Why Are You Here? A Case Study of Persistence in Higher Education.
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Moran, Marie Teresa, Why Are You Here? A Case Study of Persistence in Higher Education., Trinity College Dublin.School of Education, 2023Download Item:
Abstract:
The Irish Higher Education system has undergone significant structural change in the past three years, culminating in the re-designation of the majority of the Institutes of Technology (IoTs) as Technological Universities (TUs). Following a process of amalgamation, a pre-cursor to re-designation, only two of the fourteen IoTs remain, alongside five TUs. This change, which erased the binary divide in Irish HE, reflects the most recent policy developments. In May 2022, a vision proposed by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (FHERIS), Simon Harris, for the creation of a unified but diverse system, along with the new HEA Bill, signalled further change in the structure and governance of the sector.
The Performance Compacts are an integral part of the Irish HE system, and progression and retention statistics are a barometer by which Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) are assessed. The HEA retention headline figures for level six and seven programmes in the IoT sector have been a cause for concern, as they are relatively poor in comparison with level eight programmes, and in comparison with programmes in the traditional University sector. The proposed new unified system will continue to offer programmes at level six and seven, and they remain an integral part of the new TUs, which retain much of the DNA of the IoTs. Therefore, an improved understanding of the causes of poor retention on these programmes is of value to the HEIs in which they are provided and to the students who embark on such programmes.
This D.Ed. sought to improve my understanding of this issue in practice, by trying to identify the factors that contributed to persistence in HE, focussing on students who had stayed on their programmes rather than those who had left. The research was conducted using a single case study approach, employing mixed methods to investigate the expectations and experiences of students registered on level six and seven programmes, and a level eight apprenticeship. The programmes selected were representative of the IoT sector and included on campus as well as online provision. Group and individual interviews were conducted with twenty one participants, and the data was analysed using thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006, 2013, 2019, 2021). A questionnaire provided additional context for the interview data.
The findings are presented under three broad themes ? Getting the Degree, Navigating the Higher Education Environment and Learning Inside and Outside the Classroom. I have been able to identify a hierarchy of factors, linked to the student and the Institute, that contribute to persistence in HE. The classroom, whether on campus or online, was found to be the nucleus for connection and support. The case amalgamates the theoretical perspectives of Tinto (1975, 1993, 2012) and Bourdieu (Bourdieu, 1984, 1988; Grenfell, 2014; Grenfell and James, 1998), providing a comprehensive framework for considering the findings, and their implications, for practice and policy.
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APPROVED
Author: Moran, Marie Teresa
Advisor:
Loxley, AndrewPublisher:
Trinity College Dublin. School of Education. Discipline of EducationType of material:
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Persistence, Retention, Higher educationMetadata
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