IRU Infor mation Report

Institutional Research Unit

Postgraduates Rate the ir Expe rie nce a t AUT

Postgraduate Research Student Experience Survey 2004 May 2005

This report presents a summary of the findings from the 2004 AUT Postgraduate Research Student Experience Survey. It
examines overall student satisfaction with respect to various aspects related to postgraduate study (i.e. supervision,
programme organisation, research culture, research skills development, resources and facilities, support services, and the
overall research experience) and details specific areas that students rated positively and negatively. Questionnaires were sent to
248 postgraduate thesis students; 104 students responded, representing a response rate of 42%. This is the seventh survey in
this annual series of postgraduate student surveying at AUT.

Profile of Thesis Students: 2000 – 2004 Figure 2. % Satisfaction with postgraduate research experience
by gender (male & female)
The number of postgraduate thesis students studying at AUT
has increased from 104 students in 2000 to 326 in 2004. There 100

continues to be a yearly increase in Masters students (2003 = 90 Female

Male
147; 2004=166). The number of doctoral students also 80

continues to increase steadily from 114 in 2003 to 146 in 2004

70

percent (%)
60
(see figure 1). 50
40
Figure 1. Thesis students enrolled at AUT: 2000 to 2004
30
20
350
10
Masters (thesis)
300 0
Doctorate
Organisation

Supervision

Services
culture at

Standard
Research

Research

Research
Resources &
number of students

Programme

Student
Experience
Research
Facilities
250

Skills
AUT
200

150
100
50
0 research experience (52% satisfied, 26% dissatisfied and
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
year
In 2003, slightly more postgraduate students were studying full-
time (51%) than part-time (49%). Most students were domestic
(93%) with only a small group of international students (7%).
Overall Satisfaction with AUT in 2004
The postgraduate questionnaire concentrated on eight areas of
the postgraduate research experience, programme organisation,
resources and facilities, supervision, research culture, research
experience, research skills development, standard of research
and support services. Respondents rated the majority of
questionnaire items as ‘very important’, which indicates that the
questionnaire tapped into issues that postgraduate students
considered to be relevant to them.
§ The majority of respondents were very satisfied with the
quality of supervision received (87% satisfied, 9%
dissatisfied, 4% neutral) and felt that they had developed
their research skills while undertaking postgraduate
research (81% satisfied, 7% dissatisfied, 12% neutral,).
§ Students were, on the whole, satisfied with the standard
of their research (78% satisfied, 7% dissatisfied, 15%
neutral), programme organisation (74% satisfied, 14%
dissatisfied, 12% neutral) and the quality of resources &
facilities (73% satisfied, 12% dissatisfied, 15% neutral)
§ Postgraduate thesis students indicated they were not quite
as satisfied with research culture (60% satisfied 16%
dissatisfied, 24% neutral) and their overall research
experience at AUT (64% satisfied, 13% dissatisfied, 23%
neutral) at AUT.
§ Males were less satisfied with all ‘overall’ items than were
females (see figure 2).
§ 52% of Arts students were satisfied with their overall
19% neutral) postgraduate student support services (57%
satisfied, 24% neutral and 24% dissatisfied) and
programme organisation (58% satisfied, 25% dissatisfied,
17% neutral) at AUT.
§ 54% of under 29 year olds were satisfied with the research
culture (54% satisfied, 4% dissatisfied, 42% neutral) and
with their research experience (58% satisfied, 8%
dissatisfied, 34% neutral)
Positive Highlights
Postgraduate students as a whole were satisfied or very satisfied
with all individual questionnaire elements surveyed.
§ Students were the most satisfied with the supervision they
received at AUT (87% satisfied) and rated aspects of
supervision focusing on the supervisory relationship and
process very positively.
§ There was broad agreement that undertaking thesis study
had contributed to the acquisition of eleven research-
related skills. Over 85% of students agreed they had
developed written communication skills, improved
analytical skills, the ability to think critically about their
research and to find relevant research information.
§ Postgraduate students also indicated that they were very
satisfied with the seminar programmes organised by the
AUT central postgraduate office.
§ Over 70% of postgraduates indicated they were satisfied
with postgraduate student support services
Areas of Dissatisfaction Table 1. Overall research experience at AUT: 2002, 2003 & 2004

Some variability in student satisfaction was observed when Satisfaction

ratings were examined by various demographic groupings (i.e. (%)
Item
faculty, enrolment status, degree type, gender and age group). 2002 2003 2004
Quality of Resources & Facilities 62 69 73
§ Several procedural aspects of programme organisation
were considered to be only mediocre by respondents from Quality of Supervision 89 85 87
the Arts Faculty, and for males. Students from the Arts Quality of Research Experience 76 78 64
Faculty indicated that the clarity of procedures for
Standard of your Research 82 78 78
thesis/dissertation examination and Arts students and
males rated the suitability of research methodology
training at AUT as needing targeting for future
improvement.
§ The postgraduate room in the library was rated all bar 20- Conclusions
29 year-olds as not important, while Arts Faculty students
felt that the availability of necessary specialist equipment Survey findings indicate that postgraduate students felt they
could be targeted for improvement would benefit from increased opportunities for collaboration with
other researchers (i.e. internal and external).
§ Students also reported that almost one third of them did
not have regular contact with their primary supervisor and The procedural side of thesis examination appears to require
that 60% of them had changed primary supervisor since further clarification for students from the Arts Faculty. Effort
beginning their thesis/dissertation. may also be required to ensure that Arts students have a work
environment that stimulates their research work and prevents
§ Doctoral students rated AUT’s reputation in their field of them from feeling isolated.
study and opportunities to network with external
researchers as needing targeting for improvement while Research methodology training may need to be more focused on
Arts students rated doctoral orientation, the provision of a the techniques that males and students from the Arts Faculty are
research environment stimulating work and prevention of likely to encounter during their thesis research.
research isolation as only OK and in need of improvement Few resources and facilities at AUT require further improvement
§ Only half of all respondents (57%) indicated they had to increase student satisfaction, however Arts students may
developed the ability to work collaboratively with other benefit from an improvement to specialist equipment available
researchers and less than 50% of students from the Arts for research
and Health faculties, the 30-39 year old age group,
Masters and part-time students agreed they had
developed this skill.
§ Only 50% or more of students felt that Health &
Counselling (53%) the Scholarships Office (74%), Student
Information Centres (57%), Financial Services (51%) and
the Postgraduate Student Website (69%) were important
to them. Fr all other services less than 50% of students
rated these as important

Trends in Postgraduate Student Satisfaction

§ In general postgraduate students’ satisfaction with their
postgraduate study as a whole at AUT has remained
consistently high, varying only slightly between 2003 and
2004.
§ Supervision was rated most favourably in 2002 (89%
satisfied) 2003 (85% satisfied) and 2004 (87% satisfied).
§ Around three quarters of postgraduate students were
satisfied with the overall research experience at AUT in
2002 (76% satisfied) 2003 (78% satisfied) and 2004
(64%).
§ Students were less satisfied with the quality of resources
and facilities at AUT in both 2002 (62%) and 2003 (69%).
However, student satisfaction with this area improved
from in 2004 where 73% of students were satisfied.

The full report

‘The Postgraduate Research Student Experience at AUT 2004’
is available on the IRU website
www.aut.ac.nz/staff/iru/

For further information please contact

Janneke Bastiaanssen (x6032) or Robert Daldy (x6031)
e-mail: iru@aut.ac.nz
Institutional Research Unit