The impact of ERASMUS and short-term European residential academic trips on the UK ‘widening participation’ student experience

Author(s):

Saneeya Qureshi(presenting / submitting)Emel Thomas(presenting)Carmel Capewell

Conference:

ECER 2015

Network:

22. Research in Higher Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

22 SES 05 E, Students' Participation and Communication

Paper Session

Time:

2015-09-09

11:00-12:30

Room:

336. [Main]

Chair:

Jo Rose

Contribution

The focus of this paper is an investigation into the experiences of students studying at a UK University, whose course includes the opportunity for Erasmus visits, as well as short residential trips to European countries. The study is conducted in the context of students who come from a background attributable to widening participation (WP). ‘Widening participation’ in the UK is defined as increased levels of participation in higher education by different groups in society, including women, students from different socio-economic groups, different localities, mature students, students with disabilities and ethnic minority students (NCIHE, 1997, Chapter 7). The term has more recently also come to include women with families and those from non-traditional academic backgrounds (Reay, 2003).

This study is particularly significant in a European context, as it directly addresses the participation and transitionary academic experiences of UK students in European institutions. The process is part of the Erasmus+ agenda, which aims “to help tackle socio-economic changes, the key challenges that Europe will be facing until the end of the decade and to support the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy for growth, jobs, social equity and inclusion” (EC, 2014, p.9).

Osborne (2003) reported that the latter decades of the twentieth century have seen a major expansion of the HE system in Europe, and a subsequent increase in initiatives to widen participation of students. These initiatives have been associated with economic instrumentalism, social justice and widening opportunities with regard to further higher education and the labour market. Indeed, internationalisation in its various forms includes academic, inter-cultural and financial benefits (Gu and Schweisfurth, 2011, p.611). Although complex in terms of the impact, research has shown that such inter-cultural adaptation within different educational environments, cultures and societies lead to students’ shifting socio-cultural associations. These transitions include facets such as language acquisition, social interaction, personal development and academic outcomes. (Gu, Schweisfurth and Day, 2010, p.7). Other related aspects which are impacted by students’ intercultural education include positive correlations with the concepts of equality within social groups, the working towards a meaningful shared purpose, the development of intergroup cooperation, and the exploration of external cultures (Schweisfurth and Gu, 2009, p.465).

Students on a particular course at the University where research was conducted, go on short residential field trips to countries such as the Netherlands and Sweden every summer, so as to enable teaching in conjunction with partnerships in foreign academic institutions.

As statistics can mask qualitative data about the student experience, the research is qualitative in nature, aiming to explore students’ motivations and subsequent experiences as a result of their transitory academic programmes. The specific research questions for the project are:

1. What are the experiences/ benefits from the long-term Erasmus placements?

a) How does the two-way University and international institution partnership impact students’ experiences?

b) What are the benefits/ challenges for WP students in the context of long-term international placements?

2. What are the experiences/ benefits from the short-term European residential trips?

a) How do these trips impact the recruitment and retention of students?

b) What are the benefits/ challenges for WP students in the context of short-term residential trips?

Students fed-back that these trips made them “enthused” and were “worthwhile”. Over-25 year olds said that it made all the difference to completing the course; and that that residential trips made “the whole course gel” together. Tutors further surmised that these transtionary academic experiences helped with student recruitment and retention.

The research project will also explore why the Erasmus and European residential trips experiences are positive for the students and the resultant impact on widening the attractiveness of the course and subsequently student retention.

Method

Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2007, p.49) made reference to the term “fitness for purpose” in a discussion with regard to the choice of a particular research approach. Berliner (2002, p.20) further reiterated that “mixed-methods designs are better suited to unravelling educational phenomena of “enormous complexity”, as is the case when examining motivations behind academic decisions. Whilst Greene (2008, p.20) ascertained that mixed methods “actively engages us with difference and diversity in service of both better understanding and greater equity of voice.” In view of this mixed-methods approach, the research consists of data derived through survey questionnaires, interviews and document scrutiny of University and course-specific documents. The initial purposive sample for the questionnaire consists of a cross-sectional study of all the students in the first, second and third years on specific courses and joint honours students. A second level of data collection will occur through self-selected semi-structured interviews of University students and tutors and document scrutiny of the courses; the University’s documents on WP and Internationalisation; anonymised WP and course enrolment statistics. The theoretical framework within which this study is conducted relates to Knight’s six typologies of approaches to internationalisation at institutional levels. These approaches are based on specific parameters of activity, outcomes, rationales, process, at home and abroad (cross-border) experiences of students (Knight, 2004, p.20). The rationale for utilising these approaches is to enable reflection at the institutional level with regard to current and future developments around consistent and complementary Erasmus exchange and other European study visit experiences. Thematic analysis is applied to the data collected (Boyatzis, 1998; Creswell, 2003, p.196), along with an examination of the literature with regard to past and current research of a similar nature, so as to ensure the trustworthiness of the findings. The research is conducted in accordance with an Ethical Code which is informed by the British Educational Research Association Guidelines (BERA, 2011) and the University’s Research Ethics Committee Guidance (University of Northampton, 2011). All participation is voluntary. Furthermore, all students, tutors and members of staff involved in this study were made explicitly aware that students’ participation or non-participation in this research project shall not influence decisions regarding academic progress, or their being favourably or unfavourably disposed towards a particular student. All measures were therefore taken to ensure equity through the application of thorough research ethics, both in the students’ and tutors’ contexts.

