1. QUALITIES HONOURS STUDENTS LOOK FOR − REVISITED
Johan Offringa Marca Wolfensberger
QUALITIES HONOURS STUDENTS LOOK FOR − REVISITED
Qualities honours students look for – revisited 1

2. Qualities honours students look for - revisited
Wolfensberger (2004)
Based on pilot study data obtained in :
“There are differences between honours and non-honours students in the value they place on specific qualities of teachers, fellow-students, and courses. A learning context that is supportive of relatedness, autonomy and competence seems to fit honours students well.” (JNCHC 5(2), p.64)
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3. Qualities honours students look for - revisited
Since 2004
Changes: new programmes, more honours students
Questions administered repeatedly
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4. Qualities honours students look for - revisited
Research questions
Do honours versus non-honours students look for different qualities in
teachers, and
courses?
Are possible differences constant over time and consistent across (types of) universities?
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5. Qualities honours students look for - revisited
Method
1451 bachelor students surveyed in The Netherlands
Utrecht University
University of Amsterdam
Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen
Between 2003 and 2011
About themselves, fellows, lecturers and courses
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6. Qualities honours students look for - revisited
Example items
5 qualities were part of all 3 data collections:
That teachers are demanding
That they challenge me
That they inspire me
That study tasks are clearly structured/explained
That they have clear criteria for what they want from me
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7. Qualities honours students look for - revisited
Results: teachers
Consistent over the years, honours students find it more important than non-honours students that teachers have high expectations of them (E.S. around 0.5)
Honours students want to be challenged and inspired more than non-honours students (E.S.’s resp. 0.5 & 0.3)
Non-honours students have a stronger preference for clarity regarding study tasks, criteria
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8. Qualities honours students look for - revisited
Results: teachers
Table 1. Mean scores of honours versus non-honours students on ‘that they [teachers] are demanding’ (1 = very important, 5 = totally unimportant).
Honours
2.4
2.3
Non-Honours
2.8
2.6
Table 2. Mean scores of honours versus non-honours students on ‘that teachers challenge me’ (1 = very important, 5 = totally unimportant).
Honours
1.6
2.1
1.8
Non-Honours
2.0
2.6
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9. Qualities honours students look for - revisited
Results: courses
On average, honours students find it much less important than non-honours students that courses are useful for their profession or career (E.S. = 0.7; not in 2011)
Honours students put more emphasis on courses raising questions they never thought of before, or bringing new ideas to mind than non-honours (E.S. around 0.5)
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10. Results: constant & consistent?
Qualities honours students look for - revisited
Results: constant & consistent?
All 5 differences visible in all 3 data collections!
So:
throughout the years
in different educational contexts (type of honours programme, type of university)
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11. Conclusions & discussion
Qualities honours students look for - revisited
Conclusions & discussion
This study indicates differences between honours and non-honours students in the value that they place on specific qualities of teachers and courses.
A learning context that is supportive of relatedness, provides freedom, and encourages academic competence seems to fit honours students well.
Who is honours student (admission criteria)?
Social desirability (self-report)?
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12. Qualities honours students look for - revisited
Future directions (1/2)
Changes in academic programming?
A mentoring relationship with faculty members
Since honours students appreciate freedom, courses designed to suit their personal interests are advisable
Demanding teachers and challenging courses that enlarge their competence without promoting competition (since external outcomes seem to be irrelevant to them)
Future research: join forces?
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13. Qualities honours students look for - revisited
Future directions (2/2)
Future research: join forces?
We hope to see similar research on students participating in honours programmes in the United States and other countries so that we can join forces in designing honours programmes that engender commitment, effort, wisdom, creativity, and high-quality performance. Such programmes can have strong spin-off effects on the regular curriculum and on the whole institution, ultimately allowing us to send off graduates who are willing and able to make a meaningful difference in the world.
See Wolfensberger (2004), Wolfensberger & Offringa (2013)
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14. Qualities honours students look for - revisited
Thank you for your attention!
Research Centre Talent Development in Higher Education and Society
Titel presentatie aanpassen 14

15. Appendix: sample details
Qualities honours students look for - revisited
Appendix: sample details
Table 3. Number of Respondents by University, Type of Programme and Survey Period.
University
H(onours) or N(on-Honours)
Type of Honours Programme
(pilot)
University of Amsterdam H
Interdisciplinary 45 84 - N 85
Utrecht University
Disciplinary* 12 37
Disciplinary, Multidisciplinary
187
128
326
205
Hanze UAS Groningen
Combination of disciplinary and interdisciplinary
152
179
Total N
270
447
734**
* Human Geography and Planning;
** Includes 11 students whose university, participation in an honours programme, or both are unclear.
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