From lifelong learning to youth employment: back to the future for higher education in Scotland’s colleges

This article explores aspects of the experience of higher education students in a Scottish college within the context of widespread contemporary concern about youth unemployment. Analysis of published data reveals a marked shift in the demographic profile of higher education students in colleges in favour of young people. An unseen consequence of this change has been a decline in opportunities for older students, particularly women wishing to study part time at an advanced level. Survey data from one college follows up an earlier case study and explores new dimensions of the work/life/study balance. In this study the respective experiences of school leavers, young adults and adults are compared. Over half of the students were in paid work, an increase compared with the previous survey. The relationship between work or family life and study was significant in influencing the quality of the students’ experience. Young part-time students, many of whom were following modern apprenticeships, achieved a more successful work/life/study balance compared with full-time students who were in paid work. It is recommended that colleges should devote attention to enabling students to maximise the benefits of combining work with study, to prepare them for transition into a difficult labour market. It is also argued that the different priorities of older lifelong learners should continue to be recognised as their numbers decline.     

Student ambassador experience in higher education: Skills and competencies for the future?

Lifelong learning, where individuals keep modifying, renewing and updating their existing skills and competencies, is an essential requirement in the knowledge economy. Yet research has shown that employers often find it hard to hire individuals who are equipped with sufficiently rounded competencies in areas such as commitment, enthusiasm and timekeeping. The Student Ambassador (SA) scheme offers university students the opportunity to undertake relatively well‐paid and flexible part‐time jobs around widening participation initiatives, which, in general, focus on raising aspiration and attainment of young people from more disadvantaged backgrounds. This article examines research evidence into the SA scheme in South‐East London and, in particular, focuses on analysing whether the scheme offers students an ideal part‐time job opportunity while in higher education. It will be seen that SAs not only gain complex transferable skills while earning money, but also engage in something that they perceive to be a highly rewarding and valuable experience.     

Podcasting in higher education: What are the implications for teaching and learning?

A podcast is any digital media file, or series of files, distributed over the Internet for playback on portable media players and personal computers. This study explored the attitudes, perceptions, and use of podcasting as reported by instructors and students at a large American Midwestern university. The results of two online surveys were examined, focusing specifically on items related to teaching and learning. Findings suggest that students use podcast materials largely for reviewing concepts and issues raised in lectures that they have previously attended. While instructors and students agree that podcasts help students learn, students are less sure about whether podcasts improve instructors' teaching. The authors argue that podcasts can help instructors change face-to-face instruction from traditional didactic lectures to more constructivist learning practices.     

Vocational education and the binary higher education system in the Netherlands: higher education symbiosis or vocational education dichotomy?

The Netherlands has a binary higher education system in which academic education and higher professional education at EQF levels 5–8 co-exist. There is also secondary vocational education at EQF levels 1 up to 4. In this paper, I analyse policy documents resulting from the Bologna Process and argue that under neo-liberal conditions, higher professional education brings opportunities for both students and employers, but also creates a socio-economic tension in terms of employability. The gap between higher professional education and secondary vocational education adds to the formation of a labour market in which higher professional education graduates are prepared to an international labour market but employability pressure is being put on lower skilled employees, creating unequal employability opportunities for vocational education graduates.     

Widening participation in higher education: constructions of “going to university”

Progress towards the British Government’s goal of 50% of young people undertaking higher education has been slow, particularly among pupils from working‐class backgrounds.

This study examines the range of viewpoints held by 53 Year 12 pupils in a former coalfield area, all of whom were eligible to apply for university. Each completed a Q‐sort on 60 statements concerning “going to university”. By‐person factor analysis yielded five viewpoints termed “positive”, “put off”, “perplexed”, “pragmatic” and “other plans”. Detailed analysis of these viewpoints provides new insights and practical implications for raising educational aspirations in disadvantaged areas.     

Unlocking the gates to the peasants: are policies of ‘fairness’ or ‘inclusion’ more important for equity in higher education?

Attempts to make higher education more equitable more readily succeed at the aggregate (sector) level than at the institutional, with students from disadvantaged groups being overrepresented in low-status institutions. It is suggested that this is because policies of ‘fairness’ (i.e. proportional representation) dominate the contemporary policy framework and are strongly resisted by elite universities. However, using the Australian higher education sector as an example, this paper argues that equity policy is actually a mix of ‘proportional fairness’ and ‘inclusion’ and elite institutions resist not because the policy is deficient but because it might actually work. An alternative approach to higher education equity policy is proposed; one which requires elite institutions to engage meaningfully with disadvantaged students but allows them to retain their status advantage.     

