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Dr Stephanie Mckendry, Deborah ONeill, Dr Lesley Roberts and Dr Nathalie Sheridan Glasgow Caledonian University Researching under-represented groups: how to empower students through targeted learning development support

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Our role and remit Policy background to the project Competing views of widening participation support Project and initial findings Whats next This paper

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The Learning Development Centre LDC Director AdminAcademic Development Tutors (ADTs) ICT Skills Tutor Workshops Drop-ins Sessions within modules 1-2-1 appointments Tasked with tracking, monitoring, evaluating and possibly providing targeted support for the SIMD20 group

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Background Scottish Index Of Multiple Deprivation. SIMD20 refers to those postcodes ranked most deprived (lowest 20%) 38 indicators under the groupings- income, employment, health, education, skills and training, housing, geographic access and crime. Information used to target policy and funding Similar information retained by Government for the rest of the UK Government states that these are deprived areas NOT individuals as this varies. Not all income deprived people live in the lowest quintiles.

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Glasgow Caledonian University Formed in 1993 with merger of Glasgow Polytechnic and Queens College, Glasgow 5 th largest in Scotland in terms of student recruitment. Student population of over 17,000 3 Academic Schools SIMD20/40 School of Health and Life Sciences From the new full time UG entrants 25% of students were in the lowest 20% 43% of students were in the lowest 40% National average is 14% (11% at old universities)

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MD20 student characteristics in the School Age comparison agestudents 17-20134 21-25322 26-30133 31-3592 36-56134 83% are mature aged (21 or over) 43% of MD20 students are over 25 27% are over 30

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MD20 student characteristics in the School Students by department

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Retention Rates * full-time Scottish domiciled undergraduates year all students*MD20 2006/0786.60%83.90% 2007/0890.90%89.10% 2008/0988.60%86.90% Leaving University Early research report (Rose-Adams, 2012): -non-traditional students (e.g. mature, low HE participation neighbourhoods, FE entrants) more likely to be early-leavers than traditional younger students. -Widening participation indicators significantly associated with early-leaving for younger students.

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Economic downturn has seen the Scottish Funding Council take an outcomes based approach to funding for 2012-2015 (SFC, 2012) Partially funded by SFC money GCU outcome agreement (2013/2014) focus on being inclusive rather than targeting specific groups: Our new Strategy for Learning enshrines our aim to continue to improve on progression retention and completion for all our students GCU, LDC and Funding

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Funded by HEFCE Opt out approach - sense of belonging is key to retention and success and so should have mainstream activities Collaborative/Proactive working with staff and students, embedding support before crisis occurs Mainstream approaches can be supplemented by targeted approaches What works?

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Suggests targeted interventions through the lifecycles of students It has enabled institutions to consider the needs of Care Leavers as distinct from other vulnerable groups (David Beards, Scottish Funding Council) The only body that centrally collates information on Care Leavers in higher education. If they didnt do this what would happen to this group? Buttle UK

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Language of former government policy may have resulted in a psychological disadvantage amongst those grouped into the category of the socially excluded. (Williams, 2011) Widening Participation strategies to target non traditional students are constructed in terms of a deficit, seeking to change the student ( Leathwood & Hey, 2009) Frequent use of the term support in policies implies we are dealing with a vulnerable infantilised group. (Williams, 2011) Non traditional students have less access to physical and emotional resources & fewer academic role models and therefore support is fundamental to social inclusion (Benson et al, 2012) There is not one dominant factor for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, these students however have a wider range of issues than higher social class students (Pampaka et al, 2012) Widening Participation Literature: a mixed bag

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Aim To improve understanding of the learning and teaching needs and experiences of the diverse group of MD20 students who attend, or potentially attend, programmes within the School. Objectives To use a narrative or biographical approach to capture individual life histories and student journeys from within the wider, diverse MD20 group (Field, Merrill & West, 2012). To explore the student experience and learning development needs of those entering higher education from under- represented groups and work with students as partners to identify flexible strategies for learning support. To employ quantitative instruments to track LDC usage and progression rates of the MD20 category. The project

