Surveys

Five surveys measure student engagement among undergraduate students and lecturers at South African higher education institutions:

• To measure first time entering students’ high school experiences and expected engagement during their first year of study, the Beginning University Survey of Student Engagement (BUSSE) is administered in February/March.
• To measure undergraduates’ sense of engagement, the South African Survey of Student Engagement (SASSE) is administered in August/September.
• The Lecturer Survey of Student Engagement (LSSE) which measures lecturers’ perceptions of their students’ engagement, is administered simultaneously with the SASSE.
  
• The Classroom Survey of Student Engagement (CLASSE) comprises a pair of survey instruments that provide information on engagement practices in a single module. The two surveys are completed by students (CLASSEStudent) and the lecturer(s) (CLASSELecturer) and shed light on possible gaps in students’ engagement behaviours in that specific module.

What do we use the data for?

Student engagement surveys promote institutional self-reflection and accountability. The data also have a diagnostic use by shedding light on where interventions might be necessary.

Data from student engagement surveys are also used to promote quality teaching and learning, which in turn maximises opportunities for student success. In essence, the surveys provide actionable data:

• For improving student retention and progress;
• To identify constraints in the teaching and learning environment;
• For encouraging creative pedagogic practices;
• For innovation in curriculum design;
• To develop systematic approaches to the monitoring of teaching and learning; and
• To facilitate staff capacity development.

We provide participating institutions with detailed analyses and information tools, including:

• An institution-specific data file containing raw data from the survey items;
• An institutional report that includes responses by first-year and senior students compared to that of other institutions and the overall SASSE sample;
• Other services, such as workshops, staff development and training.

By using the data gathered at South African institutions to compile a picture of the South African student, we believe we can contribute to national efforts to improve the quality of teaching and learning, especially for undergraduates, and to creating conditions that are more conducive to student success countrywide.