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October 2023 - Education

86% of students in England felt able to express their opinions and beliefs during their time at university or college: A survey of students at institutions across England has found that 86% gave the top two positive answers when asked if they felt free to express their ideas, opinions and beliefs during their studies, with just 3% saying they were 'not free at all'.

The government-backed National Student Survey (NSS) by the Office for Students (OfS) polled over 339,000 final-year students between January and April 2023, also finding that 90% of students attending the University of Oxford, Buckinghamshire New University, The University of West London and Imperial College London gave the top two positivity scores when asked if they felt able to freely express themselves at their institution. 

This survey question was only asked to students in England and was the first time it had been asked in the survey. 

Other findings in the survey were based on responses from students across the UK in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Questions were asked around teaching, learning opportunities, assessment and feedback and academic support as well as organisation and management, learning resources, mental wellbeing and student voice. The survey is a key component of the quality assurance and wider regulatory landscape in UK higher education.

The results of the 2023 survey show students think courses are intellectually stimulating, with 84% giving a positive score, while 91% felt positive about how good the teaching staff are at explaining things. When asked how often teaching staff make the subject engaging 80% felt positive, while 84% felt positive about how often their course challenges them to achieve their best work. 

In the area of learning opportunities, a positivity score of 84% was given for how well courses build on existing knowledge, while a score of 83% was given in response to asking the extent to which students have been able to bring together information and ideas from different topics. Furthermore, 82% felt positive about having the opportunity to explore ideas and concepts in depth. 

Looking at assessment and feedback, the results were as follows: (% positivity score)

• How clear were the marking criteria used to assess your work? - 76%
• How fair has the marking and assessment been on your course? - 81%
• How well have assessments allowed you to demonstrate what you have learned? - 81%
• How often have you received assessment feedback on time? - 80%
• How often does feedback help you to improve your work? - 72%

When asked how well information was communicated about their learning institution's mental wellbeing support service, 75% of students felt positive, according to the survey. 

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