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Student 2025

Student 2025 is a longitudinal study seeking to explore NTU students' academic experience, social experience, and sense of belonging. This exciting, intensive research project will run for four years, from 2021/22 to 2024/25, following participants through every stage of their student journey.

What is student 2025

Student 2025 is an exciting, intensive research project will run for four years, from 2021/22 to 2024/25, following participants as they progress, and monitoring their experience via a combination of questionnaires, interviews and institutionally generated outcome data.

Student 2025 forms part of the activities articulated within NTU’s Access and Participation Plan 2020/21-2024/25. Its function is to enhance understanding of students’ experiences across the undergraduate lifecycle considering the cumulative and long-term effects of institutional interventions and activities undertaken by students, including, but not limited to, Welcome Week, GRIT, CERT mentors and extra-curricular activities.

This project has been designed to firmly centre the student voice within institutional considerations of the factors that influence disparities in outcomes for certain student groups. Whilst conventional evaluation of interventions takes place in-year, Student 2025 offers an opportunity to accompany students on their undergraduate journey, exploring the ways in which they develop across the student lifecycle.

Student 2025 focuses on three target groups:

  1. Black students (APP target 4)
  2. Students from low-participation areas, identified via POLAR4 mapping (APP target 3)
  3. Students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, identified via Indices of Multiple Deprivation mapping (APP target 5).

Analysis indicates that rates of attainment and progression for these students are poorer than for their non-target group peers. Student 2025 aims to generate insight which can inform NTU’s work to address disparities in student outcomes, in line with the institution’s strategic priorities.

Project aims and objectives

Project aim

To build a holistic understanding of the undergraduate student experience to inform unexplained disparities in outcomes for APP target groups.

Project objectives

  1. To develop a rich, longitudinal picture of the undergraduate student experience, using a mixed methods approach.
  2. To build a further sophisticated understanding of the unexplained gaps in attainment for Black students, and students from low-participation and lower socio-economic backgrounds.
  3. To generate situated and strategic recommendations which contribute to a reduction in unexplained disparities in student outcomes for APP target groups.
  4. To inform and enhance teaching and student experience practices which support the reduction of unexplained disparities in student outcomes for APP target groups.

The focus for the year ahead

Research for the second year will focus on finding out:

  • how students experience a sense of belonging at NTU
  • what can affect students’ ability to participate in social and extra-curricular activity
  • whether part-time work has an impact on students’ ability and motivation to study
  • how aware students are of the support available to them
  • how students define a ‘good outcome’
  • what skills can support Student 2025 participants in their achievement of a good outcome.

In preparation for the next year of Student 2025, the team have reviewed the research questions and made some changes to the running of the project, with an expansion of interview times to allow further provision for students with specific needs. This will help with continued delivering an accessible and engaging research project.

Student feedback on year one

The first year of Student 2025 has been received very positively, especially in relation to its longitudinal design. Towards the end of the first year, participants were asked how they had found the experience of taking part in Student 2025 and whether there was anything they would like to see changed. Students have enjoyed the opportunity, as it:

  • provides them with a regular structured, space and time to reflect on their university experience,
  • allows them to influence and contribute to future student experiences,
  • has been easy to engage with, and
  • ensures they feel heard and valued when speaking openly about their experiences.

Student 2025 participant testimonials

I was happy to have been a part Student 2025, I am glad that I took the initiative to become a part of the survey because it made me feel even more a part of NTU. I feel like being part of it made me enjoy the experience of NTU even more because I took note of everything that had happened.

Being part of Student 2025 has allowed me to talk about my university experience and build my confidence.