Staff and student perceptions of NZQA level expectations

In this cross-sectional study, we surveyed 89 students from four courses to elicit their expectations of the nature of the skills and knowledge, and the degree of self-management and collaboration, which was required for their courses. We compared their responses to the expectations set out in the New Zealand Qualifications Framework. We also sampled a small number (6) of lecturers and compared their expectations to those of students and the framework. We found significant differences between student and framework expectations, with student expectations noticeably lower than the framework. Moreover, student expectations remained at a low level, even in higher level courses, and the gap was wider at the higher levels. We also found significant differences between student and lecturer expectations. Lecturer expectations were broadly between those of students and the framework, which suggests that lecturer expectations are a compromise between both of these. Any misalignment of expectations poses a challenge for educators. We suggest practical measures for aligning these expectations.