Background – Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) uses medical students to deliver widening access to medicine (WAM) interventions. Previously, new BSMS teaching-mentors received no formal training beyond safeguarding procedures. A training programme for new teaching-mentors was designed, aiming to improve their confidence and self-perceived performance. This study explored its effectiveness. Methodology – Participants self-selected into an intervention group (received formal training) or a control group. The intervention group completed one questionnaire either side of receiving training; the control group completed one questionnaire after taking part in two WAM sessions. Four participants were selected for qualitative interviews which were thematically analysed. Ethical approval was received from the BSMS Research Governance and Ethics Committee. Results – Average confidence and average self-perceived performance within the intervention group improved significantly following training. There was no significant difference between intervention and control groups. Qualitative results uncovered three main themes: Need Training, Benefits of Training, and the Shadowing Day. Discussion – It is argued that whilst training is not essential, and should not be compulsory (if mentors are already confident, it does not augment their self-perceived confidence and performance), nervous teaching-mentors do benefit from a training programme, so it should be offered to new mentors, nonetheless.
{"title":"Does a training programme improve the perceived confidence and performance of student mentors in their delivery of a widening access to medicine programme?","authors":"J. Whiting, Samantha Wickham","doi":"10.5456/wpll.22.3.88","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5456/wpll.22.3.88","url":null,"abstract":"Background – Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) uses medical students to deliver widening access to medicine (WAM) interventions. Previously, new BSMS teaching-mentors received no formal training beyond safeguarding procedures. A training programme for new teaching-mentors\u0000 was designed, aiming to improve their confidence and self-perceived performance. This study explored its effectiveness. Methodology – Participants self-selected into an intervention group (received formal training) or a control group. The intervention group completed one questionnaire\u0000 either side of receiving training; the control group completed one questionnaire after taking part in two WAM sessions. Four participants were selected for qualitative interviews which were thematically analysed. Ethical approval was received from the BSMS Research Governance and Ethics Committee.\u0000 Results – Average confidence and average self-perceived performance within the intervention group improved significantly following training. There was no significant difference between intervention and control groups. Qualitative results uncovered three main themes: Need Training, Benefits\u0000 of Training, and the Shadowing Day. Discussion – It is argued that whilst training is not essential, and should not be compulsory (if mentors are already confident, it does not augment their self-perceived confidence and performance), nervous teaching-mentors do benefit from a training\u0000 programme, so it should be offered to new mentors, nonetheless.","PeriodicalId":90763,"journal":{"name":"Widening participation and lifelong learning : the journal of the Institute for Access Studies and the European Access Network","volume":"C-21 1","pages":"88-113"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85077168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Recent calls from the Office for Students, the regulatory body for the English higher education sector, have challenged those engaged in widening university access to ‘strengthen’ the outreach evidence base. Whilst focus groups have proved capable of revealing much about the learner experience and the effectiveness of outreach interventions, the established way in which they have been applied – in capturing views and perceptions at one particular point in time – limits what can be discovered. Adopting a longitudinal approach in the application of this research instrument – by returning to the same group of participants at regular intervals over a number of months – affords a chance to monitor changes in ideas and intentions, and distinguish the important from the fleeting. As the findings from three recent studies that have deployed this approach show, it can also generate richer, more detailed insights than would otherwise be possible.
