Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the contemporary student experience of higher education - how students respond to the different facets of their higher education experience.To fully understand the contemporary student experience of university life, it is essential to consider the respect in which the higher education environment and university sector has transformed. Issues and matters germane to understanding the contemporary student experience are often overlooked. Throughout this thesis, it becomes apparent that it is impossible to disentangle higher education and the student from social, economic and political shifts.
In order to reflect upon the contemporary student experience, it is essential to consider the impact of nee-liberal policies and the promotion of market forces - within this environment, the contemporary student experience has become transformed. The increasing promotion of a market philosophy has become a central topic in the sphere of higher education.
A questionnaire was distributed to 505 undergraduate students, from two universities ( one "traditional" and one "new"), studying Sociology or Pharmacology. This was proceeded by a computer-mediated discussion forum, in which 12 undergraduate students participated.
The themes and concerns that emerged from the findings very much associated with the market metaphor. The discourse and discussion, articulated by the students themselves, offered an understanding of what it is to be a contemporary student in higher education. Themes and dimensions arose from their responses and reflected the changes in the higher education system and the pervasive impact of the market. The recurrent remarks and reflections embodied the dimensions of self-reliance, consumer, calculation, isolation, and ambivalence - contemporary students responding to their world of higher education.
| Date of Award | 2006 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Barry Smart (Supervisor) |