TODAY'S students are more demanding and need much more "spoon-feeding" by their lecturers than previous generations, according to a survey.

Almost four out of five academics aged under 40 said today's students expected far more help with their studies than they did when they were at university.

A majority of the lecturers surveyed also said their career would benefit little from the introduction of university top-fees or the Government's drive to expand student numbers.

More than 300 lecturers aged under 40 were questioned as part of a survey of young academics for The Times Higher Education Supplement.

Responding to its results, the main lecturers' union said students were getting more demanding as a result of fees and the drive to enrol students from a wider range of social backgrounds.