‘How are we going to do it?’ An exploration of the barriers to access to higher education amongst young people from disadvantaged communities

The number of young people progressing to higher education (HE) in Ireland has grown significantly over the last three decades but inequality of access and participation remain a major policy challenge. This article sets out to explore the factors which impact on levels of participation in HE by young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, based on interviews and focus groups with 70 secondary school students and 25 parents in three case-study locations. In line with previous research, we found that financial considerations continue to have an important influence on decisions about whether to go on to higher education. The findings in relation to young people’s aspirations and orientations to HE present a more complex picture. While the majority of students aspired to go on to HE, this was countered by a lack of confidence in relation to certain aspects of college life, both social and academic.     

Women and higher education in Iran: What are the implications for employment and the “marriage market”?

International Review of Education - In contemporary Iran, women with higher education face both gender discrimination and an unfavourable economic system, one that is not conducive to...     

Women and higher education in Iran: What are the implications for employment and the “marriage market”?

In contemporary Iran, women with higher education face both gender discrimination and an unfavourable economic system, one that is not conducive to employment-generation for women. This paper provides an analysis of women’s access to higher education in Iran, which has varied over the last 30 years, and their continuously limited participation in the job market. Based on qualitative field research, this paper includes the voices of individual women, discussing their experience of higher education and factors they think are contributing to their limited choice of employment. The paper suggests that while the recent trend in negotiating mehrieh (a nuptial gift which is payable by the groom to the bride) has been a strategy employed by Iranian women to overcome some of the discriminatory laws they are subject to, this trend cannot actually be explained by the fact that women’s employment opportunities are limited. The paper concludes by asserting that limited labour force participation for educated women is a consequence of both political economy and gender ideology.     

Matching between students and universities: What are the sources of inequalities of access to higher education?

It is assumed that a perfect balance between student academic achievement and the quality of the university they attend is beneficial both for students and higher education institutions (HEIs). Matching theory predicts the existence of perfect match between the two groups in the absence of transaction costs associated with university enrolment. However, in this study we show cases of mismatch situations in Russia under the Unified State Exam—the standardised student admission mechanism. The reasons for minimal transaction costs and the emergence of unequal access to HEIs were studied. Based on data on Moscow high school graduates who entered university, the determinants of the mismatch between the quality of universities and applicant abilities were assessed. Whilst overall favourable matching results are established, we show that individual student achievement results are subject to the influence of school and family characteristics. Thus, inequality of access can be formed at stages preceding higher education enrolment.     

Stairway to employment? Internships in higher education

This article aims to shed light on the current debate regarding the role of internships in higher education in graduates’ employability. In specific, it analyses empirical data on a large-scale study of Portuguese first-cycle study programmes, in order to explore indicators of the professional value of internships in the employability of higher education graduates. Results demonstrate that study programmes that include internships tend to significantly enhance graduates’ employability, particularly within the universe of polytechnic and public higher education institutions. Besides the instrumental value of internships, the impact of the nature and structure of the internship on the percentage of unemployed graduates are also discussed. Mandatory internships and the inclusion of multiple, shorter internships throughout the degree are negatively associated with unemployment levels. Results indicate work-based learning can be used as a successful strategy to bridge theoretical knowledge and practice and enhance graduate employability. These findings provide important insights for the evaluation and/or the design of internship programmes in higher education.     

On the relationship between society and higher education: what path should we take?

Abstract

The current network society, with its primacy of information and communication technologies, is challenging the higher education model. The needs and expectations of today’s students differ from those of students in the past, and educational practices should adapt to modern times. But what changes will we see in the relationship between societal transformation and the higher education system? In this research paper, we set out a quantum-based approach in order to analyze this relationship and to advance the understanding about the role that distance education will play in the future. Under this perspective, we provide an illustration that allows for the representation and evaluation of future scenarios.     

Self-concept of students in higher education: are there differences by faculty and gender?

Many studies examine student self-concept during compulsory schooling but few have explored the self-concept of students in higher educational settings. The current study examined self-concept by faculty and gender among higher education students in New Zealand. Participants were 929 undergraduate students from a large New Zealand university. The results showed some differences in verbal and maths self-concept by faculty. Generally, students in faculties teaching subjects more reliant on maths skills had higher maths self-concept than those in faculties where facility in verbal skills was important. The opposite results were found for verbal self-concept. No overall gender differences were found for general, academic, verbal and maths self-concept although a statistically significant difference was found for problem-solving self-concept. This finding suggests students’ choice of faculty may be based on perceptions of their skills and capabilities in the various fields, irrespective of gender.     

