Work in Progress
Student perceptions of the quality of VET
Summary
- Item:
- 10430
- Title:
- Student perceptions of the quality of VET
- Type:
- Managed research project
- Project no:
- NR07507
- Status:
- Finished
- Date commenced:
- 9 June 2009
- Contact:
- Michelle Circelli
- phone: 08 8230 8646
- email: michelle.circelli@ncver.edu.au
- Principal researcher:
- Cain Polidano
- University of Melbourne
- Related program:
- VET participation and labour market outcomes
Purpose
Using the NCVER Student Outcomes Survey data (2005-2008), this project will examine how student perceptions of quality, measured across four dimensions — teaching, assessment, general skills and learning and overall course satisfaction — varies across provider types and according to training needs. Addressing how satisfaction varies according to training needs is important given the diverse backgrounds of VET students.
Approach
Quantitative
Research questions
This project will address the following questions:
- For each field of education, what are the main reasons students give for undertaking VET? How important are non-employment motivations? How do these vary across student characteristics (such as previous learning and education, module completer/graduate, age, gender, English proficiency, full-fee paying/fully funded and region)?
- How do the characteristics of provider types vary? For example, what are the differences in mode of training, location, fee structure, fields of study offered, course types and differences in the types of students enrolled?
- For each field of education, what are the reported general and job specific benefits of training (e.g., training has helped develop problem solving skills)? For those employed, how relevant is training to the main job that individuals are subsequently in?
- How do perceptions of quality vary by student characteristics? Does quality of training vary across type of provider?
- What are some of the limitations of the data and what are the implications for the analysis? How can the data be improved and how would it improve the analysis?
Methodology
Descriptive statistics will be used to provide background information on the factors that are likely to drive student perceptions of quality. This involves deriving descriptive statistics for student characteristics (such as reasons for studying, age, gender, location, previous levels of education and employment outcomes) and provider details (such as type of provider and level of qualification provided) for each field of study.
Four multivariate models will be estimated to examine the effect of student and provider characteristics on perceived quality of training. Models will be estimated for each aspect of perceived quality (teaching, assessment, general skills and learning and overall course satisfaction). The dependent variable for each of teaching, assessment and general skills will be an index that combines responses to questions from the VET Student Outcome Survey, while overall course satisfaction is measured on a five-point scale.
When estimating these multivariate models, possible bias in the model coefficients that arise when unobserved student and training factors (e.g. personality, culture, course fees and instructor interaction) are correlated with explanatory variables in the model will be accounted for.
