Transcript Higher Education Academy: Literature synthesis of the

The contribution of further
education and sixth form colleges
to widening participation in HE
Lessons from the Widening Access, Student Retention and Success
National Programme Archive (WASRS) - a literature synthesis for the
Higher Education Academy
Marion Bowl
Outline
• Description of archive and syntheses
• Approach to FE synthesis
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Headlines
Formal and informal partnerships
Support for progression
Targeting under-represented groups
Curriculum initiatives to aid transition
Dual sector institutions
• Issues raised by the synthesis
• Possible areas for research?
WASRS National Archive
www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/WPsyntheses/WASRS_Bowl.pdf
Brings together literature from five national
widening participation programmes operating
between 1999 and 2012:
- Aimhigher
- Aimhigher Associates
- Action on Access
- Lifelong Learning Networks
- What works? Student retention and success
Aims for the synthesis
• To draw together the central themes running
through the archive
• To create a freely-available research and
practice-based resource
• To inform policy, practice research on: student
engagement, retention, success, employability
and social mobility
7 synthesis themes
• The contribution of further education and sixth form colleges to widening
participation
• The role of higher education students in widening access and improving
retention
• Collaboration and partnership working in a competitive environment
• The contribution of pre-entry interventions to student retention and
success
• Promoting social mobility by creating pathways to the professions and
vocational careers: the role of progression agreements
• Student finance: what have we learned inform access, retention and
success under the new funding regime in England?
• Findings from the final years of the Aimhigher Programme 2008-2011
Further education and sixth form
colleges: definition and context
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Autonomous institutions under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992
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Providing a mix of academic and vocational education and training – from
basic to higher
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Foundation degrees since 2001
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Increasing HE in FE provision in the context of government aim to increase HE
participation
Approach
• Word/phrase search of archive – 95 documents identified
• Categorised by keywords (in Refworks) and annotated
• Aggregated into themes and sub-themes to structure synthesis
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Selection of ‘best’ evidence – 23 documents – based on:
relevance
scope
focus
rigour
applicability
• Reduced to 7 key reports (a requirement of the contract)
Synthesis themes
1. Involvement in formal and informal partnerships
2. Support for progression: awareness raising,
information, advice and guidance
3. Targeting under-represented groups
4. Curriculum initiatives to aid transition
5. Higher education in further education colleges
1. Formal and informal partnerships: key points
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FE rarely a ‘full partner’ in Aimhigher partnerships
Importance of ‘buy in’ at all levels in college hierarchy
The value of informal relationships – but the limitations of time
and staffing for FE staff
• Importance of pre-existing, historical relationships
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Market competition and partnership in tension (esp. where FE is
also an HE provider)
• Sustainability of partnerships post-funding – and with intensifying
competition
Areas for further research?
 The nature and sustainability of partnerships to widen
participation in the context of an educational marketplace
 The impact of informal FE/HE links on facilitating progression
2. Support for progression: awareness-raising,
information, advice and guidance: key points
‘Compared with A level students, vocational learners are disadvantaged because they
get less information from their parents teachers, and in case of work-based
learners, might even face hostility from their employers.
(Hatt and Tate 2009: 28)
‘Tutors play a key role in advising and supporting learners’ progression decisions. Often
learners see tutors as a more important source of support than advice and
guidance specialists.’
(Aimhigher Greater Manchester 2009: 11)
‘While some tutors proactively offer information, advice and guidance, on subject and
university choice, others are more reactive, attempting to answer specific learner
queries or signposting to sources such as prospectuses and university websites.
(Aimhigher Greater Manchester 2009: 11)
2. Support for progression: awareness-raising,
information, advice and guidance: key points
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Evidence that employers unaware/uninterested in progression opportunities for staff
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Balance between generalist (expert careers advisor) and specialist (industry expert) advice
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Lack of co-ordination, training and awareness of progression opportunities among subject tutors
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Lack of tracking from vocational routes to higher level study
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Limitations of advice from family and friends, especially in rapidly-changing vocational areas
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Areas for further research?
The effectiveness of different models and approaches to IAG for FE learners
The impact of changing government policy on IAG in FE
Tracking learner progression from FE/vocational routes
Employer attitudes to progression
3. Targeting under-represented groups
“The very learners whom HE needs to recruit have been and still are the traditional clientele of
further education colleges. “
(Hatt and Tate 2009: 8)
HEFCE target groups generally not addressed specifically
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Preference for a ‘whole cohort’ approach, which assumes relative under-representation of FE
learners and eschews ‘singling out’ of labelled individuals
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Focus instead on WP in relation to specific subject areas: health, social care, early years,
sport and tourism, creative industries, construction, IT and engineering
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Raises the issue of most under-represented groups especially care leavers
Areas for further research?
 Student/teacher perspectives on ‘targeting’
 Impact of specific targeting initiatives
4. Curriculum initiatives to aid transition
• Mainly confined to ‘bridging units’ to smooth
transition for vocational learners next level
• ‘Fundability’ a key issue for colleges
• For students, structural constraints appear to
outweigh academic concerns
• Specific gaps identified in FE curriculum: maths for
education, science for veterinary sciences
Areas for further research?
Curricular/pedagogic articulation between FE and
HE
5. Dual sector institutions
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‘Targeting’ defined in terms of gender, ethnicity, age – lower SEG assumed by the
vocational nature of programmes
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‘Seamless progression’ inhibited by:
Different funding regimes between FE and HE within one institution
Embedded historical divisions
Lack of information on progression from levels 3 to 4
Poor articulation between FE and HE programmes and between foundation
programmes and honours top ups
Need for ‘bridging’ modules which raises the question of ‘fit’
Some universities retaining ‘standard entry requirements’ which are a barrier,
particularly for mature entrants
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Need for progression to be built on pre-existing partnerships
Areas for further research?
 Tracking progression from FE to HE – within and between institution types
 The nature of IAG for FE to HE progression
Summary: Methodological issues
• Working with ‘grey’ literature – rigour,
reliability and validity
• Gaps in the literature (e.g. access courses,
teaching and learning issues, sixth form
colleges)
• Expectations of stakeholders: ‘hidden
agendas’
Summary: research issues
 The nature and sustainability of partnerships to widen participation in the
context of an educational marketplace
 The impact of informal FE/HE links on facilitating progression
 The effectiveness of different models and approaches to IAG for FE and HE in FE
students
 Tracking progression from FE to HE - within and between institution types – the
social, personal and economic outcomes
 The impact of changing government policy on IAG in FE
 Employer attitudes to progression
 Student/teacher perspectives on ‘targeting’
 Impact of specific targeting initiatives
 Curricular/pedagogic articulation between FE and HE