What are students actually saying about Communication about course and teaching (NSS 2018–2025)?
Students’ comments on course and teaching communications are predominantly negative across the board. The picture varies by mode of study, disability, ethnicity and subject area, but the overall tone points to issues with clarity, timeliness and reliability of information flows.
Scope: UK NSS open-text comments for Communication about course and teaching across academic years 2018–2025.
Volume: 6,214 comments in this category (≈1.6% of all 385,317 comments); 100% have sentiment analysis.
Overall mood: 24.4% Positive, 72.5% Negative, 3.1% Neutral; sentiment index −30.0.
What are students saying in this category?
- The category is heavily negative (−30.0), with nearly three negative comments for every positive.
- Full-time students (79.2% of comments) are more negative (−32.0) than part-time students (−18.0).
- Disabled students report a steeper negative tone (−35.4) than those not disabled (−28.4).
- Ethnicity differences are notable: White students (−32.4) are more negative than Asian (−21.1) and Black students (−13.4).
- By subject group (CAH1), the strongest headwinds appear in Medicine and dentistry (−44.8) and several creative/media areas (around −35 to −39). More moderate sentiment appears in Physical sciences (−15.1) and Geography/Earth/Environmental studies (−17.3).
Low-count segments exist; interpret very small groups with caution.
Variation by segment (2018–2025)
Key segments at a glance
| Segment | Group | Share % | Pos % | Neg % | Sentiment idx | n |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | All | 100.0 | 24.4 | 72.5 | −30.0 | 6214 |
| Age | Young | 72.2 | 23.9 | 73.0 | −31.0 | 4485 |
| Age | Mature | 25.2 | 25.5 | 71.3 | −26.6 | 1563 |
| Mode | Full-time | 79.2 | 23.1 | 73.7 | −32.0 | 4920 |
| Mode | Part-time | 16.6 | 31.2 | 65.9 | −18.0 | 1029 |
| Disability | Disabled | 19.7 | 19.9 | 76.3 | −35.4 | 1223 |
| Disability | Not disabled | 77.7 | 25.5 | 71.6 | −28.4 | 4827 |
| Sex | Female | 63.4 | 23.8 | 73.1 | −30.6 | 3941 |
| Sex | Male | 33.8 | 25.5 | 71.3 | −28.3 | 2101 |
| Ethnicity | White | 70.8 | 22.3 | 74.7 | −32.4 | 4402 |
| Ethnicity | Asian | 9.2 | 30.9 | 65.0 | −21.1 | 569 |
| Ethnicity | Black | 4.2 | 37.5 | 59.1 | −13.4 | 259 |
Subject groups (CAH1): largest cohorts and extremes
| CAH1 subject group | Share % | Pos % | Neg % | Sentiment idx | n |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 20.1 | 20.3 | 76.7 | −35.0 | 1247 |
| (CAH02) Subjects allied to medicine | 14.0 | 22.1 | 75.3 | −33.8 | 869 |
| (CAH15) Social sciences | 7.5 | 28.1 | 68.2 | −27.1 | 469 |
| (CAH01) Medicine and dentistry | 6.9 | 14.6 | 83.1 | −44.8 | 431 |
| (CAH07) Physical sciences | 1.4 | 36.4 | 63.6 | −15.1 | 88 |
| (CAH26) Geography, earth and environmental studies | 1.6 | 30.3 | 65.7 | −17.3 | 99 |
| (CAH24) Media, journalism and communications | 0.9 | 19.0 | 79.3 | −39.3 | 58 |
| (CAH13) Architecture, building and planning | 1.4 | 22.5 | 77.5 | −35.7 | 89 |
What this means in practice
- Establish a single source of truth: one channel for authoritative course information, with time-stamped updates and a brief “what changed/why/when it takes effect” note.
- Publish a predictable rhythm: weekly summary, clear escalation route, and realistic response times. Minimise last‑minute changes; when unavoidable, explain promptly.
- Make communications accessible: plain language, clear subject lines, structured headings, and formats compatible with assistive technologies.
- Target high-need segments:
- Full-time cohorts: earlier notice of key dates and a short “no-change window” before assessments/teaching blocks.
- Apprentices and professionally intensive programmes: align calendars with external partners; maintain an explicit changes log.
- Disabled students: provide advance notice where possible and offer alternative formats by default.
- Monitor subject-level outliers: where sentiment is steeply negative (e.g., Medicine and dentistry; some creative/media areas), run a monthly comms audit to check clarity, consistency and timing.
