Tackling social exclusion at third level: A profile of participants on access programmes

Abstract

There is considerable evidence of substantial class inequalities in the education system in Ireland. Studies point to the overemphasis on academic achievement leading to an under‐representation of certain class groups at third level institutions. Significant resources have been allocated to establish targeted access initiatives to address this form of social exclusion. This paper reports the findings of a survey of 266 access students from four third‐level institutions in Ireland. The survey identifies the socio‐economic background of access programme participants, their pre‐programme education level and the primary influences, which motivated them to avail of the access tiative. The paper examines the role, which financial considerations play in the initial decision to participate and the sustained participation of access students. The paper proposes some additional policy directions for the access programme. It recommends that the projected reduction in the numbers attending third‐level institutions should be seen as an appropriate opportunity to expand the access initiative and target those experiencing educational disadvantage.     

UK initiatives to promote inclusion in higher education for students with disabilities

ABSTRACT

The inclusion in higher education of students with disabilities and learning difficulties has become a matter of concern within the past eight years. Recent Higher Education Funding Council initiatives to promote greater inclusion have had some success in improving access to higher education (HE) and raising awareness across the sector of the need to ensure full participation by students with disabilities in the learning environment once they enter the university. Hopes that the new UK disability rights legislation would help promote equality of access to HE were disappointed when it became apparent that the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 excluded education from its main provisions. The only requirement affecting post‐compulsory education is that institutions publish a statement on their provision for students with disabilities and learning difficulties. These disability statements confer no legal rights and it appeared that they would have little impact on access to HE for disabled people. This paper reports the findings of a survey of the anticipated effects upon the higher education sector in England of the requirement to produce disability statements. There may be some positive effects not only upon the nature and form of information available, but also on the provision offered in the sector.     

Choice Modeling New Zealand High School Seniors' Preferences for University Education

ABSTRACT

Preferences for college education among year 12 and 13 high school seniors from throughout New Zealand were surveyed. Initial focus group researched students in the process of deciding on college education and/or on a particular college or university institution in their choice process. Quantitative research developed from the focus group responses and based on a stated preferences (choice) survey of school students (n = 526) followed. Students' preferences regarding university choice were predominantly influenced by the quality and flexibility of the degree and/or course options, likelihood that employers will recruit from the university, the extent that university accommodation is subsidized and the overall cost of attending the university positioned in comparison to other universities. Secondary students would prefer not to attend a university with access restricted to an “A” bursary examination mark (bursary is a New Zealand pre-college examination to gain fee subsidy), that has limited first year accommodation, or which offers sports scholarships. New Zealand secondary school students are relatively price insensitive, with the cost of attending university not perceived as a deterrent. Moreover, the research findings show a positive cost-value relationship exists in students' choice preferences. Students would prefer to attend a university where the cost was equal to or higher than other options.     

The risks of ‘university speak’: relationship management and identity negotiation by mature students off campus

Research finds that participation in higher education is generally empowering for mature students but that it can also create tensions in their off-campus relationships. This article reports on findings from an ongoing study of the experiences of mature students at university in Ireland and draws from interviews with 15 such students in the final year of their studies. Following similar research by Baxter and Britton in the UK, the article considers how mature students experience and represent changes in identities and social relationships brought about by entry to higher education. Specifically, the article focuses on the risks associated with using newly acquired academic language (or ‘university speak’) off campus. The findings reported here complement existing research and offer support for Baxter and Britton’s suggestion that mature students often experience compartmentalisation and fragmentation in their self-identities.     

Education,vocationalism and economic recovery: the case against witchcraft1

Abstract

The widening of access to higher education for mature students has been placed on the policy agenda by the government, in part as a response to demographic changes which will reduce the number of young graduates entering the labour market. This article examines the current position of students in the over 30 age group in UK universities with reference to their entrance qualifications, degree attainment and first destinations on leaving university. It compares the experience of men and women in this age group with young students in the conventional undergraduate population and questions whether a university degree is sufficient to overcome the barriers to the labour market experienced by older graduates. Finally it challenges the access model of equal opportunity implicit in the government's White Paper on Higher Education.     

