Mature Students’ in Irish Higher Education

2016 ◽  
pp. 177-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Kearns
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Mature Students

The vocational route to higher education in Finland: Students’ backgrounds, choices and study experiences

2021 ◽  
pp. 147490412199626
Author(s):  
Nina Haltia ◽  
Ulpukka Isopahkala-Bouret ◽  
Annukka Jauhiainen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Educational Backgrounds ◽  
Mature Students ◽  
Academic Track ◽  
Education Community ◽  
Institutional Structures ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Institutional Habitus

Division between academic and vocational education is a predominant feature of both upper secondary and higher education in Finland as well as in many other country contexts. This article focuses on a minority of higher education students, those who have not proceeded to higher education through the traditional academic track but have enrolled through the vocational route. We deploy the concept of institutional habitus and utilize Eurostudent VI survey data ( N=7318) to analyse the backgrounds and study experiences of higher education students with different kinds of educational backgrounds. Our findings indicate that those enrolling through the vocational route are more often mature students from lower parental educational backgrounds. They have often completed a longer study path and began to see themselves as future higher education students later in their life course. There are also differences in how students with diverse educational backgrounds experience their sense of belonging to the higher education community. This paper focuses on Finland but has relevance for other European countries as the institutional structures and practices discussed in this paper are evident internationally.

The transition of mature students to higher education: Challenging traditional concepts?

2013 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
António Fragoso ◽  
Teresa GonÇAlves ◽  
C. Miguel Ribeiro ◽  
Rute Monteiro ◽  
Helena Quintas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Mature Students

Widening Access to Higher Education in Spain: The Unexpected Effects of Two Policy Changes

2002 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Jesús San Segundo
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Policy Changes ◽  
University System ◽  
Economic Determinants ◽  
Access Policy ◽  
Spanish Constitution ◽  
Mature Students ◽  
Educational Investments ◽  
University Curricula

This article describes two policy changes in Spain, which were not designed as part of an access policy: regional decentralisation (following the approval of the Spanish Constitution in 1978) and the reform of university curricula that has taken place since 1989. It is shown that these policy changes have had some unexpected effects on access to higher education by different groups of individuals. The analysis pays special attention to the rates of participation of students in different regions, as well as to the probability of access according to socio-economic origin. Economic determinants of educational investments are emphasised. The article shows that the Spanish university system does not offer many opportunities for mature students to access and finance higher education.

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