1. The Forgotten Year: using a mixed method institutional research to tackle the ‘Sophomore Slump’ Elena Zaitseva, Clare Milsom, Martyn Stewart Liverpool John Moores University, UK

2. Characteristics of second year Strengthened course focus Low academic self efficacy (Hunter et al.2010) Less informal social integration and involvement (Foubert and Grainger 2006) Increased absenteeism (Wilder 1993) Intense period of personal development

3. HEA National Teaching Fellowship project 2010/2013 Is there a second year slump? In academic performance? In motivation, engagement, satisfaction? If so, is it pervasive or localised? If so, what are the causes of any slump?

4. Quantitative institutional research Percentage of students who experienced a dip in performance in second year: ‘08 / ’09= 43.6% of students across all programmes ‘09 / ‘10 = 48.9% of students across all programmes Other sources of institutional data: Student Union Advice Centre Statistics LJMU Student Advice and Wellbeing therapy uptake data Survey response rates Faculty attendance data

5. Quantitative institutional research: attendance data Average class attendance (%)

6. Qualitative institutional research LJMU Student Survey: comparative analysis of year 1 and year 2 free text responses [Mock NSS/Mirror Survey]: complete 29, 502 words National Student Survey: analysis of free text responses: in progress Outlines main themes Identifies key concepts and how they are connected Explores likelihood of a concept being mentioned in favourable or unfavourable context

7. Year 1 Year 2 Hot colours: most relevant concept Concept analysis Both years reveal similar conceptual structures. Distinct differences in concept definition and association.

8. Year 1 Year 2 Two most semantically important themes Year 1Year 2 CourseFavourableCourseFavourable LecturesUnfavourableTimeUnfavourable

9. Most positively rated concept in year 1 and year 2 is course Year 1: strong associations with student support, availability of lecturers, interesting subject, helpful staff, work in class, Year 2: strong associations with good teaching and learning (new concept). Learning associated with understanding and interesting.

10. Year 1: course associated with ‘experience’ ‘The course as a whole has been a very positive experience so far and I look forward to what the future holds.’ ‘I think all areas of the course have been a positive and stimulating experience.’ Year 2: ‘able’ replaces ‘experience’. Second year students want a course to facilitate learning ‘I have been able to realise my goals’ ‘The course is able to push me to produce work I would have never thought capable of’ ‘...building my confidence.....to be able to routinely describe myself as an artist’ Course concept association

11. Comparisons of main concepts and associated sentiments and strength ConceptYear 1Likelihood %Year 2Likelihood % CourseFavourable33Favourable38 FeedbackFavourable10Unfavourable21 CourseworkFavourable06Unfavourable04 UniversityFavourable05Unfavourable04 TeachingFavourable13Favourable13 WorkFavourable19Favourable19 ModuleUnfavourable13Unfavourable19 TimetableUnfavourable06Unfavourable11 Sentiment analysis

12. Year 1 Year 2 Favourable to unfavourable concept locations

13. Feedback concept Year 1: confidenceYear 2: improvement ‘when I had done something well I got great feedback and this boosted my confidence’ ‘To enable growth and learning feedback should be timely but it is not’ ‘.....happy to help and give feedback on my work.... Tutors are encouraging’ ‘The worst experience at this university is with feedback. They might tell us what we did wrong…, but not telling me how to improve it does not help at all.’ Staff focus group [Second years] are quite shocked by their marks and there’s definitely not the flattering… it isn’t the ego boosting marks they have had previously and then I have to talk to them… it is obviously a learning curve…

14. Support Tutor -University- Interesting Subject Time: [contact -University- delays feedback] Year 1 Year 2 University ‘neighbourhood’ Year 1Year 2 ‘I feel that the University is very helpful’ ‘All the staff within the university are always available’ ‘staff have been both helpful and friendly in helping me settle at University’ ‘I am paying a lot of money only to be at the university for a day and a half each week which is apparently a full time course. If I'd known all of this before applying I would have either chosen another university or not gone to one at all!’

15. Conclusions: slump causes? Year 1: affective, experiential Year 2: cognitive, work-oriented Highlights the value of institutional free data in institutional surveys Thank you – any questions?