Learning outcomes in higher education: assumptions, positions and the views of early-career staff in the UK system

According to the UK Quality Assurance Agency, the adoption and use of learning outcomes has been complete across UK higher education since 2007, when it declared that ‘most departments and institutions have fully adopted the principles of learning outcomes’. And yet, the evidence from the ground to support this statement is currently lacking. The issue of learning outcomes has been a topic of debate, which runs far deeper than the most recent criticisms. So far there have only been sporadic and limited attempts at researching exactly how learning outcomes are used by both teaching staff and students. Whether they indeed support student learning through the constructive alignment model put forward by Biggs, or whether they are simply another bureaucratic hoop to jump through which has no impact on the learning process. This paper aims to add to the increasing evidence base by presenting the findings of research carried out amongst early career, probationary staff at a research-led institution in the UK, and hopes to contribute to wider debates which will eventually influence policy.