Dr. Billy Wong’s (Associate Professor in Widening Participation, University of Reading) latest paper, entitled ‘Mapping the eight dimensions of the ideal student in higher education’ is published in the journal, Educational Review. The research is part of Dr. Wong’s recent Ideal Student project and reports on a survey conducted with over 1,000 university students and staff on their views and expectations of the ideal university student.
The paper uses Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and revealed eight dimensions of the ideal student, which were tentatively described as Diligence & Engagement, Organisation & Discipline, Reflection & Innovation, Positive & Confident outlook, Supportive of Others, Academic skills, Employability skills and Intelligent & Strategic approach. The paper discusses each factor, comparing the differences between the views of staff and students.
The concept of the ideal student has the potential to promote better equality and opportunities for student success, by making explicit what is expected of university students. Billy’s latest paper is co-authored with Dr. Jen DeWitt (University College London) and Dr. Tiffany Chiu (Imperial College London, UK).
His article can be found here. For more information on Dr. Wong’s research, visit his staff profile page here. You can also follow him on Twitter here.
Reference
Wong, B., DeWitt, J., & Chiu, Y-L.T. (2021). Mapping the eight dimensions of the ideal student in higher education. Educational Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2021.1909538