Exploring Students' Expectations of the University Course

Abstract

Internalization of higher education leads to greater choice of universities for prospective university students. Higher education institutions in Ukraine are developing ways and designing tools for evaluating expectations of their students in order to keep enrollment rates high and assist students’ retention. This paper focuses on the analysis of the first-year students’ expectations of a course “History of Great Britain” with the aim of incorporating these expectations into the course syllabus, introducing possible changes in teaching and learning on the course, enhancing study programs and quality of service for pre¬service English teachers. A comparative case study utilizes mixed methods approach, combining a critical analysis of the literature and data collection through student essays, which were triangulated with data from a focus group discussion to explore student perceptions of the course on its completion and offer suggestions to the university and the lecturer. The results show that undergraduate students’ expectations of the course are similar to the teachers’ assumptions and the aims and learning outcomes of the course as expressed in the syllabus. However, exploring students’ expectations and tailoring the course syllabus and content to these expectations is a crucial step in ensuring their satisfaction. A conclusion is made that identifying and meeting realistic students’ expectations of each course in the study program will allow the faculty to improve the quality of education.