Management and development of action tutorial plans at the university. Case studies

Abstract

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to analyze successful Tutorial Action Plans (TAP) from different institutions, and to generate a reference framework for the creation of a management model for university tutoring.The research was based on case studies from six universities in northeastern Spain, specifically from the Autonomous Communities of Catalonia, Valencia, Aragon and Basque Country, where in-depth interviews were conducted. A qualitative approach was used and the obtained data was processed using the text analysis software Max QDA. This analysis yielded 418 units of meaning, divided into 8 different categories of analyses that were associated with development and management of TAPs.The results from the generated reference framework showed that, the development and impact of TAPs in the analyzed institutions is either positively or negatively affected by: their culture, the role of their authorities, the educational counseling models and the organizational structure that they adopt to support the process of tutorial action. These findings suggest the need of a re-evaluation of the management methods used on university tutoring. The evidence also indicates the existence of pyramidal and collaborative functioning systems, and a combination of clinical models, programs and services that appear more strongly depending on the type of articulation considered in the TAP.