Most taught students at UK universities are assigned a personal tutor. A personal tutor provides academic support and can signpost to other specialist support services. They often are a key figure for students; they can affect students’ experience and sense of belonging.
As more young people go to university, the type of support students need has changed. At the same time academics are facing increasing pressures. Over the years, various models of personal tutoring have been tried to fit with the needs of students and staff.
The Personal Tutoring Project was set up to investigate personal tutoring at the University Bristol and across the sector. The aim of the project was to inform the University’s policy on personal tutoring, and to help improve personal tutoring for students and staff. The project was funded for six years by the Tuixen Foundation (2019-2025).
The research was led by Dr Nienke Alberts (based within the Academic Quality and Policy Office), and included two large-scale studies.
The first study was a 3-year panel study of students’ experiences and expectations of personal tutoring. The study followed students from when they first arrived at the University of Bristol, right through to graduation. Fifty-five undergraduates took part in the study. The longitudinal nature of the data made it possible to investigate how students’ expectations change over time.
The second study investigated models of personal tutoring provision across the sector and within the University of Bristol. This study was based on 50 in-depth interviews with staff. It also included the views of more than 200 undergraduate students who took part in focus groups and surveys. This study showed the benefits and drawbacks of each of the models, taking into account both staff and student views.
