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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Teaching practices in first-year university : description and analysis of their implications on student studies

subject

description

In France, there is little research on university teaching and focusing specifically on teaching practices. This present research aims to explore this concept in two different ways. The first part focuses on the description of the practices implemented by teachers during first-year university lectures. Using in situ observation of lecture practices of 49 teachers from five programmes, Administration, Sociology, Psychology and English, we first show that teachers’ practices mostly rely on traditional methods as defined by Bru (2006). However, we show a variety of practices among teachers. The second part of this research updates our knowledge of the implications of these practices on student studies in terms of motivation, study practices but also exam success. 734 freshmen from these sectors were interviewed by questionnaire. We see first that the " declared practices " by the students, or in other words the opinion that they have of teaching practices, particularly affect their motivation, while the effect on ways of studying is nonexistent all things being equal. In comparison to other variables, such as those related to educational background of the individual, they have in addition a relatively moderate impact on the average score of the exam first and second semester and the likelihood of passing the year. However, the motivation appears to be a mediator of the effect of "declared" on study practices and success. In addition, we look at the effect of "observed" practices, ie effectively implemented by teachers on student studies. These play a significant direct role in explaining study practices and student success, but they have no effect on motivation.