最近，英国高等教育部门的监管机构学生办公室(Office for Students)呼吁那些致力于扩大大学入学机会的人“加强”拓展证据基础。虽然焦点小组已被证明能够揭示许多关于学习者经验和外展干预的有效性的信息，但应用焦点小组的既定方式——在一个特定的时间点捕捉观点和看法——限制了可以发现的东西。在应用这一研究工具时采用纵向方法- -在几个月内定期返回同一组参与者- -提供了一个机会来监测想法和意图的变化，并区分重要的和转瞬即逝的。正如最近三项采用这种方法的研究结果所表明的那样，它还可以产生比其他方法更丰富、更详细的见解。
{"title":"Understanding outreach: the potential of qualitative longitudinal research to enrich the evidence base","authors":"Neil Raven","doi":"10.5456/wpll.22.3.187","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5456/wpll.22.3.187","url":null,"abstract":"Recent calls from the Office for Students, the regulatory body for the English higher education sector, have challenged those engaged in widening university access to ‘strengthen’ the outreach evidence base. Whilst focus groups have proved capable of revealing much about\u0000 the learner experience and the effectiveness of outreach interventions, the established way in which they have been applied – in capturing views and perceptions at one particular point in time – limits what can be discovered. Adopting a longitudinal approach in the application\u0000 of this research instrument – by returning to the same group of participants at regular intervals over a number of months – affords a chance to monitor changes in ideas and intentions, and distinguish the important from the fleeting. As the findings from three recent studies that\u0000 have deployed this approach show, it can also generate richer, more detailed insights than would otherwise be possible.","PeriodicalId":90763,"journal":{"name":"Widening participation and lifelong learning : the journal of the Institute for Access Studies and the European Access Network","volume":"1 1","pages":"187-196"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84487706","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
University attrition rates are often higher for students from groups under-represented in Higher Education (HE), for example those who have experienced social and educational disadvantage. Points of educational transition have been identified as key risk factors for progression and retention, and interventions to increase self-efficacy may act protectively to reduce higher attrition rates.This study presents an evaluation of an intervention implemented at one UK medical school, which aimed to enhance participants' self-efficacy and sense of belonging. Participants completed Schwarzer's General Self-Efficacy Scale and written evaluations. Qualitative data were examined inductively using thematic analysis. Average self-efficacy scores showed a statistically significant improvement six months after the intervention. Key themes including ‘it's not just me’ and ‘learning from the experiences of others’ were identified from the qualitative data and explored within a framework of self-efficacy.The intervention appeared to have a positive impact on self-efficacy through two key sources. Firstly, creating positive “physiological and emotional states’ enabled participants to engage in constructive discussions of personal difficulties they faced, such as imposter syndrome. Secondly, ‘vicarious experiences’, hearing how others had coped during difficult situations, improved participants' beliefs in their ability to cope with future challenges and imagine being successful. These factors may be key in supporting transitions for under-represented university students engaged with a range of disciplines.
{"title":"Enhancing self-efficacy through life skills workshops","authors":"Heather Mozley, Rebecca D'Silva, S. Curtis","doi":"10.5456/wpll.22.3.64","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5456/wpll.22.3.64","url":null,"abstract":"University attrition rates are often higher for students from groups under-represented in Higher Education (HE), for example those who have experienced social and educational disadvantage. Points of educational transition have been identified as key risk factors for progression and\u0000 retention, and interventions to increase self-efficacy may act protectively to reduce higher attrition rates.This study presents an evaluation of an intervention implemented at one UK medical school, which aimed to enhance participants' self-efficacy and sense of belonging. Participants\u0000 completed Schwarzer's General Self-Efficacy Scale and written evaluations. Qualitative data were examined inductively using thematic analysis. Average self-efficacy scores showed a statistically significant improvement six months after the intervention. Key themes including ‘it's\u0000 not just me’ and ‘learning from the experiences of others’ were identified from the qualitative data and explored within a framework of self-efficacy.The intervention appeared to have a positive impact on self-efficacy through two key sources. Firstly, creating positive\u0000 “physiological and emotional states’ enabled participants to engage in constructive discussions of personal difficulties they faced, such as imposter syndrome. Secondly, ‘vicarious experiences’, hearing how others had coped during difficult situations, improved participants'\u0000 beliefs in their ability to cope with future challenges and imagine being successful. These factors may be key in supporting transitions for under-represented university students engaged with a range of disciplines.","PeriodicalId":90763,"journal":{"name":"Widening participation and lifelong learning : the journal of the Institute for Access Studies and the European Access Network","volume":"12 1","pages":"64-87"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86607237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper deals with issues surrounding student attrition in engineering education. Looking beyond the traditional markers associated with student attainment, and adopting an action research approach, the “Engineering Futures Project” aimed to tackle an attrition rate in a faculty of engineering that was twice the university average. An algorithm was developed and students ‘at risk’ of not progressing identified. Such students were then contacted individually and offered intensive support and guidance from a member of the project team.Working with academics on a one-to-one basis, students were encouraged to reflect on why they felt they were at risk of not progressing on to the next level of their course. One of the surprising outcomes was that the majority of students indicated they had experienced considerable difficulties with their mental health in the previous 12 months. This, together with a number of other individual issues, impacted their studies. Taking account of the students' perspectives, the project team developed and put in place two distinctive support pathways; one focusing on ‘wellbeing’, the other on “academic support’. Each individual student was given time and assistance to develop their own pathways. Although resource intensive, the Engineering Futures Project was a marked success, drastically reducing attrition and making a notable difference at both the individual and faculty level.