以学生为本，增强思想政治工作的实效性

以学生为本，紧紧围绕和把握大学生的认知特点和身心发展规律，有的放矢地对其进行思想政治教育，工作才具有针对性和实效性。在调查分析和问题归因后，提出了增强大学生思想政治教育工作实效性的五条建议。     

Some prerequisites for access programmes that contribute to academic success in higher education

Abstract

The balance between the cost and value of access programmes is a concern in higher education. The function of access programmes is to provide support and additional time for under-prepared students to cope with the academic workload during the first year. This article aims to indicate the value students place on participation in an access programme. In this qualitative study, group interviews were conducted and the findings indicate that Engineering students attribute their success in the mainstream to the way in which participation in an access programme had integrated them academically into the university and exposed them to discipline related experiences in a non-threatening environment. The findings of this study indicate what aspects of the access programme students considered helpful for perseverance in mainstream studies. It is recommended that institutions that offer access programmes should not only be aware of the reciprocal influence of the cognitive and non-cognitive factors that affect students' success, but also purposefully combine these factors in the design of their access programmes.     

Measuring the Impact of ICTs on Academic Performance: Evidence From Higher Education in Tunisia

Measuring the impact of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is a contemporary question of interest. Despite the general acceptance that ICTs are changing ways of learning, empirical research conducted to date does not consistently verify the efficacy of such changes. Several studies supporting positive impacts of ICTs on achievement relate mainly to developed countries. Focusing on tertiary education in Tunisia, this article attempts to highlight the gap in knowledge about the effects of ICT on education in developing countries by providing evidence from this region. Using survey data involving 377 college students and teachers, a multilevel analysis was conducted to measure the impact of ICT access and use with other student, university, and teacher attributes that may affect academic performance. The results provided evidence for a distinctive, though negative, effect of ICT on performance. These findings raise questions about the effectiveness of educational policies in Tunisia. The findings suggest also that overall university support is essential in increasing ICT learning impacts.     

An Australian study of graduate outcomes for disadvantaged students

Whether or not disadvantaged students are realising the same benefits from higher education as their peers is of fundamental importance to equity practitioners and policymakers. Despite this, equity policy has focused on access to higher education and little attention has been paid to graduate outcomes. The Australian study reported here used national data to investigate relationships between disadvantage and graduate outcomes. The study provides critical insights into how access to higher education does, or does not, lead to improvements in post-graduation equity. The study reveals that outcomes are not equal for all students and that higher education disadvantage persists for many students after they have completed their studies. Whilst the specific findings relate to the Australian university sector the broader discussion of the article is relevant to higher education policy more generally, especially in terms of how governments align institutional processes to measure and scrutinise achievement in relation to public policy objectives.     

Contract cheating in Australian higher education: a comparison of non-university higher education providers and universities

Abstract

This article reports on one aspect of a nationally funded research project on contract cheating in Australian higher education. The project explored students' and educators’ experiences of contract cheating, and the contextual factors that may influence it. This article reports the key findings from non-university higher education providers (NUHEPs). It compares survey responses from 961 students and 91 educators at four NUHEPs with previously reported findings from eight universities (14,086 students and 1,147 staff). NUHEP and university students report engaging in contract cheating in similar ways. However, while NUHEP educators spend more time teaching academic literacies and discussing contract cheating, NUHEP students are 12 times more likely than university students to report use of a professional academic writing service. Both NUHEP and university educators require systematic professional development regarding the relationship between the teaching and learning environment and students’ contract cheating behaviour. NUHEPs need to be cognisant of students’ vulnerability to commercial contract cheating services, and ensure they have access to timely academic and social support.     

