White Working Class Males in British Higher Education
Post-entry : The post-entry survey data suggests that white , working class males become certain about their decision to apply to university much later than their peers , for this research population , their decision is much later than recent UCAS data suggests ( UCAS , 2016 ). The report from UCAS ( 2016 ) revealed : “ Being certain about higher education by age 10 or earlier means a child is 2.6 times as likely to end up at a more competitive university than someone who decided in their late teens ”. The earlier a student sees himself as university ‘ material ’ -- deserving of , worthy of , and smart enough to belong within the higher education community – the more likely he is to be confident in his choice to apply . Belonging plays an important part in the university experiences of working class students ( Curran , 2016 ; Evans , 2010 ; Leese , 2010 ; Mangan et . al . 2010 ; Ingram , 2009 ). As such , the findings from this research suggests that outreach / recruitment / widening participation strategies should :
• Engage in outreach efforts in earlier years , before the age of 10 . The earlier that underrepresented students , including white , working class boys , hear about higher education as an option for them , the more likely they will be to make the decision to apply .
• Consider developing a peer mentoring scheme between current students and the schools at which you outreach so that younger students can see themselves represented among your current student population .
• Strengthen outreach efforts in later years ( 14-18 ) to ensure that underrepresented students , like white , working class boys , develop a strong confidence in their decision to pursue a university degree .
7.7 Personalised / Tailored outreach
Pre entry : There is evidence that many learners have doubts about their ability to succeed in HE and many were concerned about the negative impact it might have on their well-being . Some had very specific concerns related to their own set of personal circumstances . When asked about the kind of support they might need to make a decision about HE many felt that discussing their plans with others would help . With many of the older learners we spoke to keen to make decisions independent of their parents , it seems clear that access to personalised support , where an individual ’ s on-going questions and concerns could be explored , would be of value to this group of learners . Access to existing sources of support did seem to vary depending on what the school / college had been able to provide and whether the individual had been targeted for any specific interventions and therefore working with targeted schools and colleges to build programmes that incorporate individual level support seems important .
• Learners need access to support that builds on their existing levels of knowledge about HE , allows them to explore their individual questions and concerns , and supports their ability to make informed decisions .
• HEIs need to identify ways of embedding this personalised support into WP programmes , for example through long term mentoring provision , on-going access to advice and guidance and providing opportunities to experience HE ( for example through personalised visits and tasters ) at a time that is relevant to an individual ’ s own decision making .
Post-entry : Findings from the post-entry data suggests that a one-size-fits-all approach to outreach and recruitment may be inadequate . White , working class male students are not a homogeneous group and recruitment strategies should be enhanced to reflect this . While some respondents indicated that , as first year students , they had already developed a clear , concise career path and a plan to achieve their career goals through their degree , on the other end of the spectrum , some participants expressed complete uncertainty about their career goals and indicated a desire to use their three years at university as a space to find out more about what they enjoy doing , how they can develop their skills and knowledge , and where that might lead them after graduation . As traditional age first year students ( 17-19 years old ), it is understandable that they might still be developing their plans for the future . In order to personalise / tailor the outreach / recruitment experience , it is suggested that teams should :
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