Survey and Analysis on the Students’ Satisfaction with Undergraduate Teaching Management in Local Agricultural Colleges and Universities: A Case Study of Tianjin Agricultural University

Chunjie LI, Yongyi WANG

1. College of Economics and Management, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin 300384, China; 2. Office of Academic Affairs, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin 300384, China

Abstract Local agricultural colleges and universities undertake the important task of training rural revitalization talents suitable for regional characteristics. Only by mastering students’ satisfaction with teaching management can we find the problems existing in teaching management. Taking Tianjin Agricultural University as an example, this paper analyzes the undergraduates’ satisfaction with teaching management by questionnaire and SPSS24.0. The results show that undergraduates can actively and actively participate in undergraduate teaching management, but their satisfaction is not high. There are significant differences in teaching evaluation management satisfaction among students of different majors and grades. It is suggested to improve the level of teaching management from the aspects of guiding and cultivating a new concept of management and education, establishing and perfecting a scientific and rigorous teaching management system, strengthening the information-based construction of teaching management and strengthening personnel training.

Key words Undergraduate teaching management, Satisfaction, Questionnaire survey, Local agricultural colleges and universities

1 Introduction

As an important part of higher agricultural education, local agricultural colleges and universities shoulder the important task of training talents for revitalizing agricultural industry[1]. In the context of implementing the strategy of rural revitalization, the quality of personnel training in higher agricultural education is related to the degree of realization of agricultural and rural industrial revitalization. Under the influence of traditional management ideas, the teaching management of some colleges and universities cannot keep up with the needs of the development of the times, and often ignores the right and will of students’ free choice. Only by attaching importance to students’ dominant position, establishing the management concept of serving students, and mastering students’ satisfaction with teaching management, can we find the problems existing in teaching management, so as to promote the deepening of education and teaching reform in colleges and universities, and then improve the quality of teaching and the quality of personnel training. Taking Tianjin Agricultural University as an example, through the survey of undergraduate’s satisfaction with teaching management, this study studies the undergraduate teaching management of agricultural universities from the perspective of students, in order to provide a reference basis for the scientific management of colleges and universities.

2 Research methods

2.1 Object of studyThe subjects are undergraduates of Tianjin Agricultural University. By using the method of convenience sampling survey, 690 questionnaires were distributed to undergraduates of Tianjin Agricultural University from May to June 2019, 690 questionnaires were collected, and 682 questionnaires collected were valid, with an effective rate of 98.84%.There was a high proportion of female students in the survey, accounting for 64.5%; students majoring in agriculture and science and engineering accounted for more than 60%; the distribution of grades was uniform, and the proportion of seniors was less than that of other grades.

2.2 Research toolsThe questionnaire was in the form of Likert scale and the value was assigned to it."1", "2", "3", "4" and "5" were used to represent "very dissatisfied", "dissatisfied", "average", "satisfied" and "very satisfied", respectively. Through the pre-test of students’ satisfaction with the undergraduate teaching management in the questionnaire, it considered the distribution of students’ grades and majors, 50 valid questionnaires were selected for statistical test, the α coefficient was 0.976, and the reliability of the questionnaire was good.

(i) Reliability analysis of questionnaire. The internal consistency was measured by Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient. Through calculation, it was known that theαcoefficient of the total scale was 0.989. Theαcoefficients of each subscale were 0.977 for daily teaching management, 0.976 for teaching guarantee management and 0.975 for teaching evaluation management. The internal consistency reliability coefficients of the total and all dimensions of the scale exceeded 0.9, indicating that the scale had good reliability. (ii) Validity analysis of questionnaire. On the basis of consulting a large number of documents and discussing with 20 undergraduates of Tianjin Agricultural University, the questionnaire had good content validity and can be used in the questionnaire survey. (iii) Survey process and data processing. The questionnaire entrusted 11 counselors and teachers of Tianjin Agricultural University to conduct a survey on the undergraduates of 11 secondary colleges by convenience sampling survey. The necessary instructions were given before filling out the questionnaire. After collecting the questionnaire, the data in the questionnaire were collated and analyzed, and the hypothetical models were tested. The survey data were collated and calculated by SPSS24.0 statistical software. First of all, the reliability and validity of the questionnaire were analyzed by software. The second was the statistical description of students’ satisfaction with undergraduate teaching management and its various dimensions. Thet-test, analysis of variance and other difference tests were used to finally get the statistical results.

