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Male Access and Participation in HE
Number of accepted UCAS applicants by gender, 2002 to 2009: all UK domiciled applicants
Number of accepted UCAS applicants by gender, 2002 to 2009: all UK domiciled applicants
Source: Dyhouse, C. (2006), Students: A Gendered History, (London: Routledge), Epstein, D., Elwood, J., Hey, V. & Maw, J. (1998), Failing Boys? Issues in Gender and Achievement, (Buckingham: Open University Press)
Headlines:
‘Concerns as boys shun university.’ Anon, BBC News (January 30, 2007).
University is ‘turning into a girl-dominated arena at a frighteningly' quick pace. D. Hofkins, The Sunday Times (February 25, 2007).
‘Boys ‘‘less likely to go to college’’, warns charity.’ J. Meikle, The Guardian (August 28, 2007).
‘Over the past 15 years around 270,000 fewer young men than young women have entered higher education as a result of their lower participation rate’. (Trends in Young Participation in Higher Education, HEFCE, January 2010).
Number of accepted UCAS applicants from low socio-economic backgrounds (NS-SEC 4-7) by gender, 2002 to 2008: all UK domiciled applicants
Percentage of male and female accepted applicants from NS-SEC 4-7, 2002-2008
Implications...
‘The biggest problem that universities are confronting is getting working class boys into HE’, Brown in North, ‘Too cool for school and it’s downhill from there’ (THES, 25 February 2005)
‘If we are not careful, we are going to arrive at a position where young lads are alienated, under-skilled and disadvantaged in the labour market’ (David Eastwood, HEFCE, 2007)
‘In parts of Britain, white males have more chance of going to prison than entering HE’, Swain, THES ( 7 July 2006)
‘The academic gap between the sexes is growing and risks creating a generation of lost young men’ (The Observer, June 9, 2009).
A typology of explanations for low HE progression rates amongst boys from lower socio-economic backgrounds
Individual
PupilParent/Household; Peer group
ClassSchool
NeighbourhoodLocal community
Wider society
Societal
A typology of explanations for low HE progression rates amongst boys from lower socio-economic backgrounds
Individual
PupilParent/Household; Peer group
ClassSchool
NeighbourhoodLocal community
Wider society
Societal
The typology assessed (i)
Identify the principal reasons you believe comparatively few boys from lower socio-economic backgrounds go on to HE.
5 minutes
The typology assessed (ii)
Interventions for tackling the under-representation of males from lower socio-economic background in HE.
5 minutes
Common features of successful projects
Local context - indentifying local need
Partnership approach
Informed by research
Use of role models
Evaluation – learning from previous events
Interactive
Competitive element
Tapped into boys ‘interests’: football, engineering, etc.
Pre-GCSE cohort
involve other ‘influencers’
Multiplier effect
Part of a programme .
