Factors affecting performance of former access students within selected Scottish educational institutions

Abstract

This thesis concerns the performance of former Access students pursuing courses in higher education. Access students as mature entrants are a subset of non-traditional entrants and as such are part of the widening participation agenda which predominates educational policy thinking today. In this thesis a quantitative approach was used to study the performance of former Access students in two universities and a quantity of former Access students pursuing the study of Higher National Certificates and Diplomas in further education colleges throughout Scotland. A number of interesting trends and observations were made as a result of this phase but other aspects of factors affecting their performance could not be addressed by these means alone. Thus, a series of interviews with former Access students in three different institutions were conducted (two universities and one further education college) to research the validity of a model of mature student performance which was suggested by the quantitative phase and an extensive literature review. Students were asked to construct a Learning World Map to identify those who have a major effect on their learning world. By an examination of these maps, plus the findings of the programme of interviews, adjustments were made to the theoretical construct (The Castlecary Viaduct of Learning) of factors impinging on performance resulting in a refined model.