3 Survey results and analysis

3.1 Statistical description on the overall status of students’ satisfaction with teaching management(i) Students’ overall satisfaction with teaching management. The average of students’ satisfaction with school teaching management was 3.36, which was slightly higher than the theoretical average of 3. There were 322 people who were "satisfied" and "very satisfied", accounting for only 47.21%, indicating that students’ satisfaction with school teaching management was not high. (ii) Students’ enthusiasm and initiative to participate in teaching management. Students had a high degree of participation in teaching management, and 292 students "often participated", accounting for 42.8%.There were 260 people who "sometimes participated", accounting for 38.1%.130 people "never participated" and "occasionally participated", accounting for only 19.1%, indicating that undergraduates can participate in teaching management. (iii) Students’ attention to teaching management information.42 students never paid attention to the teaching management information, accounting for 6.2%.448 people "occasionally paid attention", accounting for 65.7%.There were 192 people who "often paid attention", accounting for 28.2%. Although teaching management involves students’ practical interests in learning, it has not yet achieved full coverage of students’ attention, and 6.2% of students still do not pay attention to it.

3.2 Statistical description on students’ satisfaction with all dimensions of teaching management(i) Students’ satisfaction with daily teaching management. First, the students’ scores of all the items in the daily management of teaching were greater than the theoretical average value of 3, above the medium level of observation, indicating that the daily management of teaching is in the upper-middle level. Second, students were more satisfied with the accuracy of teaching information conveyed by the school. Students were not satisfied with the design and implementation of the teaching management system. (ii) Students’ satisfaction with teaching guarantee management. First, the scores of all the items in the teaching guarantee management were more than 3, indicating that the teaching guarantee management is in the upper-middle level. Second, students trusted the effect of internship and training, and students had a certain demand for the number of school study rooms. (iii) Students’ satisfaction with teaching evaluation management. Students’ satisfaction with teaching evaluation management was not high. Students were satisfied with the teachers’ teaching attitudes and methods. Students were not satisfied with the results of online teaching evaluation.

3.3 Analysis of the difference in the students’ satisfaction with teaching management using demographic variables(i) Analysis of male and female students’ satisfaction with teaching management and various dimensions. Independent samplet-test was used to analyze the gender differences in satisfaction with teaching management and different dimensions. As for the undergraduates’ overall satisfaction with teaching management, the satisfaction of girls was higher than that of boys, indicating that there was no significant gender difference in the overall satisfaction with undergraduate teaching management (t=-0.189，P=0.581). Guo Tianhua (2017) found that there was no significant gender difference in the research of teaching management innovation in colleges and universities based on student satisfaction[2], and the results of this study were consistent with it.

(ii) Analysis on the difference of satisfaction of students from different origins with teaching management and various dimensions. Independent samplet-test was used to analyze the differences of satisfaction with teaching management and different dimensions among students from different origins. The statistical results of independent samplet-test showed that there was no significant difference in the overall satisfaction with undergraduate teaching management among students from both rural and urban areas. Guo Chaohua (2018) investigated and studied the current situation of students’ satisfaction with undergraduate teaching in colleges and universities, and found that there was no significant difference in terms of the origin of students[3], and the results of this study were consistent with it.

(iii) Analysis on the satisfaction of students of different majors with teaching management and different dimensions.F-test was used to analyze the differences of satisfaction with teaching management and different dimensions in terms of different majors. The analysis of variance of the overall satisfaction with teaching management (F=2.034,P=0.058) showed that there was no significant difference in the overall satisfaction with undergraduate teaching management among different majors. There was no significant difference in daily teaching management and teaching guarantee management among majors, but there was significant difference in teaching evaluation management (F=3.774,P=0.005), which showed that there were significant differences in teaching evaluation management in terms of major categories (P<0.05). Through theLSDmethod, it was found that there were significant differences in the satisfaction with teaching evaluation between agronomy students and engineering students. There were significant differences in the satisfaction with teaching evaluation between agronomy students and art students. There were significant differences in the satisfaction with teaching evaluation between science and technology students and art students. There were significant differences in the satisfaction with teaching evaluation between science and technology students and other types of students. There were significant differences between literature and history students and art students in the students’ satisfaction with teaching evaluation.

