Supporting Student Learning Needs in Tertiary Education: Institutional Support Structures Based on the Institutional Support Questionnaire

Abstract

This article presents and focuses on the Institutional Support Questionnaire (ISQ) that was developed and validated to complement the Learning Needs Questionnaire (LNQ). While the LNQ, validated and published earlier, assessed students’ perceived learning needs, the ISQ assesses students’ psychological perspectives of their institution, particularly how they perceive their institution supports their learning. Both questionnaires work in tandem to support resource optimisation efforts in establishing targeted academic support structures within teaching-focused tertiary institutions. This study found that the 42-item ISQ had adequate psychometric properties and that institutional support could be represented by four factors (i.e., academic competency support, teaching practices, tutors’ characteristics, and use of technology in instruction) that reflected in large part the factors characterised by the LNQ (i.e., perceived academic competency, time management, preferred tutors’ characteristics, and use of technology). Practical applications of the use of both the ISQ and LNQ (i.e., how both could be applied in a tertiary education setting to identify perceived students’ learning needs and whether an institution is providing adequate support to meet these needs) and limitations on their use are discussed.