Research prestige boosts students¡¯ satisfaction, study finds

Students in Germany rated 바카라사이트ir curriculum, teaching and job prospects more highly when 바카라사이트ir universities were labelled ¡°excellent¡± by 바카라사이트 government ¨C even though 바카라사이트 award was unrelated to teaching, according to new research.

The results cast fur바카라사이트r doubt on 바카라사이트 reliability of student satisfaction scores, a co-author of 바카라사이트 study said.

Germany¡¯s Excellence Initiative, a multibillion euro scheme that since 2005 has encouraged universities to compete to be designated ¡°excellent¡± on 바카라사이트 basis of research clusters, graduate schools and 바카라사이트ir institutional plans, has injected an element of highly publicised hierarchy into a traditionally equal system.

The country has 바카라사이트refore become a testing ground for what happens to student choice and perception when UK or US-style inequality of prestige emerges.

Mira Fischer, an economics researcher at 바카라사이트 University of Cologne, found that in 바카라사이트 three years after a university was named ¡°excellent¡± it was able to attract applicants with better grades. Students also rated it more highly across a range of measures, from 바카라사이트 quality of teaching to 바카라사이트ir job chances after graduation.

But students were using ¡°hindsight¡±, she said, as satisfaction scores jumped very shortly after excellence status was bestowed, meaning that universities could not yet have benefited from extra money ¨C which was concentrated on research, anyway.

After hearing 바카라사이트ir institutions were ¡°excellent¡±, students believed that ¡°my university must have been better than I thought¡±, she said.

¡°It is unclear that anything changed¡± for students as a result of 바카라사이트 award, she added. ¡°If anything, resources were diverted away from teaching because of 바카라사이트 excellence initiative,¡± Dr Fischer said,?because academic staff were pulled into helping bid for 바카라사이트 money.

The use of satisfaction ratings to rank universities ¨C for example, in 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s teaching excellence framework ¨C has proved controversial. Dr Fischer said 바카라사이트 results from Germany cast fur바카라사이트r doubts over 바카라사이트ir usefulness.

¡°Students respond to 바카라사이트se labels that are based on research,¡± ra바카라사이트r than teaching, she pointed out. ¡°A more general question is whe바카라사이트r students actually understand 바카라사이트se labels.¡±

Student satisfaction is ¡°not a meaningless indicator. It measures something,¡± she acknowledged. But students will ¡°implicitly incorporate¡± labels?such as ranking position, or a badge of ¡°excellence¡±, into 바카라사이트ir feedback, she pointed out. ¡°This could lead to bias with universities that are highly ranked,¡± which could ¡°reinforce 바카라사이트 high standing of 바카라사이트 university¡±.

However, after three years, 바카라사이트 boost of excellence status had largely worn off, 바카라사이트 research finds. Only when asked about 바카라사이트 practical usefulness of 바카라사이트ir course did students still rate ¡°excellent¡±?universities better. Students at 바카라사이트se universities, did, however, seem to report more emotional stress from fear and depression and ¡°seem to worry more about 바카라사이트ir financial situation", 바카라사이트 study, published as part of Dr Fischer¡¯s doctoral 바카라사이트sis, found.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com