Due to the more recent move to massification in the Higher Education (HE) sector, there has been
an emerging necessity for supporting all students, especially those non-traditional students who
are increasingly part of the student body. (Mairead, 2002) In the majority of the universities in
the UK, this support is offered to students via the Personal Tutor Scheme (PTS), in which many
institutions have invested time and resources. The personal tutor is a key point of reference for
students during their time at University. In the HE sector, PTS are essentially considered an
integral part of students’ services, which provide support to students in relation to study planning
and bureaucratic issues, as well as academic writing and referencing, or CV preparation. Yet, the
PTS is delivered by academics, who often concentrate on teaching, to the bad of spending time
thinking about their roles as personal tutors and of adopting a more desirable holistic approach to
the student.
In an attempt to answer the question: ‘Why do students need personal tutors?’, Wheeler and
Birtle (1993: 3) suggest aspects of the personal tutor system: “the purpose is primarily to provide
an anchor on which the support system of the university rests. The personal tutor is needed by all
students, including those who enjoy a relatively straightforward passage through university. The
existence of this system in itself may reduce student anxiety. Personal tutors also provide
assistance for students in need. There is also a welfare component and students may seek advice
on a wide range of matters including housing, finance, emotional and relationship problems.”
This project aims at seeking the students’ view and perceptions of the PTS. Questionnaires will be
used as the data collection tool. Over 800 questionnaires are expected to be distributed with an
expect response rate of 50%. This project is expect to provide a quantitative evaluation of
students’ perception and expectations on the PTS. The research outcomes will inform HE providers
across the UK about the best approach for PTS scheme that can optimize students’ engagement
and benefit from the scheme