Course completion and instructional experience in TAFE

The aim of this study was to find out how students experience technical and further education (TAFE) from the point of view of the learning experience, and what factors influence them to continue or discontinue their studies. The study aimed to test the following two propositions:

• that the quality of instructional experience is a factor in student retention
• that many of the student-level reasons for non-completion can be addressed successfully at the institution level by formulating successful instructional and organisational responses.

This study focused on students undertaking training at certificate levels I, II and III in four fields of studybusiness studies, engineering, hospitality and TAFE multifield, the latter which generally comprises courses to prepare people for study and for employment and includes literacy and numeracy and basic education.

The reason for focusing on this level was that the issue of quality of instruction is crucial for early school leavers and other groups whose experience of formal school-based learning has been less than optimal.

The study is based on a classroom-administered written survey of TAFE students in 2000 and a follow-up telephone survey in 2001. A total of 4915 completed the questionnaire in class. Of these, 1360 students provided contact details. One year later the researchers made telephone contact with 771 students—16.4% of the original sample group of 4915. A total of 25 institutes were involved in this study.

Due to the unrepresentative nature of the original sample (comprising four fields of study only) and subsequent attrition in the follow-up sample, findings cannot be generalised to all TAFE students. However, the study provides a rare opportunity to explore the relationship between quality of instruction and actual outcomes, and to highlight themes and issues which may merit further research and analysis. The students diverse use of TAFE and pathways was evident in:

• the many and varied reasons given by students for undertaking their course
• the range of educational backgrounds reported by students (from achieved university degrees to non-completion of Year 10)
• the number of students who had set themselves a staged and extended timetable for completion, reporting comparatively low contact hours per week
• the significant proportion of students dropping out from their course who expressed an intention of returning to complete their course at some subsequent point.

Like other interview-based studies which tend to show higher completion rates than those based on national databases, this study documents strong rates of progression/completion, with over eight in ten respondents either having completed or still in study. This must be seen in the context of these students having high expectations of their entry-level courses. Over 90% expressed their intention to complete all modules of their course.

Taking sampling constraints into consideration, the data also demonstrated links between TAFE students instructional experience and their course completion behaviours.

This study shows a strong endorsement by the students of the quality of instructional experience in TAFE, with particular emphasis on relationships with staff and quality of teaching. Overall, students tended to be most positive in their praise of their immediate instructional environmentthat is, their teachers. They highlighted relationships with teaching staff and respect for their expertise and organisation as significant factors in their instructional experience.

Although students who expressed dissatisfaction with their instructional experience were a minority, they were considerably more likely than their peers to have left their course before completion. Certain measures, such as the reported relationship between student and instructors, worked as a strong predictor of a students likelihood of dropping out.

Non-completers were significantly less likely to have endorsed the teaching instruction standards at their TAFE institute, to report good relationships with instructors, to point to effective class organisation or to feel their overall satisfaction to be high. Some students were able to clearly articulate their difficulties with their course or dissatisfaction with various aspects of this instructional experience soon after beginning their course. Indicators of unsatisfactory experiences included poor relationships with instructors, a sense of struggling with course content and difficulties in accessing administrative or support services. Dissatisfaction was shown to be associated with poor experiences in earlier learning environments, for example, at school.

In some institutes, dissatisfaction with aspects of the teaching and learning environment seemed to be considerably higher than the norm, and these correlated with higher incidences of non-completion. There may be other factors involved here; for example, at one site, the inclusion of particularly disaffected or highly motivated class groupings. But these data suggest that effectiveness may vary across institutions.

The study recommends progressive diagnostic assessment within courses, together with closer screening of students on enrolment to determine learning needs and strategies to address those needs. These could serve to address some of the factors which influence some students to leave their courses prematurely. In addition, professional development for TAFE staff, with a focus on the strong outcomes currently reported in some institutes, might also address the issue of flexibility in instructional approach demanded by a diverse student body.