The use of ICT in the teaching and learning of physical education in compulsory education: how do we prepare the workforce of the future?

This paper reports on research into the use of ICT within a one‐year initial teacher education (ITE) course in the UK, specialising in physical education (PE). The study examined how the course, which operates in both university and school‐based settings, endeavoured to support trainees' use of ICT in PE and then to identify areas where the programme could be improved in this respect. It also noted any specific training or resourcing needs which may be required to implement the recommended improvements. The findings showed the high level of enthusiasm of the trainees, university tutors and school‐based PE teachers for making more use of ICT in teaching and learning PE, and their willingness to make changes in their practice to accommodate this. It also revealed a severe shortage of subject‐specific professional development, and a widespread lack of understanding of needs, which was felt to have contributed to the lack of relevant ICT resources to which most school PE departments had access.

Cet article résume l'étude sur l'utilisation de l'informatique en Angleterre durant la première année de formation à l'enseignement de l'éducation physique (EPS). Cette étude examine comment le cours basé à la fois à l'université et à l'école, encourage les étudiants en formation à utiliser l'informatique en EPS et à identifier éventuellement les différents points d'amélioration à apporter à ce programme. Il est également rapporté la liste de toutes les formations où les ressources qui pourraient éventuellement être nécessaires à l'application de ces points d'amélioration. Les résultats montrent le haut niveau d'enthousiasme des étudiants en formation, des tuteurs de l'université et des professeurs d'EPS dans les écoles pour une extension de l'utilisation de l'informatique durant l'enseignement et l'apprentissage en EPS, ainsi que leur volonté d'apporter les changements nécessaires pour accommoder le programme dans la pratique de leur cours. Il est également révélé un sévère manque de sujets spécifiques au développement professionnel et une large incompréhension des besoins requis, qui ont ralenti le développement des ressources pour l'informatique, ressources auxquelles la plupart des département de EPS des écoles avaient accès.

Dieses Paper berichtet über die Forschung im Gebrauch von Informatik im Rahmen einer Einjahr‐Lehrerausbildung im Sportunterricht in Grossbritannien. Die Studie untersuchte, wie die Ausbildung, die sowohl auf der Universität als auch in der Schule stattfindet, versuchte, Auszubildende im Gebrauch von Informatik zu unterstützen. Infolgedessen identifizierte sie Gebiete, in denen das Programm in dieser Hinsicht verbessert werden könnte. Auch merkte die Studie spezifische Ausbildungs‐ bzw. Resourcingsbedürfnisse, die erforderlich sein könnten, um die empfohlenen Verbesserungen zu fördern. Die Ergebnisse zeigten unter Auszubildenden, Universitätstutoren und Sportlehrern eine hohe Begeisterung, eine erhöhte Verwendung von Informatik im Sportunterricht und Änderungen in der eigenen Praxis einzuführen. Die Studie zeigte auch einen schweren Mangel an fachbezogener Berufsausbildung und ein weitverbreitetes, mangelhaftes Verständnis für die entsprechenden Bedürfnisse, was zum Mangel an Informatikressourcen, zu denen die meisten Sportfachbereichen Zugang hatten, beigetragen habe.

Este papel informa de la investigación del uso de la informática dentro de un curso de la formación inicial de profesores que se especializa en la educación física en Gran Bretaña que duro un año. La investigación estudió como el curso, que tiene lugar en las universidades y en los colegios, tuvo la intención de apoyar los aprendices a usar la informática dentro de la educación física y de identificar aspectos donde se podría mejorar la programa. También, la investigación notó la formación específica y los recursos que podrían ser necesarios para realizar las reformas recomendadas. Los resultados mostraron el entusiasmo alto de los aprendices, de los profesores de las universidades y de los profesores de la educación física en los colegios por el uso de la informática en la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de la educación física y por su deseo de cambiar su práctica. También, la investigación mostró una falta severa de la formación profesional y de la comprensión de necesidades que han contribuido a una falta de recursos apropiados para la mayoría de departamentos escolares de la educación física.     

