Analysis of the implications of the university academic regime on student experiences: studying in courses of up to 30 people at the UNAJ (Argentina)

This article analyzes the evaluations, perceptions and experiences of university students at a national university in Argentina with respect to a novel format of the university academic regime (AR): the standardization of the size of subject courses to 30 students for every 1 teacher. This characteristic of the AR was selected as it is an expression of the inclusive character that the national university analyzed claims for itself. This feature is presented as an innovative and "different" institutional pedagogical proposal and responds to the institutional expectations of "personalization" and "singularization". The methodological design is inscribed in the interpretative paradigm. The data were obtained from a qualitative and quantitative approach, through focus groups and self-administered surveys conducted in 2018 to undergraduate students of UNAJ. Regarding the students' assessment of the standardization of course size, we found that 7 out of 10 stated that this feature of theAR contributed totally or to agreat extent to their admission and permanence at the university. Students say that closeness is materialized in the individualization and in the possibility of asking questions and talking with teachers. Then, the vast majority of students perceive their teachers as figures who help them and are interested in their learning. We also found that their relationship is perceived as warm, close and affectionate. From our analysis, we found that the standardization of course size is highly valued by the student body and that it imprints particular conditions on the student experience.