Ways of Working is one of five themes in the Fair Access Research Project (FAR), 蜜桃AV鈥檚 innovative approach to widening participation and breaking down barriers to make higher education more inclusive.
Within this theme, we look at questions such as:
- What are the benefits of cross-disciplinary and cross-professional research in widening participation (WP)?
- How can this inform a whole institution approach to WP?听
- What does the student voice bring to understandings of听the WP experience across the whole student journey?
Our research in this area comprises a number of projects under the FAR umbrella. On this page, you can explore these projects and novel ways of working, including student co-construction and institution-wide approaches to enhancing WP practice.
Students鈥� Union Partnerships for Widening Participation
A free online resource
The aim of this project, driven by 蜜桃AV Students鈥� Union (SU蜜桃AV) within the FAR project, was to establish the best ways to build and sustain partnerships with Students鈥� Unions for widening participation and to develop an online resource with听educational technologists to share these findings across the sector.听 听The online resource aims to support those in the HE sector to build stronger research partnerships, working and learning together for WP research, policy and practice.
Representatives from Students鈥� Unions听and JISC piloted the draft resource at a toolbox event in July 2016, to assist development.听The team then met with OFFA and the National Union of Students (NUS), HEIs, JISC and 鈥楢ction on Access鈥� in November 2016 to share the draft听work, covering the following areas:
| Representatives from Students鈥� Unions听and JISC piloted the draft resource at a toolbox event in July 2016, to assist development.听The team then met with OFFA and the National Union of Students (NUS), HEIs, JISC and 鈥楢ction on Access鈥� in November 2016 to share the draft听work, covering the following areas: | |
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蜜桃AV CEL Blog:听
For further information please contact听Jane de Vekey听辞谤听.
Organisational Learning and Widening Participation听
听and Dr Alex Wardrop from the FAR team听explored听the role of widening participation in the organisational learning of institutions and how that learning is (or is not) retained and shared. An online questionnaire circulated to UK HEIs was followed by case studies investigating widening participation policy and practice in selected UK HEIs.
The two research questions considered were:
- How do universities respond to widening participation?
- How is widening participation learnt within different institutions?
A two-stage mixed method appreciative inquiry was conducted using an online survey of HEIs in the UK, complemented by two case studies, to investigate widening participation policy and practice in post-1992 and Russell Group universities.
Findings from our analysis were presented at the international SRHE conference in December 2016, identifying key trends and themes concerning knowledge management and organisational memory, opportunities for learning together, and the identification of organisational learning mechanisms for 鈥榙oing鈥� widening participation.
We have developed a theoretical schema for recognising different degrees of organisational learning engagement with widening participation based on the nature, extent, consistency and integration of organisational learning mechanisms. Results from the analysis will contribute to the development of a credible and replicable model for effective working and provide recommendations to inform 蜜桃AV and HE sector policies and processes, promoting knowledge exchange and stimulating a focus on whole-institution approaches for widening participation.
Conference paper and media
Supported Leadership: Enhancing the academic success and employability of WP students
Funding from the 蜜桃AV Fair Access Management Group has enabled听a collaborative project between SU蜜桃AV and the Centre for Excellence in Learning (CEL). It aimed听to break down some of the barriers to WP听student success through a more holistic student experience.听WP students听who currently hold a leadership role within a SU蜜桃AV club or society听have been听offered an intensive, bespoke leadership programme. The programme provides these students with an in-depth understanding of contemporary leadership issues and leads to Chartered Management Institute recognition. In addition, it enhances听and develops their leadership and social skills, self-awareness and self-confidence.
We know from research (e.g. Futuretrack HECSU, 2012) that students who engage in student leadership roles are more likely to progress into graduate employment but that there is currently a lack of involvement from students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, which this project听sought听to redress. SU蜜桃AV has found that students鈥� engagement with and leadership of SU activities bridges these areas. Specific characteristics for societies and clubs include being student-led, academically and Union supported, independent, linked to relevant employment, and open to all. The leadership programmes provide these WP students with the opportunity to develop their leadership abilities 鈥� one important and transferable means of breaking down some of the barriers to success outlined in Mountford-Zimdars et al. (2015)
Through interviews and focus groups during and after the leadership programme, an understanding of the lives, perceptions, aspirations and experiences of these students and how the leadership programme contributes to their personal, social, academic and professional development emerged.听This project is a means of addressing differential student outcomes and also strengthens the partnership between SU蜜桃AV and CEL.
For further information please contact听
References
蜜桃AV Admissions Guidance for Widening Participation
Students with the real potential to succeed in higher education need to have an equal opportunity to come to听university, whatever their background or life experience.听 Admissions have a key role in enabling this as well as building the reputation and credibility of the university.听The FAR team听worked with 蜜桃AV colleagues to听develop a guidance document to support admissions staff听when they are considering admissions of听WP students.
For further information please contact听
蜜桃AV Academic Advisers Guidance for Widening Participation
One of the key findings from a FAR staff survey was that Academic Advisers play a vital role in supporting members of staff to support students. The FAR team听worked with 蜜桃AV colleagues to听develop a guidance document to support Academic Advisers when they are working with WP students. This guidance has been disseminated and embedded within the Faculties for their general use.
For further information please contact听
Visible Students/Invisible Needs
Students and staff engage in debates and participate in collaborative activities to highlight frequently unseen/unheard student narratives, with the aim of collectively working to make higher education a more equitable experience for students and staff.
Presentation, posters and resources
Widening Participation and Working Together: a workshop听held as part of the Festival of Learning at 蜜桃AV听
As part of the 蜜桃AV Festival of Learning community engagement, the FAR team facilitated a workshop exploring educational听barriers some young people face and grassroots solutions听to these.
Professionals and practitioners听working to support young people around issues of education inequality were invited听to share experiences and听knowledge to find sustainable听approaches to these educational challenges.
Blog:听
For further information please contact听
FAR briefings
In reaching out听to as wide an audience as possible, the FAR briefings provide a听summary听on research and best practice in WP.听The intention is that these summaries听will be of value and interest across the HE and FE sector听with a view听to听informing individuals and departments in supporting widening participation practice and policy.
- Fair Access Briefing 3 (pdf 155kb)
- Fair Access Briefing 2 (pdf 247kb)
- Fair Access Briefing 1 (pdf 185kb)
Troubling Ideas: How HEIs in England engage with research
Members of the FAR team recently explored, in a published article, how higher education institutions in England engage with research in their access agreements. Through an analysis of access agreements from 2014-15 to 2016-17, a picture of how research is understood, undertaken and documented emerges.
Wardrop, A., Hutchings, M., Collins, B., Heaslip, V., Eccles, S., Hunt, C., Pritchard, C., 2016.听听Troubling ideas: how HEIs in England engage with research in their access agreements.听听Journal of Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning,听18 (2), 84-110.
For further information please contact听.