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Research Phases 2. Semi structured interviews with students currently studying in the School who live within the MD20 residential category 3. Semi-structured interviews with staff members with a role in recruiting, retaining and supporting students from MD20 backgrounds. 1. Statistical analysis of performance and progression data and LDC data, documentary and policy audit. 4. Semi-structured interviews with college students considering studying in the School who live within the MD20 residential category

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Workshops: MD20 to School comparison MD20 students make up 19% of the School MD20 students account for 26% of workshop attendances in trimester 1 2012/13 22% of workshop attendances in trimester 2 2012/13 1:1s: MD20 to School comparison MD20 students make up 19% of the School MD20 students account for: 20% of 1:1 appointments in trimester 1 2012/13 25% of 1:1 appointments in trimester 2 2012/13 Phase 1 LDC usage by MD20 students

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Phase 1 Missing data? MD20 students appear to access LDC support -Is it effective? -What impact does it have on retention and progression? How can we measure impact? -What of those who do not access support? -MD20 category now being considered in collation of retention and progression data.

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Phase 2 participants CodeAgeYear of study Programme of studyRoute to university 1181Psychology and interactive entertainment Secondary school 2491Learning Disability NursingFE Access course 3192PsychologyTransferred from other HEI 4353Biomedical ScienceDirect entry to 3 rd year from FE (HND) 5321Social WorkFE Access course 6331Adult NursingFE Access course 7361Adult NursingFE Access course 8361Adult NursingHNC and FE Access Course 9191Diagnostic ImagingHNC

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Semi-structured interviews Tell me about how you came to be studying here. What led you to this point in your life? How would you describe your past education? Tell me about your life now. What kind of student would you describe yourself as? Do you think that coming from an MD20 postcode has played a role in your life? Do you think there is a need for the university to identify an MD20 category of students? What is the biggest barrier to your learning? What is your greatest strength as a student?

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Initial thematic analysis

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Case studies - RH Route of entry Having failed to gain entry to any of the 3 Diagnostic Imaging programmes directly from school, RH completed a HNC at college before entry the following year. Previous educational experiences It is a good school. Although you know it doesnt have a uniform policy or anything like that. Its quite relaxed in that way if I was interested in something I was able to do it. Like art for instance. I was really interested in art and I did want to maybe follow that up, but erm, and I did get the opportunity to and everything, like doing higher art. But I knew that there wasnt a career behind it. MotivationsFamily tradition of healthcare work, RHs mother is a nurse and her grandmother was a radiographer. Keen to work in a caring profession and utilise her academic strengths in the sciences. Strong desire for a stable income and lifelong career. Considered becoming tattoo artist but decided that radiography would be a more worthwhile, sensible investment over the longer term. Attitudes towards MD20 category I wouldnt say it was a hindrance or anything. I would say it maybe more as theyre realistic because, obviously you know. Maybe if you were in a kind of private school things like that you know youre pushed to get the highest grades you can and youre pushed to go to university. RH felt that her neighbourhood was a strong, supportive community.

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Case studies - AC Route of entryFollowing employment in the tourist industry, AC worked for over three years in the Job Centre then in community work. Redundancy offer the opportunity to care for her young child full-time before embarking on an access course to social work. Previous educational experiences Having completed standard grades, AC went immediately to college to study travel and tourism for, in her own words, a free holiday. The ethics in my house well from my parents was you go out and you get a job and you work and that was it. Its no even you go out and get a job and you work your way up in the job you just go out and get a job a stable job and then you work and provide an income. MotivationsProfession and desire to tackle social injustice. Stable income and employment. Attitudes towards MD20 category AC felt very strongly about the possible labelling of students. The receipt of the email invitation to interview had provoked a certain amount of anger and led to a discussion within class. Concern postcodes had impact on application, entry to the course because of background rather than personal statement.

