Dr Stephanie Mckendry, Deborah ONeill, Dr Lesley Roberts and Dr
Nathalie Sheridan Glasgow Caledonian University Researching
under-represented groups: how to empower students through targeted
learning development support
Slide 2
Our role and remit Policy background to the project Competing
views of widening participation support Project and initial
findings Whats next This paper
Slide 3
The Learning Development Centre LDC Director AdminAcademic
Development Tutors (ADTs) ICT Skills Tutor Workshops Drop-ins
Sessions within modules 1-2-1 appointments Tasked with tracking,
monitoring, evaluating and possibly providing targeted support for
the SIMD20 group
Slide 4
Background Scottish Index Of Multiple Deprivation. SIMD20
refers to those postcodes ranked most deprived (lowest 20%) 38
indicators under the groupings- income, employment, health,
education, skills and training, housing, geographic access and
crime. Information used to target policy and funding Similar
information retained by Government for the rest of the UK
Government states that these are deprived areas NOT individuals as
this varies. Not all income deprived people live in the lowest
quintiles.
Slide 5
Glasgow Caledonian University Formed in 1993 with merger of
Glasgow Polytechnic and Queens College, Glasgow 5 th largest in
Scotland in terms of student recruitment. Student population of
over 17,000 3 Academic Schools SIMD20/40 School of Health and Life
Sciences From the new full time UG entrants 25% of students were in
the lowest 20% 43% of students were in the lowest 40% National
average is 14% (11% at old universities)
Slide 6
MD20 student characteristics in the School Age comparison
agestudents 17-20134 21-25322 26-30133 31-3592 36-56134 83% are
mature aged (21 or over) 43% of MD20 students are over 25 27% are
over 30
Slide 7
MD20 student characteristics in the School Students by
department
Slide 8
Retention Rates * full-time Scottish domiciled undergraduates
year all students*MD20 2006/0786.60%83.90% 2007/0890.90%89.10%
2008/0988.60%86.90% Leaving University Early research report
(Rose-Adams, 2012): -non-traditional students (e.g. mature, low HE
participation neighbourhoods, FE entrants) more likely to be
early-leavers than traditional younger students. -Widening
participation indicators significantly associated with
early-leaving for younger students.
Slide 9
Economic downturn has seen the Scottish Funding Council take an
outcomes based approach to funding for 2012-2015 (SFC, 2012)
Partially funded by SFC money GCU outcome agreement (2013/2014)
focus on being inclusive rather than targeting specific groups: Our
new Strategy for Learning enshrines our aim to continue to improve
on progression retention and completion for all our students GCU,
LDC and Funding
Slide 10
Funded by HEFCE Opt out approach - sense of belonging is key to
retention and success and so should have mainstream activities
Collaborative/Proactive working with staff and students, embedding
support before crisis occurs Mainstream approaches can be
supplemented by targeted approaches What works?
Slide 11
Suggests targeted interventions through the lifecycles of
students It has enabled institutions to consider the needs of Care
Leavers as distinct from other vulnerable groups (David Beards,
Scottish Funding Council) The only body that centrally collates
information on Care Leavers in higher education. If they didnt do
this what would happen to this group? Buttle UK
Slide 12
Language of former government policy may have resulted in a
psychological disadvantage amongst those grouped into the category
of the socially excluded. (Williams, 2011) Widening Participation
strategies to target non traditional students are constructed in
terms of a deficit, seeking to change the student ( Leathwood &
Hey, 2009) Frequent use of the term support in policies implies we
are dealing with a vulnerable infantilised group. (Williams, 2011)
Non traditional students have less access to physical and emotional
resources & fewer academic role models and therefore support is
fundamental to social inclusion (Benson et al, 2012) There is not
one dominant factor for students from lower socio-economic
backgrounds, these students however have a wider range of issues
than higher social class students (Pampaka et al, 2012) Widening
Participation Literature: a mixed bag
Slide 13
Aim To improve understanding of the learning and teaching needs
and experiences of the diverse group of MD20 students who attend,
or potentially attend, programmes within the School. Objectives To
use a narrative or biographical approach to capture individual life
histories and student journeys from within the wider, diverse MD20
group (Field, Merrill & West, 2012). To explore the student
experience and learning development needs of those entering higher
education from under- represented groups and work with students as
partners to identify flexible strategies for learning support. To
employ quantitative instruments to track LDC usage and progression
rates of the MD20 category. The project
Slide 14
Research Phases 2. Semi structured interviews with students
currently studying in the School who live within the MD20
residential category 3. Semi-structured interviews with staff
members with a role in recruiting, retaining and supporting
students from MD20 backgrounds. 1. Statistical analysis of
performance and progression data and LDC data, documentary and
policy audit. 4. Semi-structured interviews with college students
considering studying in the School who live within the MD20
residential category
Slide 15
Workshops: MD20 to School comparison MD20 students make up 19%
of the School MD20 students account for 26% of workshop attendances
in trimester 1 2012/13 22% of workshop attendances in trimester 2
2012/13 1:1s: MD20 to School comparison MD20 students make up 19%
of the School MD20 students account for: 20% of 1:1 appointments in
trimester 1 2012/13 25% of 1:1 appointments in trimester 2 2012/13
Phase 1 LDC usage by MD20 students
Slide 16
Phase 1 Missing data? MD20 students appear to access LDC
support -Is it effective? -What impact does it have on retention
and progression? How can we measure impact? -What of those who do
not access support? -MD20 category now being considered in
collation of retention and progression data.
