This article presents findings from an investigation into the experiences of a single cohort of students, studying on a BA (Hons) degree in Britain. It examines the students' attainment on the degree and relates this to their profile on entry, examining their previous work experiences taken as part of a vocationally focused entry qualification, and compares their progress to other students entering the same course of study with non-vocational traditional academic qualifications. The investigation assesses whether, if at all, students' pre-entry experiences have an impact on their eventual qualification. The work then follows a sample of this cohort after they graduate and enter the world of full-time work or postgraduate study, relating these experiences both to their pre-university work experiences and qualifications, any part-time employment whilst at university and/or any work experience which they may have undertaken as part of their undergraduate studies. In essence, the investigation assesses whether work experience impacts on the final awards of students and/or upon their ability to find suitable careers as postgraduates. It uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the impact of previous work experience and/or vocational training and experience on eventual outcomes for the students.
This paper details a case study undertaken in 2011 which examined a small group of female students', and their parents', perceptions of the purpose of a university education. The research is underpinned by a review of the literature examining the views held by academics and politicians as to the benefits of higher education and of research in the field of student choices, as related to habitus and their familial experience of higher education. Data collection involved the use of mixed methods to investigate perceptions and expectations about higher education on arrival at university and whether for a small sample of postgraduate respondents, these perceptions had changed over time. The findings showed that initially there is a belief that higher education is primarily a route to economic gain but, three years after graduation, the respondents consider their time spent at the university -primarily -as a period of personal growth and fulfilment.
In a global society, all educational sectors need to recognise internationalism as a core, foundational principle. Whilst most educational sectors are taking up that challenge, vocational education and training (VET) is still being pulled towards the national agenda in terms of its structures and systems, and the policies driving it, disadvantaging those who graduate from VET, those who teach in it, and the businesses and countries that connect with it. This paper poses questions about the future of internationalisation in the sector. It examines whether there is a way to create a VET system that meets its primary point of value, to produce skilled workers for the local labour market, while still benefitting those graduates by providing international skills and knowledge, gained from VET institutions that are international in their outlook. The paper examines some of the key barriers created by systems and structures in VET to internationalisation and suggests that the efforts which have been made to address the problem have had limited success. It suggests that only a model which gives freedom to those with a direct vested interest, students, teachers, trainers and employers, to pursue international co-operation and liaison will have the opportunity to succeed.
This paper examines current part-time mature learners' views on the potential impact upon future students as full fees are introduced from 2012. It investigates the problems which part-time mature learners may face with the advent of student loans and subsequent debt, given that they are usually combining complex lives with their studies, with less time to repay any loan in their working lifetime. Despite government rhetoric about the need to increase participants from these groups, most advice and guidance has focused on the traditional full-time market, with little being done to investigate the views of part-time mature learners or to provide appropriate support for them from 2012 onwards.The views have been gathered through focus group discussions with students in a traditional English university and four of its further education partner colleges via online forums. Resultant data have been analysed to look at emerging themes, which can be summarised as: relief that the respondents had avoided the new fee regime; lack of understanding about current funding; fear that their families would suffer and taking a loan would somehow be a 'selfish' strategy; fear that graduate employment would still elude them; fear that their age would mean that they would never be able to repay the debt; a perception that the new regime would generate 'extra' money for universities which would be reflected in increased contact hours and wariness about the generous repayment terms currently offered because a change of government could signal new policies and processes.
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