‘Going the extra mile’, ‘fire-fighting’, or laissez-faire? Re-evaluating personal tutoring relationships within mass higher education1

1. This paper is dedicated to Dr Sandra Winn who died before this project she co-founded could be completed. Sandra's commitment to enhancing students’ well-being lives on in our work.

Abstract

In highlighting a gulf between inclusive policy intentions inherent in the advent of mass higher education in the UK and the lived experiences of students and staff, this paper aims to stimulate critical debate about the impact of this changed environment upon traditional personal tutoring relationships. In drawing upon qualitative research with a sample of students and personal tutors from one school in a post-92 university, this paper explores their respective experiences, expectations, needs and concerns. Although some students and tutors reported clear satisfaction with their personal tutoring relationships, this paper highlights the detrimental impact of the mass system upon the ability of many staff and students to engender such connectedness.

Keywords:

• personal tutoring
• mass education
• experiences
• expectations

Notes

1. This paper is dedicated to Dr Sandra Winn who died before this project she co-founded could be completed. Sandra's commitment to enhancing students’ well-being lives on in our work.