Fear of Administrative Law? Student Emotions Around Studying Administrative Law at an Australian University

Existing research and scholarship have established that emotions impact on student learning. However, to date, there has been little research regarding the learning experiences of students studying administrative law at the tertiary level. In this exploratory study at an Australian research-intensive university, we set out to explore the types of anticipatory emotions experienced by administrative law students at the start of term. One hundred and sixty-six administrative law students at the University of New South Wales were surveyed during 2021 about their perceptions of studying the course. Students reported a mix of both positive emotions such as interest and excitement, as well as negative emotions such as boredom and fear. The most salient factor influencing student emotions were perceptions about the topic and course content. While generally students valued administrative law and believed they would be successful in the course, they also reported concerns relating to its workload. These findings provide valuable insight into student perceptions of administrative law, alongside an evidence base for improving the learning and teaching of this topic for future cohorts and contributing to the wellbeing of law students.