Challenges facing mature returners to Education and an evaluation of strategies to address these

Context/rationale  Part-time course – mature students  Low prior academic achievements  Students’ work/other commitments  Feedback from students re issues  Issues arising from assignments  Experiences of course leader  Student reasons for leaving course

Research group  Students joining the course in May 2006  First data collection from all 80 students  Second data collection from 9 volunteers  Third data collection via voluntary survey (35/71 remaining students responded)  Fourth data collection from all present at final year 3 teaching session in May 2009  Final data collection from 50/80new year , in October 2009

Timings of data collection  Early autumn term year 1  Spring term year 2  Spring term year 3  Exit year 3  Early Autumn term new year 1

Data types and collection methods  Taped and transcribed group interviews  One to one taped and transcribed interviews with volunteers  Online survey available to all  Paper questionnaire to all year 3  Paper questionnaire to all year 1

Themes from interviews  Self-worth/fear of failure  Guilt over other commitments  Challenging and changing existing relationships  Making space for study and self  Pride and development  Accessing help  Group dynamics

References  Students from low socio-economic groups: (Merrill 2004; Tett 2000; West 1996),  women entering HE as mature students: (Acker and Piper 1984; Pascall and Cox 1993; Merrill 1999)  women students from specific ethnic groups: (Pickerden 2002)  the experience and risk of being a mature student new to HE: (Waller 2005). Gorard et al (1998)

Interview criteria  Completely new to HE  Worried will not complete  Never expected to go to University  Single parent  Non-British background  Over 40  Heavy other commitments

Findings – core group  Self-image remains an issue even late in the course  Few students think of themselves as ‘students’ primarily, some not at all  Most feel their performance is at best ‘average’  Guilt remained a significant issue  All found the course very demanding  Family benefits, personal pride and status and group support were the top motivations

Findings (cont)  Most rarely asked for help  Most felt they could not have done the course when younger  All identified significant personal growth  All identified the support of their student group as the key positive factor  Almost all would recommend the course to a friend or colleague  All but two would do it again

Findings – (cont)  All those interviewed either completed or are about to  Results for this cohort were the highest for several years!  Full student data is difficult to collect!  Anxiety does not mean poor achievement or failure  Focus may move to reducing anxiety rather than boosting results

Actions for new cohort  Newsletters for applicants waiting to start the course  exchanges with other students before course starts  Using past students at Open evenings  Explicit acknowledgement and reassurance re key issues  Skills audits/targeted tutorials

Actions (cont)  Timetabled tutorial sessions; 1 st assignment marked/returned  Invitations to tutorials for all gaining a D grade in any assignment  Blogs and discussion boards on Breo sites  Caas attend course committee to address part-time issues

Preliminary findings – new year 1 – 50 students surveyed  Similar levels of anxiety at start - 35 describe the course as ‘great challenge’  However 34 are ‘confident’ or ’very confident’ they will complete – big rise  Retention rate up – 1 left over summer. Original research group = 9 left  Only 11 ‘rarely/never’ described selves as student  40 said very/quite likely to seek help  41 had no suggestions for improvements to induction/provision

Response to innovations – said very or fairly useful /50  Information materials – 46  Open evening 36  contact - other students 30  Newsletters before start - 33  Early induction sessions – 43  Maths/literacy tutorials – 35  Library/breo induction - 39

Reponses (continued)  Own use of library and Breo – 43  Discussion boards on sites – 27  Course handbook – 50  Unit handbooks – 50  First assignment marked/returned by personal tutor - 50

Conclusions  Established systems most valued  Personal tutor marking/returning work voted best innovation  significant reduction in caas issues  Students don’t know what’s new  Innovations valued by majority  Evidence of reduced anxiety and higher retention may suggest impact

Next steps  Monitoring of retention, results and student welfare continues  Consideration of impact of increased ethnic minority/EAL ratios may be next focus  Unlikely we can wholly remove the issues as many are external, but some evidence of impact!