 The size and shape of the sector ........................................................................... 14 1.3 The size and diversification of the student population ......................................... 15 1.4 Chapter conclusions ............................................................................................... 17 Literature review .............................................................................. 19 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 19 2.2 Origins and development of the survey ................................................................ 19 2.3 Development of the NSS survey instrument ......................................................... 21 2.4 Response to the first NSS ....................................................................................... 23 2.5 Discussion on the nature, validity and use of the NSS .......................................... 24 2.6 NSS as part of published information on higher education – national policy developments ........................................................................................................ 26 2.7 How is it used? ....................................................................................................... 29 2.7.1 As part of the national quality framework .............................................. 29 2.7.2 Use by universities ................................................................................... 30 2.7.3 Use by organisations/bodies external to universities ............................. 36 2.8 With what consequences? ..................................................................................... 38 2.9 Future development of the NSS ............................................................................ 39 2.10 Chapter Conclusions .............................................................................................. 41 Methodology.................................................................................... 43 3.1 Introduction – the research purpose ..................................................................... 43 iii 3.2 Research design and methodology ........................................................................ 43 3.2.1 The case study institution ........................................................................ 44 3.2.2 The insider researcher ............................................................................. 44 3.2.3 Data collection – a two stage approach .................................................. 46 3.2.4 Recording and analysing the data ........................................................... 52 3.3 Chapter conclusions ............................................................................................... 54 Documentary analysis ...................................................................... 57 4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 57 4.2 2000-01 58 4.2.1 Institutional and quality contexts ............................................................ 58 4.2.2 Summary of the review of 2000-01 papers ............................................. 60 4.3 2005-6 62 4.3.1 Institutional and quality contexts ............................................................ 62 4.3.2 Committee discussion .............................................................................. 62 4.3.3 Summary of the review of 2005-06 papers ............................................. 65 4.4 2008-09 66 4.4.1 Institutional and quality contexts ............................................................ 66 4.4.2 Committee discussion .............................................................................. 66 4.4.3 Summary of the review of 2008-09 papers ............................................. 71 4.5 2012-13 72 4.5.1 Institutional and quality contexts ............................................................ 72 4.5.2 Committee discussion .............................................................................. 73 4.5.3 Summary of the review of 2012-13 papers ............................................. 78 4.6 Chapter conclusions ............................................................................................... 79 Interviews ........................................................................................ 83 5.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 83 5.2 The growing importance of the NSS ...................................................................... 83 5.3 Impact within the university: internal reasons for the importance of the NSS – improving the student experience......................................................................... 84 iv 5.3.1 Making the views of students at course level visible .............................. 84 5.3.2 Internal use of the data ........................................................................... 84 5.3.3 Externally available data .......................................................................... 88 5.3.4 The course leaders’ perspective .............................................................. 90 5.3.5 A management tool? ............................................................................... 93 5.3.6 The student perspective .......................................................................... 96 5.3.7 Collecting and using student feedback .................................................... 99 5.3.8 The NSS as a means of collecting student feedback ............................. 101 5.3.9 Increasing consumer-like behaviour by students? ................................ 104 5.4 Experience vs the committee papers – a reflection of reality? ........................... 105 5.5 Chapter conclusions ............................................................................................. 107 Discussion .......................................................................................109 6.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 109 6.2 Originality of the research

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