There are three question sets in this section that are particularly relevant to evaluating academic skills provision. These question sets are drawn from ‘scales’ focused on metacognitive strategies, cognitive strategies and sense of belonging.
These scales have been developed by Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO). TASO is an independent hub for the higher education sector, providing evidence and resources to help reduce equality gaps. They have been validated and tested; this includes the specific wording (including definition and prompt), the order in which the statements appear and the response options. However, colleges/departments may of course wish to omit statements that are not relevant.
Please consult Access and Success Questionnaire (ASQ) - TASO for further information, including the evidence review which outlined the evidence behind each scale.
Cognitive strategies question
Definition: The approaches students use to complete academic tasks and to prepare for and successfully learn.
Prompt for students: The following statements are about how you study. Please think about how you go about learning and studying generally and indicate to what extent you agree or disagree with each statement.
Statements:
- I can tell which information is most important when I study
- I can tell how reliable information is when I read something
- I can clearly explain my ideas, even when writing about complicated things
- I can confidently explain my ideas when talking to others.
Response options, with coding:
Strongly disagree (1) – Disagree (2) – Neither agree nor disagree (3) – Agree (4) – Strongly agree (5).
Metacognitive strategies question
Definition: The approaches students use to monitor, plan, and direct their own learning.
Prompt for students: The following statements are about your learning. Please think about how you go about learning and studying normally. Then indicate to what extent you agree or disagree with each statement.
Statements:
- I can tell when I have understood a concept or idea
- I can motivate myself to study when I need to
- I try to use ways of studying that have worked for me before
- When I am done with studying, I can tell if I have learned what I wanted to learn
- I think of several ways to solve an academic problem (eg how do I revise or write an essay?) and then choose the best way.
Response options, with coding:
Strongly disagree (1) – Disagree (2) – Neither agree nor disagree (3) – Agree (4) – Strongly agree (5).
Sense of belonging question
Definition: The extent to which students feel connected to the university environment, peers, and others, and part of the community.
Prompt for students: The following statements relate to how you feel about currently being a student at university. Please think about each statement and indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree.
Statements:
- I feel I belong at university
- I made the right decision in choosing to study at this college
- I made the right decision in choosing to study at this university
- I feel supported by my college
- I feel supported by this university
- I see myself as part of the college community.
Response options, with coding:
Strongly disagree (1) – Disagree (2) – Neither agree nor disagree (3) – Agree (4) – Strongly agree (5).
