When your first year is also your last year

Retention and completion of Early Childhood Studies students with advanced standing

Mark O'Hara, Principal Lecturer in Early Years Education, Sheffield Hallam University

Rosie Bingham, Senior Lecturer in Curriculum and Professional Development, Sheffield Hallam University

Introduction

Building Pathways and Early Childhood degrees at SHU

Retention good Attainment comparable Lessons learned:

Recruitment strategies make a difference Deficit models of students need to be treated with

caution Student support crucial but contested Cost / benefit questions remain Keeping pathways open is an active business

Recruitment data

2001-2005: 18 recruits in total

2001-2002: 3 recruits 2002-2003: 5 recruits 2003-2004: 5 recruits 2004-2005: 5 recruits

ECS students graduating by year

Building Pathways students in parenthesis

Year 1st 2.1 2.2 3rd Total

2002 0 10 16(1) 1(1) 27(2)

2003 2 10(3) 20(2) 0 32(5)

2004 4(1) 13(2) 17(1) 1 35(4)

2005 3 20(2) 20(3) 3 46(5)

Total 9(1) 53(7) 73(7) 5(1) 140(16)

First destination data

Student First Destination

A Sure Start, Play Development Officer

B Nursery Assistant

C Working in overseas early childhood settings until 2006

D No data received

E Enrolled on PGCE 3-7 course

F Enrolled on PGCE 3-7 course

G Nursery Manager

H Enrolled on PGCE 5-11 course

Student First Destination

I Head of Pre-school

J Team Leader, Barclays

K Sure Start Home Visitor & enrolled on PG.Cert in Child Psychology (PT)

L Administrator

M Enrolled on PGCE 3-7 course

O Enrolled on PGCE 3-7 course

P No data received

Q Enrolled on PGCE 3-7 course

R KS1 Teacher

Interview data: Theory and practice

An issue (initially) for HE staff. Not an issue for students at the end: 'I quite

enjoyed grappling with the more abstract theories and ideas'.

Practice informing students' efforts to understand theory.

Academic writing a different matter.

Interview data: Student support & assessment

Student concerns over assessment: 'It was like being at sea'.

Differing traditions of student support: 'We had less support.....but perhaps that was better'.

Particular challenges for direct entrants at Level 6 (e.g. dissertations) had a direct impact on the admissions strategy.

Interview data: Preparation & orientation

HE expectations and culture. Sharp learning curve inevitable. Mentoring, written guidance & advice,

informal peer support networks, L&T strategies.

Rejection of a bridging module. Students in surplus (e.g. experience, inter-

personal skills).

Conclusions

Students with advance standing possess strengths as well as weaknesses; deficit models need to be treated with caution.

Structures and systems matter but so do people and recruitment requires thought.

HE student support may be character-building but the transition needs monitoring and existing practices may struggle in the face of competing policy pressures (i.e. 'working smarter').

Cost - benefit analysis: are the models and lessons learned transferable?

Keeping pathways open in face of diverse and evolving qualifications.