Understanding and managing identity: working-class students at the University of Oxford [Scholarly Article - Journal of Further and Higher Education, October 2021]

Title:

Understanding and managing identity: working-class students at the University of Oxford 

 

Author:

Éireann Attridge

Department of Education, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

 

Published:

Journal of Further and Higher Education, 13 October 2021

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0309877X.2021.1985979

 

Abstract:

This study aims to add to the literature that explores the experiences of working-class students within elite higher education institutions. It has been undertaken at a time when there is a shift in higher education policy around access and widening participation: from applications and admissions to supporting students throughout the entire lifecycle. Considering the focus of such policy on upward intergenerational social mobility, it explores students’ experiences through the lens of identity, considering Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital. Fifteen undergraduate students, who self-defined as working-class and attended the University of Oxford participated in semi-structured narrative interviews. It was found that working-class students appear to continue to face disadvantage during their time at university. Participants often encountered academic and social situations which served to reinforce ideas of a typical Oxford student, which they perceived as not being inclusive of their working-class identity.

Short Article - Studying in the UK is a mixed bag for West African students

Title:
Studying in the UK is a mixed bag for West African students

Author:
Louise Owusu-Kwarteng

Published:
The Conversation, 27 April 2020

From the article:
"West African students have been travelling to study in the UK since the 1700s. Yet there’s limited research into the experiences of students in British institutions and how they adjust to life and learn in Britain.  

In my paper, I explore educational experiences of undergraduate and postgraduate students from three West African countries – Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone – based at a London university. I examine their reasons for studying in Britain, how they adapted to teaching and learning and how far these factors enhanced or undermined their education."

To read this article:
https://theconversation.com/studying-in-the-uk-is-a-mixed-bag-for-west-african-students-136406

Scholarly Article (March 2020) - The Impact of Science Capital on Self-Concept in Science: A Study of University Students in New Zealand

Title:
The Impact of Science Capital on Self-Concept in Science: A Study of University Students in New Zealand

Authors:
Turnbull, S.M., Meissel, K., Locke, K. & O'Neale, D.R.O.

Published:
Frontiers in Education, 5(27), 2 April 2020.
Available: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2020.00027/full

From the article:
Understanding factors that contribute to students' self-concept in science is an important task in boosting the number of students studying science and retaining students in science fields. A questionnaire was administered to science students at the University of Auckland in New Zealand (N = 693) to test a theoretical model of science self-concept tied to the work of Pierre Bourdieu.