Slide 17
Phase 2 participants CodeAgeYear of study Programme of
studyRoute to university 1181Psychology and interactive
entertainment Secondary school 2491Learning Disability NursingFE
Access course 3192PsychologyTransferred from other HEI
4353Biomedical ScienceDirect entry to 3 rd year from FE (HND)
5321Social WorkFE Access course 6331Adult NursingFE Access course
7361Adult NursingFE Access course 8361Adult NursingHNC and FE
Access Course 9191Diagnostic ImagingHNC
Slide 18
Semi-structured interviews Tell me about how you came to be
studying here. What led you to this point in your life? How would
you describe your past education? Tell me about your life now. What
kind of student would you describe yourself as? Do you think that
coming from an MD20 postcode has played a role in your life? Do you
think there is a need for the university to identify an MD20
category of students? What is the biggest barrier to your learning?
What is your greatest strength as a student?
Slide 19
Initial thematic analysis
Slide 20
Case studies - RH Route of entry Having failed to gain entry to
any of the 3 Diagnostic Imaging programmes directly from school, RH
completed a HNC at college before entry the following year.
Previous educational experiences It is a good school. Although you
know it doesnt have a uniform policy or anything like that. Its
quite relaxed in that way if I was interested in something I was
able to do it. Like art for instance. I was really interested in
art and I did want to maybe follow that up, but erm, and I did get
the opportunity to and everything, like doing higher art. But I
knew that there wasnt a career behind it. MotivationsFamily
tradition of healthcare work, RHs mother is a nurse and her
grandmother was a radiographer. Keen to work in a caring profession
and utilise her academic strengths in the sciences. Strong desire
for a stable income and lifelong career. Considered becoming tattoo
artist but decided that radiography would be a more worthwhile,
sensible investment over the longer term. Attitudes towards MD20
category I wouldnt say it was a hindrance or anything. I would say
it maybe more as theyre realistic because, obviously you know.
Maybe if you were in a kind of private school things like that you
know youre pushed to get the highest grades you can and youre
pushed to go to university. RH felt that her neighbourhood was a
strong, supportive community.
Slide 21
Case studies - AC Route of entryFollowing employment in the
tourist industry, AC worked for over three years in the Job Centre
then in community work. Redundancy offer the opportunity to care
for her young child full-time before embarking on an access course
to social work. Previous educational experiences Having completed
standard grades, AC went immediately to college to study travel and
tourism for, in her own words, a free holiday. The ethics in my
house well from my parents was you go out and you get a job and you
work and that was it. Its no even you go out and get a job and you
work your way up in the job you just go out and get a job a stable
job and then you work and provide an income. MotivationsProfession
and desire to tackle social injustice. Stable income and
employment. Attitudes towards MD20 category AC felt very strongly
about the possible labelling of students. The receipt of the email
invitation to interview had provoked a certain amount of anger and
led to a discussion within class. Concern postcodes had impact on
application, entry to the course because of background rather than
personal statement.
Slide 22
Student feedback Students returning to study support directed
specifically to this group (some objection to mature age student)
Carers support directed specifically to students with children or
other caring responsibilities Feedback More understanding of
non-content feedback Repackaging current services funding, Careers,
Learning Development Centre, Positive living Website update current
system overcrowded, important information difficult to find. Staff
mentoring, not student led, fear of lack of confidentiality
speaking to fellow students Students contributing to support eg.
panels in workshops, video- blogs, mentors working with children at
tutorials High School University discourse embedded from first year
in a non-forceful way to normalise University attendance Bespoke
support packages students given the opportunity at induction to
identify areas needing development
Slide 23
Whats next Packages of support (such as interactive website,
workshops, more after hours support) for identified groups. Eg. -
Students returning to study - Carers - Looking into allowing
parents to bring children - Link to other services Complete other
research phases -Further thematic coding -Staff interviews
-Interviews with college students
References Benson, R., Heagney, M., Hewitt, L., Crosling, G.,
Devos, A., S. 2012 Social inclusion and the student experience:
what are the implications for academic support? Widening
Participation and Lifelong Learning. Volume 14, No 2, pp11-28
Buttle UK. 2012. The Buttle UK Quality Mark Commitment to Care
Leavers [online] Available from
http://www.buttleuk.org/pages/quality-mark-for-care-leavers.html
http://www.buttleuk.org/pages/quality-mark-for-care-leavers.html
(last accessed March 24) Field, J., Merrill, B. & West, L. 2012
Life history approaches to access and retention on non-traditional
students in higher education: A cross European approach European
Journal for Research on the Education and Learning of Adults, 3:1,
77-89. Hey, V. & Leathwood, C. (2009), Passionate Attachments:
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Pampika, M., Williams, J., Hutcheson, G. 2011. Measuring Students
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1041-1071
Slide 26
References Rose-Adams, J. (2012) Leaving University Early: A
Research Report from the back on course project, back on course /
The Open University: Milton Keynes. Scottish Funding Council. 2012.
Scottish Funding Council Strategic Plan 2012-2015: Delivering
ambitious change [online] Available from
http://www.sfc.ac.uk/web/FILES/ReportsandPublications/Scottish_Funding_Council_Strategic_Plan_2012-
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http://www.sfc.ac.uk/web/FILES/ReportsandPublications/Scottish_Funding_Council_Strategic_Plan_2012-
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http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0041/00410895http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0041/00410895
(last accessed March 20, 2013) Scottish Government. (2012) Scottish
index of multiple deprivation, available from:
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Thomas, L. 2012. Building student engagement and belonging in
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retention/What_works_summary_report.pdf Williams, J., (2011)
Raising expectations or constructing victims? Problems with
promoting social inclusion through lifelong learning, International
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