Executive Summary
Background This research aims to identify the true barriers that some young people ( aged 14-19 years of age ) perceive and experience which prevents their progression to higher education ( HE ). The project is directly targeted at meeting the aims of National Collaborative Outreach Programme ( NCOP ), which is a project funded by the Office for Students ( OfS ) which aims to increase the progression of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to higher education and Southern University Network ( SUN ), which supports the work of NCOP . The young people and parents for the pilot come from two of the 70 electoral target wards across Hampshire , Isle of Wight and Dorset identified by HEFCE ( 2017 ), where HE participation is even lower than expected for their economic circumstances in relation to national participation rates , namely Fareham and Paulsgrove ( Portsmouth ). The research aims to find out why this occurs .
Methodology The primary data for the research was a qualitative method using Appreciative Inquiry ( AI ) based on the work of Cooperrider and Srivastva ( 1987 ). This method was selected because it was important to have an approach that would encourage all individuals to have a voice and , enable complexities to be identified and discussed from all their perspectives . Unlike questionnaires , individuals have opportunities to explain in their own words ( and discuss with others in groups ) their perceptions . Four workshops were conducted of which two sessions were held for students from year 10 and the other two sessions for parents of year 10 students . The AI method was particularly useful in providing reassurance to parents that all their responses were valued and there were no wrong answers . The data was written by the respondents themselves using Post-its and flipcharts to build a story board of the four stage AI process . Then the data was collected by the researcher and transferred into Excel for analysis . AI has previously been used in several studies by the lead researcher and has proven an invaluable way of extracting the voices and recognising the sentiments of the individual participants .
Key Findings
• HE has not sufficiently made the case to all pupils and parents that HE could contribute to the life they see for themselves ;
• 87.5 % of the pupils identified HE could help with career prospects – for parents this ranged from 0 % - 75 %;
• 98 % of the pupils and parents identified the cost and access as the main inhibitor to engagement with HE ;
• The information given to pupils and parents about HE is not consistent ;