WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING IS... : ANALYSIS OF STUDENT COMMENTS FROM THE NSSE
A major challenge of assessing students' experiences in postsecondary education is collecting an array
of information that inform institutions about what students do and how they make meaning of their
experiences during their time in particular educational environments.
While the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is highly respected and broadly
administered throughout higher education, most, if not all, of the analyses of NSSE data have been
conducted on the quantitative responses to its survey items. Very little attention is given to students'
responses to the open-ended question at the end of the NSSE survey, "Do you have any other
comments?"
This study explored the open-ended responses undergraduate students provided on the NSSE
regarding their engagement with educationally purposeful activities at a large urban research institution.
Content analyses were conducted on 739 coded responses from students, yielding 10 thematic
categories organized into 4 experience domains. Additionally the study explored the distinctions among
the categorical and domain responses across and among the nine colleges/faculties within the study
institution.
Potential implications, limitations and opportunities related to the study findings are discussed as well.
Considerable research on college student development suggest that the time and energy students
devote to educationally purposeful activities is the single best predictor of their learning and personal
development (Astin, 1993; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Pace, 1980). Quality institutions can be
viewed as those that fully engage their students in a variety of activities that contribute to valued and
meaningful educational outcomes. A major challenge is collecting an array of information that inform
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