ADULT STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: MYTHS AND REALITIES

Although there has been significant growth of adult students in higher education, few strategies have been designed to enhancing faculty and staff beliefs and knowledge regarding adult undergraduate students. This article presents CASHE (Characteristics of Adult Students in Higher Education), an instrumentation strategy for self examination of personally held beliefs and knowledge regarding adult learners. Preliminary research on the use of this instrumentation among community college and university personnel is discussed. Findings suggest differing perceptions between these two collegiate settings, as well as between student personnel staff and instructional faculty.     

Higher Education in the Republic of Ireland: Participation and Performance

This paper describes the expansion and diversification of higher education in the Republic of Ireland and examines some of the principal characteristics of higher education entrants. It is estimated that in 1995, some 43 per cent of the age cohort entered the full-time higher education system in the Republic of Ireland with a further 5 per cent enrolling in UK colleges. While these increasing admission rates have been fuelled by rising completion rates at second level they reflect, primarily, rising transition rates into higher education from those who complete the Leaving Certificate. The greater part of the expansion has taken place in the non-university sector which is characterised by a preponderance of sub-degree programmes, heavily concentrated in the areas of Business Studies, Engineering and Applied Science. A noticeable feature of higher education admissions is the low percentage of older students. The great majority come directly from school with increasingly high levels of attainment in the Leaving Certificate reflecting stiff competition for places, especially in the university sector. While there continues to be large disparities by socioeconomic group in access to higher education, the most recent data point to some reduction in equality. Western counties have consistently had higher third level admission rates with lower rates in eastern counties, including Dublin, and border counties.     

构建新媒体引导机制创新大学生创业教育管理

随着我国社会经济发展,越来越多的大学生毕业后选择了自主创业。高校大学生创业活动和创业教育,作为大学生毕业以后自主创业的基础能力培养和经验积累正逐渐走向深入。其中,大学生创业教育引导机制的建立,正越来越凸显重要。构建大学生创业教育新媒体引导机制,有效地将传统与新时期的传播引导方式相结合,充分实现资源和信息整合,对高校大学生创业教育发展将起到较大的推动作用。     

社会分层对高等教育公平影响的实证研究

本文基于问卷调查所得数据,考察了社会分层对高等教育公平的影响.实证结果表明,优质高等教育机会的分配仍然向国家干部、企业经理等优势社会阶层的子女倾斜,社会分层扩大了高等教育的起点不公平;优势社会阶层子女在高等教育过程中处于有利地位,社会分层扩大了高等教育过程不公平,在重点本科院校中,过程不公平程度较大,而在一般本科和专科院校中,过程不公平程度较小;优势社会阶层子女更容易获得就业机会,社会分层对高等教育的结果公平有着不利影响,在重点本科院校中,这种影响较小,而在一般本科和专科院校中,这种影响较大.文章对此提出了相应的政策建议.     

Changing lives: improving care leaver access to higher education

ABSTRACT

Australian and international research documents the limited access of young people transitioning from out-of-home care (OOHC) to further and higher education. This paper examines the processes, outcomes, and key findings of the Raising Expectations project, a collaborative university and industry approach to promote higher education among care leavers at two Australian universities. That approach was informed by the co-authors' previous research, including interviews with enrolled care-leaver students. The paper highlights the relevance of that research in the design and implementation of Raising Expectations. Our findings reiterate the importance of policy and practice reforms informed by rigorous research, particularly involving the voices and agency of care leavers. We outline strategies adopted by the participating universities resulting in a fourfold increase in enrolments, growth in school outreach activities, and significantly improved retention rates. The paper also highlights barriers to higher education access and success, through care-leaver student interviews and policy analysis. These interviews revealed the need for better university outreach and information to prospective care-leaver students, improved support for enrolled care-leaver students, and better capturing of data by universities and governments. The paper also highlights policy barriers to the greater expansion of care-leavers at university, especially in the absence of extended state care.     