Who aspires to higher education? Axes of inequality,values of education and higher education aspirations in secondary schools in Luxembourg and the Swiss Canton of Bern

This article reports a study that investigated secondary school students’ higher education aspirations (towards university studies, ISCED 6 and above) and how these differ between student groups as well as how these are impacted by values of education. Panel data of more than 300 secondary school students in two countries, Luxembourg and Switzerland (the Swiss Canton of Bern) was analysed. Schools are structured differently in the education systems of Luxembourg and the Swiss Canton of Bern. The results of our analysis show that students in the Luxembourgish sample more often aspire to higher education than in the Swiss sample. Disparities in higher education aspirations were also more pronounced in the Luxembourgish sample, boys and students from families of low socio‐economic status (SES) were less likely to aspire to higher education. While the effects of values of education are generally scarce, stimulation in terms of anticipated enjoyment and interest derived from participation in higher education seems to have a positive effect on higher education aspirations.     

Has massification of higher education led to more equity? Clues to a reflection on Portuguese education arena

Massification is an undeniable phenomenon in the higher education arena. However, there have been questions raised regarding the extent to which a mass system really corresponds to an effective democratisation not only of access, but also of success. With regards to access, this article intends, through a brief analysis of the expansion of higher education in Portugal (contextualised in the European context), to focus on how the political system and higher education institutions (HEIs) have answered the social need for a highly skilled workforce and an increased demand for tertiary education. If access democratisation can be questioned, then it stands to reason that more doubts may arise regarding the democratisation of academic outcomes.

The methodology underlying this study involved the collection and analysis of relevant data from official international and national sources. This allowed for a comparison of the diverse realities and building the national panorama in terms of democratisation not only of access, but also of success. The comparison of these different quantitative inputs shows that applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds are proportionally fewer in number, and tend to enrol in less socially prestigious institutions and study programmes. Students' financial support and social support systems are analysed so as to gauge the state of Portuguese higher education.

Despite the advances made in Portugal on the system's expansion and on access to higher education, equity of access and outcomes in higher education have not yet been achieved, thus meaning that the democratisation process has not been fully accomplished.     

Inequalities in access to higher education in Africa: How large are they? Do they mirror the situation in the metropole 60 years ago?

There have been many studies of the socio-economic background of students in developed countries; but – apart from extensive commentary on the gender gap – far fewer in developing countries. In Africa, this is mostly because the University record systems do not record corresponding data; and because the international standard household surveys such as DHS only ask about educational attainment of household members which of course mainly excludes current students. This paper uses the record systems of the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) and specifically the Pre-Assessment form completed by all students on entry with information about their parental background.The combination of parents not having more than primary education, renting and not owning land identified only between 1 and 3 students a year. Taking the opposite extreme, the percentage of entrants reporting that their parents had a post-Secondary qualification is considerably higher (around 57% on average) than the norm at the time the parents would have been studying (around 7%). These students were certainly not poor, they are upper middle class. Further analysis identifies differences in the patterns for those at Anglophone or Francophone centres; and trends over the last four years.The paper then reviews the trends in inequality in access to higher education in the ‘mother’ countries – UK and France – from about sixty years ago until recently, to ask whether the social inequalities observed among AIMS students can be seen as ‘derived’ from those in the mother countries, with a nuanced positive conclusion.     

When numbers count: The erasure of females’ equity status in higher education?

In recent years the pendulum has certainly swung towards women in higher education participation, but variations in the way these statistics have been calculated account for some of this swing. More importantly, women still receive less vocational and economic benefit than males from this increased participation. Despite over twenty years of gender equity policies and strategies in education, women still lag behind men on important indicators. Until women gain a greater share of higher degrees, labour force participation and earnings from income, their levels of participation in higher education should be maintained in order to preserve the gains that women have made and to ensure that they continue to improve their position relative to men. Far from removing women’s equity status, their equity status should be reconfirmed and efforts to break down sex-differentiated participation in education and the work force should be renewed.     

Are private universities the solution to the higher education crisis in sub-Saharan Africa?

Although comparatively young, state universities in sub-Saharan Africa have accomplished alot. They have almost replaced expatriate faculty with indigenous staff and help foster intellectual communities. Some have developed relevant curricula and have produced the skilled human resources required to staff and manage public and private institutes. However, universities in the sub-region face formidable problems, viz: increased enrollments; fiscal challenges; quality issues and rising graduate unemployment. To help solve some of these problems, private universities are increasingly been seen as alternative routes to higher education achievement. Based on empirical data, this paper examines some of the challenges/opportunities that private universities face in sub-Saharan Africa.