Learner survey shows high satisfaction levels

Citation

(2003), "Learner survey shows high satisfaction levels", Education + Training, Vol. 45 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2003.00445bab.003

Learner survey shows high satisfaction levels

Learner survey shows high satisfaction levels

Learners are highly satisfied with the teaching and training they receive at work and in colleges, according to research commissioned by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).

Of the 13,000 people interviewed in the first year of a five-year LSC research programme, more than 90 per cent said they were satisfied with the education and training they received.

The findings show that:

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  64 per cent of learners in further education are very satisfied with their learning experience, and 26 per cent fairly satisfied;

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  62 per cent of learners in work-based learning are very satisfied, and 30 per cent fairly satisfied; and

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  76 per cent of people in accredited adult and community learning are very satisfied, and 19 per cent fairly satisfied.

The quality of teaching and training, the biggest single influence on learners' satisfaction levels, is also rated highly across all three sectors. The research demonstrates that:

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  63 per cent of learners in further education are very satisfied, and 26 per cent fairly satisfied;

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  59 per cent of people in work-based learning are very satisfied, and 31 per cent fairly satisfied; and

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  78 per cent of people in accredited adult and community learning are very satisfied, and 16 per cent fairly satisfied.

Almost nine in ten of all learners who left school with a negative attitude said that they were now more confident in their ability to learn and have a greater enthusiasm for their subject.

Bryan Sanderson, LSC chairman, said: "These early findings indicate high levels of satisfaction with learning provision, of which the sector should be rightly proud. But they also highlight where things could be better and we will work with partners to make sure that these are addressed."

Among areas of concern identified were:

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  Just over half of learners questioned felt that some lessons were unproductive. The main reasons given were organizational and administrative – such as "left waiting around", "staff shortages, including cancelled lessons" or "disruption from other learners".

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  The group containing 16-18 year olds are less likely than other groups to feel that the way they like to learn is understood.

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  Ethnic-minority students, particularly Asians, are less satisfied with various aspects of teaching delivery and less likely to feel that the teacher relates to them as a person. Black and mixed-race students are more likely to encounter money pressures and often encounter multiple problems. Only a third of those who encounter problems seek help with those problems.

This independent survey is the most comprehensive of its kind ever undertaken in this country. It will involve interviews with more than 110,000 people over five years, and will enable us to build a clear picture of what learners really think.