An examination of the values and perceptions of parents and teachers in relation to parental involvement in school policy formation

Abstract

In the last decade access initiatives have been designed to facilitate greater access and participation for people from marginalised groups who have traditionally been excluded from higher education. In common with international trends, young people with disabilities in Ireland have been included in this process. However, people with disabilities remain under‐represented in higher education. This study explored the quality of access to higher education for young people with disabilities through existing access routes. Both the young people and the professionals (career guidance teachers) agreed that access routes lack transparency. There was a dearth of professional knowledge about the options available to young people with disabilities leaving school. This lack of professional knowledge combined with the opaqueness of access routes forced the young people to rely on parental support and/or disability agencies for information and guidance. It can be concluded that goodwill and compassion are no substitute for an informed system that ensures equitable access for young people with disabilities to higher education.     

高等教育入学机会:扩大之中的阶层差距

本文对部分高校不同家庭背景大学生的调查显示,在高等教育扩招之后,重点高校的农村学生比例明显下降,优势阶层的子女更多集中在热门专业,低阶层家庭子女的高考录取分数普遍高于优势阶层的子女,高等教育入学机会的阶层差距呈现扩大的趋势。它是高中阶段教育分层状况的积累和延续。     

Comparison of Community College Students’ Sexual Health Dimensions

ABSTRACT

Sexually active college students in the United States have alarming rates of unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Varying degrees of sexual health knowledge and attitudes among college students are an outcome of sexuality education in the K-12 school systems with abstinence-only or comprehensive focus. Community college students (n = 737) aged 18–24 years, 57% from a college in an abstinence-only sex education state and 43% from a college in a comprehensive sex education state, both in the Mid-Atlantic region, took the Sexual Health Survey in October 2016, which measures sexual health knowledge and attitudes. Gender and ethnicity differences, as well as other sources of sexuality information were evaluated. Students from the comprehensive sex education state, New Jersey had higher sexual health knowledge and attitude scores than the students from the abstinence-only sex education state, Pennsylvania. Male students in New Jersey scored significantly higher in sexual health knowledge compared to male students in Pennsylvania, while female students in New Jersey had higher sexual health knowledge scores compared to the male students. Analysis of ethnicity revealed the New Jersey college sample had healthier sexual attitudes as compared to the Pennsylvania college sample, with notable distinction among Black students. The Internet, friends, and personal experiences were chosen by 75% of all students across both colleges as the top reported sources of sexuality information. In addition to advocating for comprehensive sex education, recommendations are made for sexual health initiatives in community colleges to provide sexual health instruction and support.     

第二课堂数学教育教学的实践与认识

第二课堂与第一课堂共同构成高校人才培养系统。第二课堂数学教育教学既是对第一课堂教育教学的有益补充,又是培养新一代实践型大学生的有效途径。本文以新疆工程学院为例,针对高校数学教育教学面临的问题和不足,探讨了第二课堂数学教育教学的途径和方法。通过构建大学第二课堂数学教育教学体系,实现了大学生数学知识、能力、素质协调发展,提升了学生的综合素质,为大学数学教育工作者提供了供参考与借鉴。     

Praxis Exiled: Herbert Marcuse and the One Dimensional University

Leading Frankfurt School theorist, Herbert Marcuse, possessed an intricate relationship with higher education. As a professor, Marcuse participated in the 1960s student movements, believing that college students had potential as revolutionary subjects. Additionally, Marcuse advocated for a college education empowered by a form of praxis that extended education outside the university into realms of critical thought and action. However, the more pessimistic facet of his theory, best represented in the canonical One Dimensional Man, now seems to be the dominant ideology in the contemporary college experience. With the rise of the corporate university, knowledge is commodified and praxis is supplanted by rampant consumerism. Once a haven for critical theory, the college experience has been overtaken by capitalism, substantially limiting the revolutionary potential for college students in favour of an institutionalised, one dimensional university.