A phenomenographic study exploring students' perceptions and experience of a Legal Skills module in a Business and Law programme

Abstract

Familiarising students with skills connected to the legal culture is a critical element of learning law. Skills are part of the law and therefore are largely included in the portfolio of modules within programmes. The development of Legal Skills is vital in the student learning journey - at undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional levels. The significance of Legal Skills is widely discussed within the literature together with shared expertise, innovations, and best practice. While skills provision is largely accepted as an essential offering in law courses, little research is available on the student perspective and their experience of completing Legal Skills modules. To continue the discussion of Legal Skills a greater understanding of the student experience is necessary. This research aims to contribute to knowledge by exploring how undergraduate Business and Law students experienced a mandatory Legal Skills module within their programme. This research investigated students’ perspectives on the Legal Skills module based on their lived experience. Eliciting students' views about their lived experience aims to redress the lack of awareness of the student perspective of Legal Skills modules.

This research was approached as a study of the lived experience of those who completed the module and were now in the later stages of the programme. A phenomenographic approach was adopted. As an empirical research approach, phenomenography uncovers the qualitative variation in the students’ perceptions and experiences of this module. Interviews were completed with students at Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) Midlands, about their experiences of the first-year Legal Skills module. The data was analysed following phenomenographic principles.

The findings of this research provide greater visibility and awareness of the first-year Legal Skills module from the students’ perspective. It presents new knowledge of students’ perceptions of Legal Skills and encompasses a comprehensive exploration of the student experience of Legal Skills. The variations in the perspective and experiences of this module generate a holistic insight into the Legal Skills module. The data analysis revealed that students’ expectations of the module varied with Legal Skills being difficult to define. However, the students' contributions also demonstrated the different experiences of the module, with evidence of it being experienced as an integral module and, for others, as an ancillary element of the programme. The students welcomed the practical and interactive nature of the module. Students articulated that they could see the application of the module beyond the confines of the module itself with evidence of transfer of learning. Students’ views of the assessment of Legal Skills extended beyond the evaluation of learning. The students displayed an awareness that assessment serves functions such as influencing their engagement with learning and also involving the provision of feedback. As technology and digital tools have transformed the range of information that is available, and with the legal technologies landscape changing rapidly, students have outlined their views on the relevance of legal skills and legal research instruction. These findings extend knowledge about students’ desire and motivation to read the law and provide insights into students' approaches to legal research. The findings also demonstrate students' perceptions of the applications of these skills in the future.

The findings based on the students’ perceptions and experience have clear implications for informing curriculum development and practice. Recommendations include designing and delivering law programmes that are more fully integrated, where skills are employed and reviewed regularly. Collaboration, planning, and the creation of a skills agenda across the programme ensures the blending and infusion of skills throughout the programme. Grounding the skills in the Legal Skills module with the subsequent emphasis throughout the doctrinal areas will assist students in developing their skills. Regularly calling upon and practising the skills allows students to appreciate the significance of the skills throughout their studies and the continued application of these skills in their future lives. Deepening the integration of skills across the programme can avoid any discord between the doctrinal areas and the skills module and can bolster the progress made in the Legal Skills module.

The effect of this research is to provide a more comprehensive and holistic picture of the student experience of Legal Skills than previously presented. The findings extend the understanding of students’ perspectives of Legal Skills. The insights from this research expand awareness of the position of the undergraduate student and their experience and application of Legal Skills. These findings contribute to all involved in legal education as we can learn from these contributions by responding and reforming our practices and curriculum.

Date of Award	27 Mar 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Northumbria University
Supervisor	Jonny Hall (Supervisor)