University lecturers have agreed "more needs to be done" to improve their lecturing skills but feel students also had to be proactive.

Reacting to a student feedback survey, the University of Malta Academic Staff Association (Umasa) said it was pleased to know most students felt lecturers were well prepared and knowledgeable. It was also happy to know that the majority of students felt they were treated fairly and equally.

"However, the fact that a substantial number of students still feel some of their lecturers are not very good public speakers means there is still work to be done in this regard," it said.

The association added that, in a University environment, the students shared the responsibility for learning to a much greater extent than in primary and secondary schools. "University students are of sufficient maturity to be proactive in their studies and to seek out new knowledge on their own to complement the knowledge received during lectures. This is, in fact, part of the training process of the students and it is one of the duties of a University lecturer to give space for the students to do this."

The survey, carried out by the University Students' Council (KSU) among 550 students, found nearly nine in 10 students thought lecturers were knowledgeable and three quarters felt they were well prepared. But more than four in 10 felt lectures were not well delivered and that lecturers were not good public speakers. More than half the students said lectures were not understandable or stimulating.

The survey also found that three quarters of students believed there has been no improvement in the quality of education following the rise in salary lecturers received 18 months ago.

Umasa pointed out that the collective agreement was expected to bear maximum fruition in the medium and longer terms and, among other things, it highlighted the importance of education, training and development of academic staff. It also set out a strategy for training in pedagogy, educational technologies and lecturing methods.

Umasa added that student feedback exercises at the end of every semester were reinstated by the University in agreement with the unions to ensure continuous improvement.