{"title":"Attrition, mental health and student support in engineering education: the Engineering Futures Project","authors":"Jane Andrews, R. Clark, S. Phull","doi":"10.5456/wpll.22.3.8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5456/wpll.22.3.8","url":null,"abstract":"This paper deals with issues surrounding student attrition in engineering education. Looking beyond the traditional markers associated with student attainment, and adopting an action research approach, the “Engineering Futures Project” aimed to tackle an attrition rate in\u0000 a faculty of engineering that was twice the university average. An algorithm was developed and students ‘at risk’ of not progressing identified. Such students were then contacted individually and offered intensive support and guidance from a member of the project team.Working\u0000 with academics on a one-to-one basis, students were encouraged to reflect on why they felt they were at risk of not progressing on to the next level of their course. One of the surprising outcomes was that the majority of students indicated they had experienced considerable difficulties with\u0000 their mental health in the previous 12 months. This, together with a number of other individual issues, impacted their studies. Taking account of the students' perspectives, the project team developed and put in place two distinctive support pathways; one focusing on ‘wellbeing’,\u0000 the other on “academic support’. Each individual student was given time and assistance to develop their own pathways. Although resource intensive, the Engineering Futures Project was a marked success, drastically reducing attrition and making a notable difference at both the individual\u0000 and faculty level.","PeriodicalId":90763,"journal":{"name":"Widening participation and lifelong learning : the journal of the Institute for Access Studies and the European Access Network","volume":"37 1","pages":"8-29"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74502905","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study investigates how the prior experience of a diverse undergraduate cohort at an English higher education institution relates to barriers to employability and changes in students' perceptions of their employability skills and career plans throughout the duration of their studies. It considers the impact of a range of demographic factors used to identify students from backgrounds underrepresented in higher education (HE). Data collection was conducted within a micro institutional context where the majority of students and staff are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. Such diversity contributes to the originality of the study.We have adopted a mixed methods approach by bringing together both quantitative and qualitative evidence. The study took two years to complete and 150 students across different programmes participated. We found that perceived levels of employability skills were closely associated with the background and age of the students. We observed that an increase in self-awareness resulted in a significant decrease in self-confidence, which caused a change in participants' career plans from looking for a relevant job to looking for any available job.
{"title":"Do students really engage with their skills development in the context of widening participation? An institutional case study","authors":"Ufuk Alpsahin Cullen","doi":"10.5456/wpll.22.3.30","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5456/wpll.22.3.30","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigates how the prior experience of a diverse undergraduate cohort at an English higher education institution relates to barriers to employability and changes in students' perceptions of their employability skills and career plans throughout the duration of their\u0000 studies. It considers the impact of a range of demographic factors used to identify students from backgrounds underrepresented in higher education (HE). Data collection was conducted within a micro institutional context where the majority of students and staff are from Black, Asian and minority\u0000 ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. Such diversity contributes to the originality of the study.We have adopted a mixed methods approach by bringing together both quantitative and qualitative evidence. The study took two years to complete and 150 students across different programmes participated.\u0000 We found that perceived levels of employability skills were closely associated with the background and age of the students. We observed that an increase in self-awareness resulted in a significant decrease in self-confidence, which caused a change in participants' career plans from looking\u0000 for a relevant job to looking for any available job.","PeriodicalId":90763,"journal":{"name":"Widening participation and lifelong learning : the journal of the Institute for Access Studies and the European Access Network","volume":"14 1","pages":"30-63"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"87026591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Butcher, Carlton Wood, Anactoria Clarke, E. McPherson
Widening participation has been a key UK higher education policy for at least 20 years, but accessing university remains challenging for mature (aged 21+) students with low prior educational qualifications. This is particularly apparent in the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) disciplines, in which the lack of standard UK university matriculation requirements (two A levels) can increase the obstacles faced by vulnerable learners. Since 2013 the Open University has sought to address this by offering a preparatory STEM access module. In this article, the researchers report a comparative case study using a mixed methods approach to identify the extent to which the impact of a STEM access module was sustained into Level 4 science study. Analysis revealed that students progressing from the access module had a 24% greater chance of passing than a control group who entered the undergraduate programme directly. Results are discussed in relation to the increased confidence that the students acquired during their preparatory study. We relate the increased confidence of these students to two key aspects: first, an acquired tenacity, which helped learners navigate the initial challenging steps into undergraduate science; second, sustaining the confidence established by overcoming the maths fear factor.