How Student Voice Analytics helps you
- Track category sentiment over time and by segment (mode, age, disability, ethnicity, subject group).
- Drill from provider to school/department for targeted action plans and concise briefings.
- Compare like-for-like across CAH subject groups and demographics, and export tables/insights for programme teams and academic boards.
Data at a glance (2018–2025)
- Volume: 6,214 comments; 100% with sentiment.
- Share of all comments: ≈1.6%.
- Overall mood: 24.4% Positive, 72.5% Negative, 3.1% Neutral; index −30.0.
- Largest segments by share: Full-time (79.2%), Young (72.2%), White (70.8%), Not disabled (77.7%).
- Notable variation: Part-time (−18.0) less negative than Full-time (−32.0); Disabled (−35.4) more negative than Not disabled (−28.4); Medicine and dentistry (−44.8) among the lowest by subject.
Subject specific insights on "communication about course and teaching"
communication about course and teaching + (CAH17-01-01) business and management (non-specific)
Enhancing communication in UK business and management courses
Exploring strategies to improve learning for business and management students in the UK.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH10-01-04) aeronautical and aerospace engineering
Communication: aerospace engineering students' perspectives
Examining the impact of communication on aeronautical and aerospace engineering students' education and engagement.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH26-01-03) human geography
Communication and feedback: insights from human geography students
Learn how effective communication and student feedback improve learning in human geography. Gain valuable insights directly from student experiences.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH13-01-01) architecture
Architecture students' perspectives on communication
An analysis of architecture students' education experiences, emphasizing the importance of effective communication and course structure.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH02-05-01) medical technology
Medical technology students' perspectives
Learn about the communication issues facing medical technology students, their impact on learning, and proposed solutions for better clarity.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH15-04-01) social work
Social work student views on their education journey
An insightful look into social work students' perspectives on their education, emphasising the importance of communication.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH17-01-02) business studies
Improving business studies with better communication and structure
Explore how effective communication and organisation can transform the learning experience in business studies.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH03-01-06) zoology
Communication and teaching in zoology studies
Learn how effective communication and teaching methods impact zoology studies in UK higher education, directly from student feedback.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH03-01-03) ecology and environmental biology
Improving communication in ecology and environmental biology courses
Learn how students rate communication in ecology and environmental biology courses and see what improvements can be made.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH03-01-02) biology (non-specific)
Student views on communication in biology studies
Learn how UK biology education utilizes student feedback and clear communication to boost learning and effectiveness.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH25-02-02) music
Communication and course challenges in music studies
Read insights on the challenges in communication and courses within music studies and how they impact student experiences.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH01-01-02) medicine (non-specific)
Communication in medicine courses
Learn about the essentials of effective communication in medical courses and how it shapes student success in the UK medical education system.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH02-04-02) adult nursing
Communication about teaching in adult nursing education
Read about student views on communication in UK adult nursing education and how it impacts their academic experience and success.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH04-01-01) psychology (non-specific)
Enhancing student communication in psychology courses
Explore strategies to improve engagement and communication in psychology courses.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH16-01-01) law
Effective communication about teaching in law education
Explore challenges and solutions in communicating with law students to enhance their academic experience.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH22-01-02) teacher training
Communication and course structure in teacher training
Addressing communication challenges in teacher training programs.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH20-01-01) history
Communication challenges in history education
An analysis of communication barriers faced by history students.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH11-01-01) computer science
Communication barriers in computer science education
A look at how addressing communication issues can significantly enhance computer science education.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH15-03-01) politics
Enhancing communication in politics courses: student perspectives and challenges
Explore challenges and innovations in communications within politics courses from student perspectives.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH17-01-04) management studies
Student perspectives on communication in management studies
Insights into how clear communication shapes learning & outcomes in management studies.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH15-02-01) economics
Improving communication between economics students and faculty
Exploring ways to enhance interaction between economics faculty and students for better educational outcomes.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH02-04-01) nursing (non-specific)
Communication to nursing students in UK higher education
Explore challenges UK nursing students face combining theoretical knowledge and practical skills.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH02-04-07) mental health nursing
Student's perspectives on communication in mental health nursing courses
Exploring student insights on communication in mental health nursing education.
communication about course and teaching + (CAH02-05-03) biomedical sciences (non-specific)
Enhancing communication in biomedical sciences education
Exploring the essential role of effective communication in biomedical sciences education and its impact on student success.