In the context of a proliferation of post-16 options, the need for substantial individual financial investment in university education, and uncertainties of employment outcomes, this paper explores student agency and structural constraints around career planning and progression into
Higher Education (HE). Analysing data collected on behalf of a National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP) hub in England, this research considers the views of students and staff at further education colleges (FECs). It draws on fourteen in-depth interviews with students undertaking qualifications
that facilitate university entry, and seven interviews with staff involved in delivering information, advice and guidance (IAG) in some capacity within FECs. The paper explores the similarities and differences in how IAG is perceived, regarding its timing, depth, focus and scope. Students
and staff broadly agreed that IAG in their FEC was often too broad, generic and insufficiently tailored to individual needs. In the cost-benefit analysis on university progression, students weighed up individual circumstances, calculating their best option whilst negotiating the structural
constraints. Self-sufficiency was a common desire and ambition, and as such, the financial risks of entering university needed to be mitigated by a clear promise of stability in the future.
In 2020, school closures in England due to the Coronavirus (‘Covid-19’) pandemic resulted in the cancellation of high-stakes examinations and their replacement with teacher-based assessments. These changes represented a significant change for students who had been preparing to undertake examinations for the ‘end-of-school’ General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). This research reports part of a survey that explored the experiences of these students, with a particular focus on students’ psychological responses. Two hundred and twelve students responded to a questionnaire survey that asked them to reflect on their feelings about the changes to the GCSE assessment. Responses were analysed using both thematic and content analysis and revealed five themes: Issues of control; Issues of fairness; Issues of communication and decision making; A shifted path; and The impact of the changes. We re-emphasise the attested value of forms of ongoing dialogue with students about their assessment experiences and consultation with them about decision making in assessment in order to inform planning to optimise student assessment experience.
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