{"title":"How might mature students with low entry qualifications succeed in undergraduate science?","authors":"J. Butcher, Carlton Wood, Anactoria Clarke, E. McPherson","doi":"10.5456/wpll.22.3.137","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5456/wpll.22.3.137","url":null,"abstract":"Widening participation has been a key UK higher education policy for at least 20 years, but accessing university remains challenging for mature (aged 21+) students with low prior educational qualifications. This is particularly apparent in the science, technology, engineering and maths\u0000 (STEM) disciplines, in which the lack of standard UK university matriculation requirements (two A levels) can increase the obstacles faced by vulnerable learners. Since 2013 the Open University has sought to address this by offering a preparatory STEM access module. In this article, the researchers\u0000 report a comparative case study using a mixed methods approach to identify the extent to which the impact of a STEM access module was sustained into Level 4 science study. Analysis revealed that students progressing from the access module had a 24% greater chance of passing than a control\u0000 group who entered the undergraduate programme directly. Results are discussed in relation to the increased confidence that the students acquired during their preparatory study. We relate the increased confidence of these students to two key aspects: first, an acquired tenacity, which helped\u0000 learners navigate the initial challenging steps into undergraduate science; second, sustaining the confidence established by overcoming the maths fear factor.","PeriodicalId":90763,"journal":{"name":"Widening participation and lifelong learning : the journal of the Institute for Access Studies and the European Access Network","volume":"45 1","pages":"137-165"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86571132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper investigates the accessibility and suitability of e-mentoring to support access to medicine for applicants from diverse backgrounds. Through qualitative analysis of the conversations between mentors (current medical students) and mentees it aims to identify the main concerns of potential medical applicants and investigate similarities and differences between mentees from widening participation (WP) and non-widening participation backgrounds. Thirty-six medicine applicants from varied backgrounds subscribed to e-mentoring during their UCAS application preparation making it possible to address the study's research questions. No discernible difference between WP and non-WP applicants was evident, which suggests the label is not indicative of prior knowledge or support needed to navigate the application process. E-mentoring was found to be a suitable platform for the delivery of outreach and both WP and non-WP applicants benefited equally. The findings from the study are discussed in the context of Health Professional Admissions and Outreach and the use of e-mentoring as a means of delivering on the WP access agenda.
{"title":"Medicine e-mentoring: accessibility and suitability of e-mentoring for applicants from widening participation and non-widening participation backgrounds","authors":"P. Harris, K. Lane","doi":"10.5456/wpll.22.3.114","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5456/wpll.22.3.114","url":null,"abstract":"This paper investigates the accessibility and suitability of e-mentoring to support access to medicine for applicants from diverse backgrounds. Through qualitative analysis of the conversations between mentors (current medical students) and mentees it aims to identify the main concerns of potential medical applicants and investigate similarities and differences between mentees from widening participation (WP) and non-widening participation backgrounds. Thirty-six medicine applicants from varied backgrounds subscribed to e-mentoring during their UCAS application preparation making it possible to address the study's research questions. No discernible difference between WP and non-WP applicants was evident, which suggests the label is not indicative of prior knowledge or support needed to navigate the application process. E-mentoring was found to be a suitable platform for the delivery of outreach and both WP and non-WP applicants benefited equally. The findings from the study are discussed in the context of Health Professional Admissions and Outreach and the use of e-mentoring as a means of delivering on the WP access agenda.","PeriodicalId":90763,"journal":{"name":"Widening participation and lifelong learning : the journal of the Institute for Access Studies and the European Access Network","volume":"32 1","pages":"114-136"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86001492","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
There is increasing awareness of the importance of working with younger children in widening participation initiatives. While typical evaluation methods, such as feedback questionnaires, may be appropriate for collating evidence of the impact of initiatives with older children and teenagers, these tools are less appropriate for younger children. In the context of the evaluation of a campus-based creative writing programme for 9- to 10-year-old children, this paper discusses the utility of creative approaches to evaluation. Prior to and following their visit to a university campus, children completed a worksheet to gain their perspectives of university through sentence completion, comparison and drawing tasks. These methods provide insight into how children's perspectives are shaped by visiting a university campus, as well as differences between those who do and do not know someone who has attended university. We present snapshots of the evaluation data and discuss the implications for evaluation of widening participation initiatives with young children.
