Academic Advising From the Views of Undergraduates: A Focus Group Study

Abstract

This study aims to identify the most common areas that undergraduate students need to receive academic advising, the issues or problems that students have been confronted through the advising process, and their suggestions to improve the effectiveness of academic advising system delivered. The data gathered through four focus groups carried out with 40 voluntary students attending to various faculties of a public university selected as a case in this study was content analysed. At the end of the analysis of the collected data by means of a semi-structured interview guide developed by the researchers through the expert opinions and a pilot study, it was observed that the views of undergraduates on academic advising could be examined under four main categories, namely ‘the role and the resposibilies of academic advisors’, ‘negative attitude and behaviors toward students’, ‘accesibility’, and ‘sugessions of the participants’. At the end of this study, it was realized that academic advising system should be seen as a shared responsibility among all staff in the university and also as a main or strategic part of higher education process.