Research was undertaken to understand the experiences of students entering university through vocational education pathways, with the aim of improving transition support for these students. A theme which emerged was the pivotal role played by the students' vocational education teachers in facilitating their students' selfbelief that they had the capacity to succeed in their studies. This, together with increased academic skills and knowledge, provide students with the confidence and capabilities to continue on to university. The theoretical framework of institutional habitus and Gale and Parker's conceptualisation of transition are utilised to analyse findings about the impact of the vocational educational learning environment upon students' transition to university, and how the students experience and manage the transition between the different education sectors.
Seventy per cent of participants rated the lecture on the highest scale for usefulness and interest. There was a significant post-lecture increase in clinical confidence in seizure identification (p < 0.0005). Open-ended questions showed that videos were most useful (81/149) and interesting (109/149), and that the presentation of the syndromal classification provided a useful approach (114/149). Focus group discussion, lecturer and peer observation cross-validated these findings and highlighted the importance of expert commentary to the videos and the clinical relevance of material.
This paper examines preliminary findings from research into the transition experiences of students entering university through a VET pathway. Participants' responses obtained in an online survey are analysed to explore their perceptions of how their VET background influenced their transition, including their expectations and adjustment to university. Findings indicate that participants are largely experiencing transition as a positive experience, but in particular those who perceived their VET background as very influential on their transition have significantly higher levels of adjustment and fulfilled expectations. The survey is part of a larger research project including focus groups and interviews that will allow a deeper analysis of students' experiences. The research also aims to contribute to a deeper conceptual understanding of the transition process.
In 2008 the authoritative Bradley Report into education in Australia identified a skills gap in the overall workforce in the country which, if not addressed, would disadvantage the nation in terms of international trade and technological innovation and development. The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) set targets for investment in potential students who would not traditionally enter tertiary education; that is, mainly those from low socio-economic backgrounds. The Australian federal government administered grants for states and territories to fulfil education targets through the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships (HEPPP) funds. The subject of this paper is the Bridges to Higher Education (Bridges) program, a collaborative initiative provided by five Sydney universities working in partnership to deliver widening participation projects in New South Wales. As part of the Bridges program, two universities-University of Technology Sydney and Western Sydney University-worked together on the Pathways/VET projects which developed several hundred pathways and many workshops for potential students. Two case studies are included to illustrate that significant outcomes were achieved through the project which was externally evaluated by Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG).
The relationship between education and public purpose has been historical and remains fundamental to the core mission of the higher education sector. Alongside the growth of engaged scholarship and practice, increasing and, at times, competing forces work to influence institutional focus and direction. Key amongst these are global university ranking systems, which have begun to shift their gaze beyond traditional notions of academic excellence to also consider impact and engagement. The tension between external and internal drivers for social engagement can fragment institutional focus and undermine community impact. In the face of this challenge, holistic institutional frameworks that systemically and culturally underpin, enable and make inherent engaged scholarship remain scarce. Their absence risks marginalising engaged university practice, teaching and research, thereby limiting the potential impact of universities. This article aims to address this gap in the literature by examining the question of how universities can create a whole-of-institution approach to their public purpose agenda. Using the University of Technology Sydney as a case, the development of the UTS Social Impact Framework is shared here. We detail the use of Appreciative Inquiry and Theory of Change as underpinning participatory methodologies that have resulted in a systems approach to change, based on institutional strengths. The resulting framework articulates a shared vision and outlines a guiding roadmap encompassing six domains of change, expressed as outcomes, and an additional three preconditions. Woven together, these create a robust image of the systemic and cultural dynamics needed to realise the shared vision of the university, ensuring that contribution to social outcomes remains a core mission of this higher education institution. The adopted approach used in this study can inform the development of contextually relevant frameworks across the sector, with potential to reposition engagement, beyond an aspect of practice, as a systemic precondition that enables broader social change.
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