Expected Outcomes

In terms of widening participation, it has been acknowledged that there has been a substantial increase in university participation in recent years amongst students from non-traditional backgrounds (Reay, 2003; UCAS, 2014). Furthermore, European audiences can utilise the findings from this study to support the drive towards the strategic objectives of ‘Raising Achievement for all Learners’ as set out in the Education and Training 2020 (ET 2020) Framework at a European level (CEU, 2009). This is particularly significant for the objective which aims to make “lifelong learning and mobility a reality” (CEU, 2009, p.119/3). Expected outcomes of the research project therefore, shall clarify the enrichment that these Erasmus exchange and residential programmes offer to University students, with emphasis on ‘Widening Participation’ or non-traditional background cohort. The reasons why an international experience is a positive motivator for the students; along with the resultant impact on widening the attractiveness of the course; and subsequently University retention shall be clarified in a broader pan-European context. Further implications shall elucidate how mature students are seen by their peers and the resultant impact on integration, and consideration given to the various factors through which the student experience can be internationalised at every level. The outcomes of the research will benefit the tutors and University management through the identification of the factors that optimally influence the experiences of students whose study includes Erasmus in the context of widening participation. In terms of the intended impact of the research, it is hoped that the results will be taken into consideration by tutors so as to inform the nature of support and academic mechanisms, and the development of more attractive course offerings, with the aim of raising students’ motivation and retention levels for the courses, particularly for those from WP groups.

References

Berliner, D. C. (2002) Educational research: The hardest science of all. Educational Researcher. 31(8): 18-20. British Educational Research Association (BERA) (2011). Revised Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research. Southwell: BERA. [Online] Available from: https://www.bera.ac.uk/wp-content/.../BERA-Ethical-Guidelines-2011.pdf [Accessed 25th January 2015] Boyatzis, R. E. (1998) Thematic Analysis and Code Development: Transforming Qualitative Information. London: Sage Publications. Cohen, L., Manion, L. and Morrison, K. (2007) Research Methods in Education. 6th Edn. London: Routledge. Creswell, J. (2003) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches. 2nd edn. London: Sage Publications. Council of the European Union (CEU). (2009) Council Conclusions of 12 May 2009 on a Strategic Framework for European Cooperation in Education and Training (ET2020) (2009/C119/02) [Online] Available from: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2009:119:0002:0010:EN:PDF [Accessed 25th January 2015] European Commission (2014) Erasmus + programme guide. Brussels: EC Greene, J. C. (2008) Is mixed methods social inquiry a distinctive methodology? Journal of Mixed Methods Research. 2(1): 7-22. Gu, Q., and Schweisfurth, M. (2011). Rethinking university internationalisation: towards transformative change. Teachers and Teaching. 17 (6): 611-617. Gu, Q., Schweisfurth, M., and Day, C. (2010). Learning and growing in a ‘foreign’context: Intercultural experiences of international students. Compare. 40 (1): 7-23. Knight, J. (2004). Internationalization remodeled: Definition, approaches, and rationales. Journal of studies in international education. 8(1): 5-31. National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education (NCIHE). (1997) Higher education in the learning society. Report of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education: The Dearing Report. London: HMSO. [Online] Available from: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/ncihe/ [Accessed 25th January 2015] Osborne, M. (2003). Increasing or widening participation in higher education?—a European overview. European Journal of Education. 38 (1): 5-24. Reay, D. (2003). A risky business? Mature working-class women students and access to higher education. Gender and Education. 15(3): 301-317. Schweisfurth, M., and Gu, Q. (2009). Exploring the experiences of international students in UK higher education: possibilities and limits of interculturality in university life. Intercultural Education. 20 (5): 463-473. Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS). (2014) End of Cycle Report: UCAS Analysis and Research, December 2014. UCAS: Cheltenham. [Online] Available from: http://www.ucas.com/sites/default/files/2014-ucas-end-of-cycle-report.pdf [Accessed 25th January 2015] University of Northampton. (2011). University of Northampton’s Ethics Code and Procedures, and the Research Ethics Committee’s Guidance. [Online] Available from: http://www.northampton.ac.uk/Downloads/research_ethics_committee_guidance.doc [Accessed 25th January 2015]

Author Information

Saneeya Qureshi (presenting / submitting)

The University of Northampton, United Kingdom

Emel Thomas (presenting)

University of Northampton

Northampton

Carmel Capewell