Lightning Talks

Jared Wong (University College London)
Mengjie Dong (University College London)
Danielle D’Lima (University College London)
Elizabeth Dow (UCL)
Justyna Bandola-Gill (University of Birmingham)
Mel Hardy (University of Birmingham)
Laura Kelly (University of Birmingham)
Miriam Nicholson (University of Birmingham)
Michael O'Sullivan (University of Birmingham)
Frankie Rogan (University of Birmingham)
Maria Thi Bui (University of Birmingham)

Monday, April 7, 2025 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM

LIGHTNING TALKS

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Session Outline

A Qualitative Study on the Barriers and Enablers to University Personal Tutors Implementing a Coaching Approach in Personal Tutoring Sessions

Jared Wong (University College London); Mengjie Dong (University College London); Danielle D’Lima (University College London)

Background: A coaching approach to personal tutoring is a developmental approach that empowers tutees to optimise their own performance of a given task (Seraj & Leggett, 2023). It involves personal tutors asking tutees questions that help them derive their own solutions, instead of directly telling them what to do (Mukadam & Kassam, 2020). University student coaching has found to be positively associated with positive academic outcomes (Alzen et al., 2021), and qualitative findings suggest benefits to student learning and development (Brevik Saethern et al., 2022). Considering previous literature that highlights the variations in delivery of personal tutoring (Stuart et al., 2021), this study explores the barriers and enablers to personal tutors delivering a coaching approach during personal tutoring sessions for academic support and professional development. Where past efforts explored these factors in a different context (Seraj & Leggett, 2023), this study uses the COM-B model (Michie et al., 2011), a behavioural framework that aims to comprehensively identify the various physical, social and psychological factors that influence a given target group’s behaviour (Michie et al., 2014).

Methods: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were used. A sample of eight personal tutors with varied experiences learning about and carrying out the coaching approach were recruited. Tutors were asked about their personal tutoring experience and what factors influenced their implementation of a coaching approach. A deductive framework analysis was first carried out to categorise the data according to the COM-B model components (Braun & Clarke, 2006). An inductive thematic analysis was then conducted within each component (Braun & Clarke, 2006).

Results: Eleven themes were identified that were categorised under five of the COM-B model’s components. Examples of themes include the skills for coaching approach theme (psychological capability component), the behaviour of the tutee theme (social opportunity component) that features how a tutee’s behaviour pressures tutors to be more directive, and the beliefs about the outcomes of the approach theme (reflective motivation component) that includes perceiving coaching as effective only in certain contexts.

Conclusions: Results indicate that there are eleven potential themes on using the coaching approach that can be addressed using additional behaviour change tools that complement the COM-B model (Michie et al., 2014). This study provides clearer specifications to the nature of these factors compared to previous efforts (Seraj & Leggett, 2023). These results can be applied to evaluate universities’ existing interventions and inform future intervention development (Toro-Troconis et al., 2021). Audience members can ask questions about behaviour change tools' and this study’s relevance to their own implementation of university practices that promote positive engagement.

How cross academic year personal tutor groups can promote better engagement through peer support

Elizabeth Dow (UCL)

In the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, we have over 20 academic programmes. Design teaching and studio culture sits at the heart of our programmes, with studio taught design modules comprising more that 50% of study. A familiarity with benefits of studio culture is built up across our students’ studies and an appreciation of just how the studio model can inform a positive group dynamic, including formal and informal peer to peer learning and support. ‘The studio’s combination of informal dialogue and formalised learning events offers a means by which students obtain multiple perspectives and, unlike many other learning settings, opportunity for continuous discourse’, (Mcclean & Hourigan 2013) But in some ways studios can also be isolating, with students not always having the confidence to meet students from other year groups or other programmes. This is something we have been seeking to address across the school. Alongside cross programme skills sessions and our student representative’s forum, personal tutoring also could offer opportunities to connect our students across our programmes. Accordingly, since 2020, we have been developing a new approach to personal tutoring for our accredited programmes with personal tutors supporting students drawn our five accredited programmes, including our three-year undergraduate and two-year postgraduate programmes, with up to 15 students in each group, potentially representing each year group and all five programmes.

