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Can Uncertainty Avoidance influence student satisfaction, achievement and retention?. Dr Hilary Collins. Proposition.
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Can Uncertainty Avoidance influence student satisfaction, achievement and retention? Dr Hilary Collins
Proposition • Furthering Kemp’s, (2013) proposition that the cultural dimension of Uncertainty Avoidance affected undergraduate students with a high uncertainty avoidance index, who displayed uncertainty with changes towards blended learning pedagogy, this paper proposes that Uncertainty Avoidance consequently impacts these students, satisfaction, retention and achievement levels.
Definition • “The uncertainty avoidance dimension expresses the degree to which the members of a society feel uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity. The fundamental issue here is how a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? Countries exhibiting strong UAI maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. Weak UAI societies maintain a more relaxed attitude in which practice counts more than principles” http://geert-hofstede.com/dimensions.html.
Why? • Little is known about the impact of cultural factors on changes in curriculum and educational platforms. • It is becoming increasingly recognised that it is important to consider cultural context in regions when educational models are being rolled out across national borders(Frenck et al. 2010)
Purpose • This study examines the effect of one dimension from within Hofstede’s (1980.2001) cultural framework, Uncertainty Avoidance, researching students satisfaction with their supported online learning on undergraduate modules. • This paper focusses on one aspect of Hofstede’s model, uncertainty avoidance, and furthers existing research by applying this to levels of achievement on undergraduate modules and comparing two cultures with different levels on uncertainty avoidance – Poland and the UK.
Literature • Chase, Macfayden, Reeder and Roche (2002).Bonham et al (1995) proposed that ‘ while culture is usually thought to develop over time without conscious attention, the rapid growth in use of distance education technologies means that a more rapid and deliberate developments of cultures is needed.’
Literature • Maxwell et al (2000) proposed that learner expectations are a culturally bound phenomenon. And that students from high UA countries could find it difficult to adapt to a supported online learning environment because the learner ‘‘has to take the initiative and responsibility for what they select, manage and access” • (Deepwell and Malik 2008, p. 6). Learners high in UA indicate a preference for structured learning, have a concern for the right answers, hold an expectation that the educator has the correct answers, and attribute results to circumstances rather than acknowledging self-control for their learning (Sulimma 2005)
Uncertainty avoidance • Poland scores 93 on this dimension • UK scores 35 on this dimension
Aims • The aim of the research is to find out if there is a significant increase in evidence of learner certainty or uncertainty with students who have declared their nationality as Polish, which is a high uncertainty avoidance culture, and one which has a large number of students registered across the UK.
We aim to establish whether Uncertainty Avoidance consequently impacts upon levels of student retention and achievement levels by comparing students, registered on online supported learning modules, who declared their nationality as Polish (Poland has an UAI of 93; 7th highest globally) and UK (United Kingdom has a UAI of 35 ; 5th lowest globally).The study moves on to discuss whether levels of study demonstrate more of an impact for UA and whether the faculty or student subject area shows more of an impact of UA.
Methodology • Firstly, we analysed secondary data on 3150 registered Polish and compared this to UK students and found that over levels 1 and 2 of study Polish students completion and achievement levels were significantly higher than UK students. However, in level 3 these dropped significantly and were below the UK achievement level.
Methodology • A primary research survey was designed, and students were invited to participate. 464 Students from various faculties and backgrounds were invited to take the survey (232 of whom were Polish students living in Scotland and 232 were UK students living in Scotland) by email on 18th December 2013, and a reminder email was sent to 439 students on the 3rd January 2014. The survey remained open until 16th January 2014 and in that time 68 students responded, 30 of which were partially completed responses, and 38 were complete responses, giving an 8.2% response rate based on complete responses.
Findings • This was compared by nationality and we found that uncertainty avoidance affected Polish students experience at level 3 study but not levels 1 and 2. • It is at level 3 that study becomes more autonomous, higher level of research skills are required and course structure is less detailed. The findings indicate that uncertainty avoidance impacts achievement and retention at level 3 study in high UAI students. The implications of these findings are discussed, and support strategies suggested.
Conclusions • This project has focussd on trying to understand student satisfaction through a cultural lens and it has provided insight that furthers existing research by suggesting that high UA has more of an effect in level 4 and above academic work across all subject areas. This suggests that changes in design and support of online supported learning should be considered and should to take into account issues raised by levels of uncertainty avoidance and the link of uncertainty / certainty to student satisfaction, achievement and retention.