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Student feedback Students returning to study support directed specifically to this group (some objection to mature age student) Carers support directed specifically to students with children or other caring responsibilities Feedback More understanding of non-content feedback Repackaging current services funding, Careers, Learning Development Centre, Positive living Website update current system overcrowded, important information difficult to find. Staff mentoring, not student led, fear of lack of confidentiality speaking to fellow students Students contributing to support eg. panels in workshops, video- blogs, mentors working with children at tutorials High School University discourse embedded from first year in a non-forceful way to normalise University attendance Bespoke support packages students given the opportunity at induction to identify areas needing development

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Whats next Packages of support (such as interactive website, workshops, more after hours support) for identified groups. Eg. - Students returning to study - Carers - Looking into allowing parents to bring children - Link to other services Complete other research phases -Further thematic coding -Staff interviews -Interviews with college students

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Contact us Dr Stephanie Mckendry stephanie.mckendry@gcu.ac.uk 0141 331 3450 stephanie.mckendry@gcu.ac.uk Deborah ONeill Deborah.oneill@gcu.ac.uk Deborah.oneill@gcu.ac.uk 0141 331 8611

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References Benson, R., Heagney, M., Hewitt, L., Crosling, G., Devos, A., S. 2012 Social inclusion and the student experience: what are the implications for academic support? Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning. Volume 14, No 2, pp11-28 Buttle UK. 2012. The Buttle UK Quality Mark Commitment to Care Leavers [online] Available from http://www.buttleuk.org/pages/quality-mark-for-care-leavers.html http://www.buttleuk.org/pages/quality-mark-for-care-leavers.html (last accessed March 24) Field, J., Merrill, B. & West, L. 2012 Life history approaches to access and retention on non-traditional students in higher education: A cross European approach European Journal for Research on the Education and Learning of Adults, 3:1, 77-89. Hey, V. & Leathwood, C. (2009), Passionate Attachments: Higher Education, Policy, Knowledge, Emotion and Social Justice, Higher Education Policy, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 101-118 National Union of Students Scotland (2012) Unlocking Scotlands Potential: Guide to Annexes. Available at: http://www.nusconnect.org.uk/asset/News/33782/Unlocking-Scotlands-Potential.pdf http://www.nusconnect.org.uk/asset/News/33782/Unlocking-Scotlands-Potential.pdf Pampika, M., Williams, J., Hutcheson, G. 2011. Measuring Students transition into university and its association with learning outcomes. British Educational Research Journal. Volume 38, No 6, pp 1041-1071

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References Rose-Adams, J. (2012) Leaving University Early: A Research Report from the back on course project, back on course / The Open University: Milton Keynes. Scottish Funding Council. 2012. Scottish Funding Council Strategic Plan 2012-2015: Delivering ambitious change [online] Available from http://www.sfc.ac.uk/web/FILES/ReportsandPublications/Scottish_Funding_Council_Strategic_Plan_2012- 15.pdf (last accessed March 24) http://www.sfc.ac.uk/web/FILES/ReportsandPublications/Scottish_Funding_Council_Strategic_Plan_2012- 15.pdf Scottish Government. 2012 Scottish index of multiple deprivation, available from: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0041/00410895http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0041/00410895 (last accessed March 20, 2013) Scottish Government. (2012) Scottish index of multiple deprivation, available from: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0041/00410895 (last accessed March 20, 2013) http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0041/00410895 Thomas, L. 2012. Building student engagement and belonging in Higher Education at a time of change: a summary of findings and recommendations from the What Works? Student Retention & Success programme [online] Available from (http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/what-works-student- retention/What_works_summary_report.pdf) (Last accessed March 24)http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/what-works-student- retention/What_works_summary_report.pdf Williams, J., (2011) Raising expectations or constructing victims? Problems with promoting social inclusion through lifelong learning, International Journal of Lifelong Education, 30:4, pp 451-467