1. Julie Osborn, Pauline Kneale, Rebecca Turner, Alison Bacon
What Do Student Psychological Contracts Tell Us About the Student Experience?
Julie Osborn, Pauline Kneale, Rebecca Turner, Alison Bacon

2. Overview Psychological contracts Student experience
Findings from a longitudinal, qualitative study
What the student psychological contract tells us about working with students.

3. Psychological Contracts
50 Year history yet concept remains theoretically under developed (Conway & Briner, 2005)
Used to explores the relationship between employees and the organisation
Lack of agreed definitions
“Individual beliefs, shaped by an organization, regarding the terms of an exchange agreement between the individual and their organisation” (Rousseau, 1995 p. 9).
Useful concept to explore the ‘new’ relationship between students and HEIs.

4. Current Study
Qualitative, longitudinal, data collection started in 2012 (Higher fees and student charters introduced)
Staff interviews – n=
Six focus groups – 32 students 2012
Interviews – 2013, (11 out of 32 students stayed throughout)
Constructivist grounded theory using psychological contracts as a sensitizing concept

5. Student Psychological Contracts
Awareness
Behavioural & cognitive manifestations kl
External Influences e.g.
Publicity
Websites
Social media
Peers
Engagement
Exchange
Transactional & relational
Affective state
Resilience & Self efficacy
Fluid boundaries
Idealised identity
Expectations
Key expectations:
Contact time employability
books
Gauges and comparators

6. Students say
“If he’s [lecturer] going to a conference I wouldn’t expect him to be in a 5-star hotel with first class flights because that’s not necessary. Fair enough if he goes economy, stays in a standard class hotel and brings something back to the table then in a way that’s justified.” Focus Group A (T2).
“You get let down by not having the opportunities you thought you would. The more times you go and sit in a workshop and no one comes to talk to you because they’re too busy helping someone else or because they weren’t in that day.” Student P10 (T2).
“I do wonder where the £9,000 goes. I know it pays towards lectures and resources but how this uses the money, I don’t understand that.” Focus Group C (T2).

7. Students Say
Value for money “It annoyed me when a member of staff went on a recruitment thing, which I think was just a conference, but it was in another country! It meant that he wasn’t here for a week and we didn’t get a replacement lecturer. I was like come on mate – I’m paying 9K for you to be here and teach me!” Focus Group D (T2). “I thought there’d be more lectures. There’s only two terms of lectures which I think is a little bit rubbish considering that we’re paying loads of money.” Student P3 (T3).

8. Findings The student psychological contract Expectations
Expecting something but not sure what
Exchange
Process is bi-directional
Engagement
Disappointment avoided by using internal coping strategies and external influencing strategies

9. Messages The student psychological contract
Novel and useful concept – compare to the National Student Survey
Provides practical applications – students expectations ambiguous therefore misunderstandings will arise
Offers a conceptualisation of the student experience as being dynamic and situation specific
Offer interpretation of the relationship between students and HEIs.

10. Working with students
All contracts are psychological and subject to individual interpretation.
Information and the way it is presented important
Misunderstandings will arise
Exchange and engagement provide opportunities to shape and reform the psychological contract

11. Question Time
Further info

12. References
Conway, N., & Briner, R. B. (2005). Understanding psychological contracts at work: A critical evaluation of theory and research: Oxford University Press Oxford. Kandiko, C., & Mawer, M. (2013). Student expectations and perceptions of higher education. London: King’s Learning Institute. Koskina, A. (2011). What does the student psychological contract mean? Evidence from a UK business school. Studies in Higher Education, doi: / Rousseau, D. (1995). Psychological contracts in organizations: Understanding written and unwritten agreements: Sage Publications.