Factors Affecting Students’ Experiences and Satisfaction about Teaching Quality in Engineering

Abstract Students’ experiences of their learning and the teaching in the subjects they are studying are one of the more ubiquitous sources of information about the quality of teaching for institutions and individual academics. The results are used in the design of new courses and degree programs, as evidence for promotions and awards, and for various policy decisions. The study described in this paper used 45,467 responses from engineering students to a standardised student feedback questionnaire over 7 years, to explore factors associated with variation in students’ learning experiences, including their experience of the quality of their teaching and their overall satisfaction with their subjects. Of the factors considered, year of study, class size and coordinators’ professional development were significantly related with student satisfaction and learning experiences. Engineering sub-discipline, coordinators’ research activity, nature of employment and gender did not show any significant relations.

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