The Office for Students (OfS) board has agreed the future of the National Student Survey following the announcement of a review which will help reduce bureaucratic burden while ensuring the NSS remains an important indicator of students’ opinions and experiences.
The review follows a request by the universities minister to address concerns about how survey may be creating burden and impacting on standards, while ensuring the NSS remains an important indicator of student opinion.
A two-stage internal review process of the survey is to be conducted. The second stage will look more widely at the role of the NSS, including which questions should be asked to support regulation and student information across all four countries of the UK.
NSS review report: phase one
The OfS Board approved the following actions for phase two of the review:
- Sampling: An annual census is the most appropriate level at which the NSS could continue to provide reliable data on the student perspective on their subjects, their providers and the wider system.
- Ensure the survey stands the test of time: Phase two will review current questions to ensure they remain fit for purpose and stand the test of time. This will include the removal of the term ‘satisfaction’ from any summative question or aggregate score to replace question 27.
- Data publication: The continued publication of the NSS results in line with the robust requirements official statistics whilst retaining the right not to publish in exceptional circumstances, in accordance with the OfS scheme of delegation for data publication.
- Reducing burden on providers: The OfS should improve user guidance to providers and students’ unions on responsible statistical use of NSS results. The OfS should also improve the data dissemination site to help remove burden on providers.
- Preventing gaming of the survey: The OfS should raise student and students’ union awareness of the allegation of inappropriate influence process, including what may constitute inappropriate influence.
Next steps
Over the next few months, in phase two of the NSS review, there will be extensive discussion across the UK with students, universities, colleges and the UK funding bodies and regulators about possible new questions for the survey, including how best to reflect students’ overall assessment of their experience.
There will be opportunities to engage with us as part of the initial question formation stage in a series of workshops. More details, including how to sign up, will follow shortly.
New questions will be tested alongside the 2022 NSS and subject to consultation outcomes. We are hoping to launch any new survey questions for NSS 2023.
Alongside the possible new questions, the revised data dissemination site is planned for launch in time for the 2023 survey results.
Terms of reference
The terms of reference for the first phase of the review were:
- Clarify the purpose of the NSS in the current higher education landscape.
- Assess the bureaucratic burden the NSS places on providers and how this could be reduced.
- Explore the unintended and unanticipated consequences of the NSS for provider behaviour, and how these could be prevented, including whether the NSS drives the lowering of academic standards and grade inflation. See our report on grade inflation analysis.
- Examine the appropriate level at which the NSS could continue to provide reliable data on the student perspective on their subject, provider and the wider system, and what could be done without depending on a universal annual sample.
- Examine the extent to which data from the NSS should be made public including the implications of Freedom of Information legislation.
- Ensure the OfS has the data it needs to regulate quality effectively.
- Ensure the NSS will stand the test of time and can be adapted and refined periodically to prevent gaming.
- Ensure the UK-wide role of the survey is considered in any recommendations.
Additional information
Working group
The review was internally led by Conor Ryan, Director of External Relations, with Richard Puttock, Director of Data, Foresight and Analysis (DFA) as deputy chair.
Methodology and collecting feedback
The review has the following main audiences:
The NSS is currently the largest UK-wide mechanism to measure student satisfaction. It is important that students can shape any recommendations which come from the review of the NSS.
As part of the review, we will:
- engage applicants, current students and graduates through a sample survey and workshops
- engage students’ unions through a sample survey and roundtables in collaboration with the National Union of Students.
Providers use the NSS for a number of purposes, such as policy formation, student engagement and course enhancement activities. It is important that we hear views from a range of providers on the issues in the terms of reference.
As part of the review, we will:
- seek the input of higher education mission groups
- engage providers using a survey and a series of roundtables.
The NSS is currently used in league tables and several information websites, as well as by information, advice and guidance practitioners, among others.
As part of the review, we will:
- engage student representatives, including the National Union of Students, as well as academics and sector experts on the NSS review working group
- coordinate listening sessions with key sector stakeholders
- hold one-to-one interviews with experts.
Data analysis
As part of the review, the OfS has also undertaken data analysis which explored:
- the feasibility of different sampling approaches for the NSS
- possible links between the NSS and grade inflation.
See these data analysis reports
Queries
If you have any questions or comments about the NSS review, please email [email protected].