Our master’s level programmes include some former undergraduate students returning from a year working in practice and but also students coming from other institutions and countries, with each student bringing a unique set of cultural, educational and practical experience to their chosen professionally accredited master’s programme. Former Bartlett graduates are invited to re-join the same personal tutor group they were in as undergraduates, allowing the student to benefit from the rapport they would previously have built up, as an undergraduate, with their personal tutor. We have also found that returning students can bring a level of knowledge and confidence that can be fed back into their personal tutor group, offering support to those new to the school and help mitigate the wish to drop-out that some can feel in the first few months of study. Thomas (2012) notes that ‘evidence suggests that higher education institutions that adopt some form of peer mentoring experience lower attrition rates’ In addition to the termly individual personal tutor meetings, a group meeting happens per term, UG and PGT students meet and engage in group conversations. Student voice is facilitated by tutees proposing topics that are relevant to their circumstances, and guide the conversations from their own unique perspective, letting them realise and utilise their own knowledge. ‘The use of group tutorial sessions facilitates the building of peer relationships, creates a sense of belonging, and develops a student’s capacity to work with others and learn from their peers’ (Grey & Osbourne, 2018) Subjects have included; purpose of the curriculum, academic progression and year-out, and graduated careers choices. UG students hear first-hand from PGT students, how they personally navigated their undergraduate studies, helping demystifying some of more challenging parts the education. Students often want to discuss careers, and hearing from postgraduates how they secured their work placement can be more relevant than hearing careers advice from a tutor, whose experience is more removed. For postgraduate students, we have found this informal opportunity to mentor students in an earlier point of their education can help them gain confidence about their past academic and career choices, and help them plan their next career stage. This level of group discussion and reflection can also inform and help direct some of the one-to-one conversation that they subsequently have with their personal tutor.

Collaborative Early Intervention for Student Success

Justyna Bandola-Gill (University of Birmingham); Mel Hardy (University of Birmingham); Laura Kelly (University of Birmingham); Miriam Nicholson (University of Birmingham); Michael O'Sullivan (University of Birmingham); Frankie Rogan (University of Birmingham); Maria Thi Bui (University of Birmingham)

Our paper will outline early intervention work carried out by Personal Academic Tutors and the Education Support Office in the Department of Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology at the University of Birmingham, focused particularly on UG finalists. This work was developed jointly by the Departmental Head of Education, the Deputy Education Support Manager, the Senior Tutor, the Dissertation Module Lead, and the Wellbeing Officers attached to the Department. It involved identifying students with low rates of attendance and formative submission and mobilising a consistent response from personal academic tutors through targeted communications and standardised support expectations.

We situate our discussion by briefly reviewing the educational landscape and our own institutional context, focusing on the specific challenges associated with moving from an identification of student groups who could potentially benefit from additional support to specific students who are struggling. In line with what Manchester Metropolitan University have described as an 'anti-discriminatory personal tutoring framework' (Shrestha et al. 2024), our strategy avoided reproducing assumptions about successful engagement based on student identities and biographies (e.g. O’Shea et al. 2024; Yosso 2005).

After mapping our activities and contribution to positively impacting various student metrics including with-cohort progression and the ethnicity awarding gap, we reflect on unintended consequences of other curriculum and student support reforms and the need for ongoing holistic review of academic programmes and student support structures to ensure gains are maintained. We conclude by reflecting on future plans to maximise benefits across all areas of work.

Learning Outcomes

Wong, Jared*; Dong, Mengjie; D’Lima, Danielle; Dow, Elizabeth*; Bandola-Gill, Justyna; Hardy, Mel; Kelly, Laura*; Nicholson, Miriam; O'Sullivan, Michael; Rogan, Frankie; Thi Bui, Maria

Bibliography

jaredmartswong@gmail.com*; mengjie.dong.23@alumni.ucl.ac.uk; d.d'lima@ucl.ac.uk; e.dow@ucl.ac.uk*; j.e.bandola-gill@bham.ac.uk; m.hardy@bham.ac.uk; l.kelly@bham.ac.uk*; m.g.nicholson@bham.ac.uk; m.t.osullivan@bham.ac.uk; f.rogan.1@bham.ac.uk; m.thibui@bham.ac.uk

Competencies
This session addresses the following competencies of the UKAT Professional Framework for Advising and Tutoring