| Abstract [eng] |
Effective communication between students and lecturers is very important in order to ensure positive learning environment and to achieve great academical results when in higher education. Nevertheless, there are occasions where disagreements and arguments arise, hence a fundamental problem here is – what are the main reasons for conflict between students and lecturers? In addition to this, we aim to establish how students assess the effectiveness of communication with lecturers and reasons for quitting/pausing their studies. Purpose of this work: to reveal the opinion of students who have completed / stopped their studies about the challenges of communication between teachers and students. Aims of this paper: 1. To describe the concept of effective communication. 2. Define the concept of conflicts and strategies for their management. 3. To reveal the factors of effective and inefficient communication between students and their lecturers. Research methodology: the aim of this paper is to recognise various communication challenges arising between students and lecturers in the postgraduate studies hence this paper used quality research method. Research methods: data collection – upon completing academical literature analysis, concept of a student, a lecturer and a conflict was defined. Information from other authors was used to determine communication gaps and conflicts between students and lecturers and possible solutions were analysed. Information was compared and generalised. Empirical research method was used for quality analysis – interviews were completed which depicted communication effectiveness between students and lecturers as well as reasons for conflict and/or stopping academical studies. Data Analysis – during the above interview research a data quality analysis was used to identify students ‘opinion regarding arising conflicts or gaps in communication between students and lecturers. Theory part covers concepts of effective communication and conflicts between lecturers and students. It was established, that a conflict is an interpersonal, inner and in a group interaction which covers difference of opinions, views and misunderstandings or miscommunications and competition. Effective communication is a successful translation of one‘s message to another and is influenced by other people‘s ability to interpret and understand each other. Great communication between students and lecturers can be built upon enhancing a dialogue culture, lecturers‘ ability to plan and the use of appropriate rhetoric and vocabulary. Analytical part covered the quality research method – interview, which showed, that the main reasons for conflict in communication between students and lecturers are due to lecturers‘ intolerance, unprofessionalism, creating unpleasant situations and pressure during lectures. Effective communication with lecturers was outlined by three respondents. They expressed positive thoughts and stressed that communication was friendly and adaptive and appropriate . The majority respondents, seven of them, have stated, that communication was unsatisfactory, this was mainly due to lack of mutual understanding and failure to create mutual bond between students and lecturers. In addition to this, there were few main reasons outlined causing to quit or pause the academical studies: personal reasons, priority for employment, unsatisfactory subject contents, uninviting university environment. Given the research outcome, the following recommendations were provided to MRU in order to improve communication between students and lecturers: 1. Participants selected three recommendations: • A designated student mentor who would regularly chat with students and make every effort to keep students at the university. • To provide/consider opportunities to create/write a final project which would add to the value of the university rather than writing a final thesis paper. • To provide more personalised attention to students, showing care and support. 2. To create a dedicated work group which would be responsible for student feedback about communication with lecturers, the group would also be engaging in arranging meetings/social gatherings with students and then act as a mediator to provide outcomes and anonymous student reflections to the lecturers. 3. It is also recommended to establish and select or design a mutually acceptable channel for communication which would bridge the effectiveness of communication. 4. To create a digital platform which would enable students to post anonymously anytime anywhere with unlimited posts. This should be accessible either via student diary or on MOODLE. 5. In order to supplement the outlined suggestions to improve effectiveness of communication between students and lecturers we advise to enhance to this research with another one – a more in depth quality interview or gather to a focus group with MRU lecturers. |
