1. ‘Student perceptions of their autonomy at University’ and other autonomy studies
Dominic Henri
Lesley Morrell & Graham Scott
@DominicCHenri

2. What is ‘learner autonomy’?
Four main components:
Self-efficacy
Internal locus of control
Depth of learning approach
Key learning outcome & employability characteristic (CBI, 2009).
Self-regulation
CBI (2009) Future Fit 2

3. Looking for evidence using ‘big data’
Collected 1018 ALS self-appraisals
up to 3 replicates per individual
across 3 consecutive semesters
Looked for effects of maturity, gender and level of study using lme4 package.
Model simplification used log-likelihood ratio comparisons
Bates (2010) lme4: Mixed-effects modeling with R | 29th Jan 2016 | 3

4. Do we enhance student autonomy?
Staff perceptions are mixed:
Fixed trait
Prior studies have also found improvements in some components of autonomy
Exhibited by certain groups
Students self-regulation improves
Thomas et al (2015) Higher Education Academy Scott et al. (2013) Studies in Higher Education, 40(6)

5. Do we enhance student autonomy?
Our analyses show no differences in average ALS score for each year group (F558,561=1.34;P=0.26).
Pre-cert
3rd year UG
Henri et al (2017) Higher Educatio| 5

6. Do we enhance student autonomy?
Reaction norms for individual students with repeat data. Individuals to not improve scores across years (X24=2.52, P=0.64), there was no interaction with level of study (X23=2.38, P=0.5).
Henri et al. (In Review) Higher Education 6

7. Validation of the ALS
Students with low ALS scores exhibit worse attitudes towards self- regulation and have less personal responsibility for learning:
“It would have been an improvement if we had been pushed to start writing earlier.”
They also tend to approach work more superficially than high ALS score students:
“Or to have the 2000 word but to again have a draft because it was totally different task”
DISCLAIMER: Results are from interviews with 7 final year students, more data forthcoming.

8. Validation of the ALS
Low autonomy students are more likely to hand-in formative work unfinished
“Yea, I remember it all being a bit of a flap at the end and everyone being 'it's done let’s get it in'.”
While higher ALS scores are associated with a higher perception of their value:
“I think it was the right attitude to treat it as a proper assignment because it is a proper assignment.”

9. Validation of the ALS
This difference describes and underlying difference in learner approach.
Low ALS score students are fixated on marks
“I had a literature review that was separate to the final manuscript and that got a draft mark, which obviously improved my final mark”
High ALS score students recognise opportunities to develop personally
“It helped me understand where I had gone wrong so I could actually change and then use that again for good form.”

10. Moving Goal-Post Model (Red Queen Effect)
“Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.” Carroll (1917)
Self-perception is determined by external factors (e.g. work- load).
As difficulty of work is increasing students may perceive themselves as not being any better.
Henri, D.C., Morrell, L.J., & Scott, G.W. (2017) Student perceptions of their autonomy at University. Higher Education
Carroll, L., Through the looking glass: And what Alice found there | 29th Jan 2016 | 10

11. Developing student autonomy
Autonomy may be idiosyncratic.
Or respond to short-scale events that impact students individually.
Good examples could be:
recent positive/negative feedback
completing a work/field placement
changes in personal circumstance
Residential fieldwork gives an environment isolated from many other problems, allowing students to zero in on their progress.
ALS score for students before and after undertaking a residential fieldtrip (X21=4.98, P< 0.03)
1. Qenani (2014) Active Learning in Higher Education 15(3) ; 2. Bandura (2012) Journal of Management 38(1)9-44 | 29th Jan 2016 | 11

12. Independence & student motivation in fieldwork
Independent Observation
Independent Participation/Investigation
Tutor-led Observation
Tutor-Guided Participation/Investigation
G test – G = 13.94, d.f. 2, p = if % used
G test – G = 8.868, d.f. 2, p = if number used
G = 8.868, 2 d.f., p = 0.012

13. Developing student autonomy
Developed by? – Opportunities to take responsibility
Hindered by:
Difficulty
Low self-efficacy
“a restriction of choice is helpful and this is linked to a lack of prior knowledge about which topics might be fruitful for exploration.”
Harmer & Stokes (2016)
Henri, D.C., Morrell, L.J., & Scott, G.W. (2017) Student perceptions of their autonomy at University. Higher Education
Students who feel in over their head are less likely to act independently when provided with an opportunity. Students must feel confident in their ability to complete the task by themselves.

14. Conclusions and future work
Further studies will focus on individuals through time: field studies, student-led modules, and student research projects.
We would welcome discussion on how to measure ‘actual’ over ‘perceived’ autonomy towards identifying ‘red queen effect’.
We need to increase student-led provision to improve independence, and focus on providing both staff and the student opportunities to perceive progress.
Reduce focus on grades and allow students to learn from mistakes!
Such as current biology
Scott et al. (2013) Studies in Higher Education, 40(6) 1-12 | 29th Jan 2016 | 14