Understanding undergraduate attributes: A survey of student self-reported interest in and acceptance of diversity at the start of academic year 2014

<div>In addition to graduating students with significant disciplinary knowledge and skill, universities often seek to inculcate a range of generic cognitive and communicative skills and valued attitudes and dispositions. In New Zealand and Australia, these ambitions are referred to as graduate attributes.</div><div>This report examines student self‐reported endorsement of one attribute drawn from The University of Auckland’s Graduate Profile and contrasts mean scores according to</div><div>degree programme and progress. Specifically, students in the Faculty of Education were surveyed in the first half of the 2014 academic year as to their self‐rated respect for the</div><div>values of other individuals and groups, and appreciation of human and cultural diversity.</div><div>A 30‐item survey was completed by 342 students, and factor analyses resulted in a 7‐item, 1‐factor (unidimensional) model with adequate fit. There were no statistically significant differences in the mean scores of first‐year undergraduates, final‐year undergraduates, and Graduate Diploma students (who had already completed a bachelor’s degree in a non‐education discipline).</div>