Counselling in Study Methods

The plethora of literature available on study methods seems to promise much, but gives little concrete advice. How can teachers help students to study? While there are many self-help manuals for students, this invaluable book gives teachers the methods by which they can personally assist their students to be more independent as learners. This research began by considering the leap students were taking from a fact-oriented school examination system to one characterized by more advanced conceptual thinking, where even the most conscientious student may struggle, precluding them from full participation in major teaching methods like tutorials.The author reports here on her own research at Exeter University's Study Methods Centre, working directly with students to discover their difficulties, if any, and to find practical ways by which they could help themselves. The book affirms that this insight is what breeds the confidence that has to be won before the often simple advice can be heeded and acted on, leading to the student solving the problem independently. The students need help to come free from what is often a form of inner paralysis and make these decisions for themselves.
The depth of the author's experience as an academic, teacher and counsellor has given a breadth to the recommendations, concerning the development of trust and the understanding of students' problems, that are applicable to every Further Education College and university.