(iv) Analysis on the difference in satisfaction of students of different grades with teaching management and different dimensions.F-test was used to analyze the differences in satisfaction with teaching management and each dimension among different grades. The variance analysis of the overall satisfaction with undergraduate teaching management (F=0.574,P=0.052)showed that there was no significant difference in the overall satisfaction with undergraduate teaching management among different grades. There was no significant difference in daily teaching management and teaching guarantee management among grades. The significance of teaching evaluation management (F=2.867,P=0.036) indicated that there were significant differences in teaching evaluation management among grades. Through theLSDmethod, it was found that there were significant differences in the satisfaction with teaching evaluation management between freshmen and seniors, and there were significant differences between freshmen and juniors in the satisfaction with teaching evaluation management. Freshmen had the lowest satisfaction with teaching evaluation management, while seniors had the highest satisfaction with teaching evaluation management.

4 Conclusion and recommendation

4.1 ConclusionAccording to the analysis of the survey results, the following conclusions are drawn: first, undergraduates can actively and enthusiastically participate in undergraduate teaching management, but their satisfaction was not high; second, there were significant differences in the satisfaction with teaching evaluation management among undergraduates of different majors (science and technology students had the lowest satisfaction with teaching evaluation management, while art students had the highest satisfaction with teaching evaluation management); third, there were significant differences in the satisfaction with teaching evaluation management among undergraduates of different grades (freshmen had the lowest satisfaction with teaching evaluation management, while seniors had the highest satisfaction with teaching evaluation management);fourth, the construction of school teaching management system, the level of teaching guarantee and service, and the level of informationization of teaching management cannot meet the satisfaction of undergraduates.

4.2 Recommendation(i) Guiding and fostering a new concept of management and education and innovating on the working mechanism of teaching management. We should adhere to the central position of talent training and the basic status of undergraduate teaching, change the traditional concept of teaching management, and establish a new concept of management and education. We should unswervingly take the promotion of students’ development as the guiding ideology of student affairs management, and try to change from the concept of "covert education" in affairs to "active service" before activities[4].

(ii) Establishing and improving the scientific and rigorous teaching management system to improve students’ sense of identity and satisfaction. When formulating the teaching management system, in line with the principle of openness and transparency, we should consider the work flow and the convenience of implementation, clarify the business process and post responsibilities, establish a "double-post system" for the posts providing students with services, and enhance the credibility of the system based on the core of students’ development. It is necessary to improve the relevant systems and abolish some systems in a timely manner. In the process of implementing the system, we should strengthen the information supervision and feedback, summarize and revise the problems in time, strengthen the consciousness of acting in accordance with the rules and regulations throughout the whole process of teaching management, and prevent administrative power from interfering with teaching management.

(iii) Strengthening the information-based construction of teaching management to improve work efficiency. It is necessary to increase the investment in the informatization of teaching management, build an efficient and convenient information system of teaching management, and serve the work of teaching management. Based on the teaching management of "Internet+", it is necessary to make use of the advantages of modern Internet technology and remote management to enhance the timeliness of network remote guidance and interactive communication. In particular, it is necessary to set up a network classroom and a "second classroom" in combination with online teaching experience during the COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control period. At the same time, in the teaching information release and other aspects, it is necessary to establish a smooth information release channel, timely and accurately send the teaching information to the student terminal, and timely develop the teaching terminal APP[5].

(iv) Strengthening personnel training and creating conditions to improve the teaching guarantee and service level of the school. It is necessary to strengthen the training of school teaching managers in terms of professional skills and professional accomplishment, enhance the sense of responsibility and service of teaching management professionals, give full play to their enthusiasm and innovation in their work, and improve the service efficiency for students. The teaching management department should adhere to the connotation of "student standard", pay attention to coordination and communication, build an interactive communication platform between students and service management departments, and strengthen effective communication and feedback. It is necessary to increase the frequency of study and inspection of teaching managers, and strive to build an innovative and pioneering teaching management team that not only understands the relevant theoretical knowledge of teaching management in colleges and universities, but also is good at engaging in the practice of teaching management in colleges and universities. At the same time, it is necessary to highlight the importance of the work of teaching secretaries in secondary colleges and improve the working connection mechanism of teaching managers in schools and secondary colleges. It is necessary to innovate the work assessment mechanism of teaching management personnel, establish a reasonable and feasible assessment system, such as 360-degree assessment method, and apply the results of student evaluation to the assessment of teaching management personnel, so as to enhance the pertinence and timeliness of the assessment and promote the fairness and impartiality of the management work.