Do student and tutor expectations align? Comparing perceptions of undergraduate students and tutors

How do HE tutors and students perceive what an ‘ideal’ student or tutor is? Their perceptions feed into and are indicative of expectations, experiences and, ultimately, outcomes in HE. Guided by Weber’s theory of ideal types, this explorative study utilised surveys and focus group discussions to gather insights from 69 students and eight tutors, drawn from the same department within a UK HE institution. All participants were asked about their understanding of ‘ideal’ students and tutors. Comparative analysis revealed that students held higher expectations of themselves than did tutors. These ‘ideal’ aspirations pertained both in and outside the classroom and were expressed through general characteristics as well as academic prowess. Tutors perceived that an ideal tutor strongly related to their professional qualities and teaching styles, although students laid more emphasis on tutors’ personal qualities rather than professional. Awareness of both alignments and mismatches in student and tutor perceptions of the ‘ideal’ helps to bring greater understanding to the teaching/learning relationship.