{"title":"'University is a place of imagination where anything can happen': evaluating widening participation initiatives with young children","authors":"Katherine Sela, N. Winstone","doi":"10.5456/wpll.22.2.238","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5456/wpll.22.2.238","url":null,"abstract":"There is increasing awareness of the importance of working with younger children in widening participation initiatives. While typical evaluation methods, such as feedback questionnaires, may be appropriate for collating evidence of the impact of initiatives with older children and teenagers,\u0000 these tools are less appropriate for younger children. In the context of the evaluation of a campus-based creative writing programme for 9- to 10-year-old children, this paper discusses the utility of creative approaches to evaluation. Prior to and following their visit to a university campus,\u0000 children completed a worksheet to gain their perspectives of university through sentence completion, comparison and drawing tasks. These methods provide insight into how children's perspectives are shaped by visiting a university campus, as well as differences between those who do and do not\u0000 know someone who has attended university. We present snapshots of the evaluation data and discuss the implications for evaluation of widening participation initiatives with young children.","PeriodicalId":90763,"journal":{"name":"Widening participation and lifelong learning : the journal of the Institute for Access Studies and the European Access Network","volume":"88 1","pages":"238-245"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88666673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This article examines the findings from a mixed methods research study exploring part- time students' perceptions of their transition into higher education. Drawing on wider research in the field of transition and utilising Gale and Parker's (2014) conceptual framework as a means of viewing the transition process, the article identifies how one group of part-time undergraduates experienced the process of becoming an undergraduate. The results highlight the importance of offering a well-framed early learning experience for students, which enables them to learn the skills needed for early academic success and provides continued support as they progress in their own time towards recognition of themselves as undergraduates. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that transition is not time bound, and individual students will need individual approaches. This will require institutions to consider how the support they offer can be tailored to a student's specific needs.
{"title":"Building the foundations for academic success: learning from the experiences of part-time students in their first semester of study","authors":"Allyson Goodchild, C. Butler","doi":"10.5456/wpll.22.2.135","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5456/wpll.22.2.135","url":null,"abstract":"This article examines the findings from a mixed methods research study exploring part- time students' perceptions of their transition into higher education. Drawing on wider research in the field of transition and utilising Gale and Parker's (2014) conceptual framework as a means of\u0000 viewing the transition process, the article identifies how one group of part-time undergraduates experienced the process of becoming an undergraduate. The results highlight the importance of offering a well-framed early learning experience for students, which enables them to learn the skills\u0000 needed for early academic success and provides continued support as they progress in their own time towards recognition of themselves as undergraduates. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that transition is not time bound, and individual students will need individual approaches. This will\u0000 require institutions to consider how the support they offer can be tailored to a student's specific needs.","PeriodicalId":90763,"journal":{"name":"Widening participation and lifelong learning : the journal of the Institute for Access Studies and the European Access Network","volume":"34 1","pages":"135-161"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90673746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
There has been national and institutional commitment to widening participation (WP) for over 20 years in England, and during this time considerable investment has been made in WP. The field of WP is, however, still characterised by a lack of evidence of impact, and institutions are under pressure to provide better evidence moving forward. Practitioners working across the student lifecycle find evaluation challenging. This paper focuses on the approach used to evaluate a programme of work intended to improve the success of non-traditional students in higher education (HE), drawing on logic chains and a theory of change model (programme theory evaluation tools). It considers the benefits and limitations of this approach and discusses how it was applied in practice. It provides examples of indicators and evidence and considers ways in which the model can be improved and applied to other contexts.
{"title":"Using logic chain and theory of change tools to evaluate widening participation: Learning from the What works? Student Retention & Success programme","authors":"L. Thomas","doi":"10.5456/wpll.22.2.67","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5456/wpll.22.2.67","url":null,"abstract":"There has been national and institutional commitment to widening participation (WP) for over 20 years in England, and during this time considerable investment has been made in WP. The field of WP is, however, still characterised by a lack of evidence of impact, and institutions are\u0000 under pressure to provide better evidence moving forward. Practitioners working across the student lifecycle find evaluation challenging. This paper focuses on the approach used to evaluate a programme of work intended to improve the success of non-traditional students in higher education\u0000 (HE), drawing on logic chains and a theory of change model (programme theory evaluation tools). It considers the benefits and limitations of this approach and discusses how it was applied in practice. It provides examples of indicators and evidence and considers ways in which the model can\u0000 be improved and applied to other contexts.","PeriodicalId":90763,"journal":{"name":"Widening participation and lifelong learning : the journal of the Institute for Access Studies and the European Access Network","volume":"133 1","pages":"67-82"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89432377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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