I Paid for It, so I Deserve It! Examining Psycho-Educational Variables and Student Consumerist Attitudes to Higher Education

Abstract

There is a growing concern among educators and university administrators that the high cost of tuition fees has encouraged tertiary level students to adopt a “consumerist view” of tertiary education, where education is seen as a service-for-payment. Anecdotal evidence suggests this belief may cause lecturers to compromise the academic rigour often associated with instructional design, delivery, and assessment, and may lead students to believe that they are entitled to certain academic privileges. Despite these concerns, there are few empirical studies which examine the prevalence of student consumerism and the factors that influence it. As such, the purpose of this study was to: (1) ascertain the level of student consumerism among a sample of university undergraduate students ( n = 104) and (2) to determine whether three specified psycho-educational variables (academic self-efficacy, academic locus of control, and intrinsic motivation) are significantly related to student consumerism among this sample. Questionnaires were administered to a sample of undergraduate students enrolled in a university in Barbados. The results revealed that student consumerist attitudes were above average. No significant relationships emerged between any of the psycho-educational variables and student consumerism. Recommendations for future research are advanced.