Douglas, Krystal (2021) An ethnographic case study exploring how “most-able, least-likely” young people form their Higher Education aspiration. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

The concept of HE aspiration is rarely problematised in policy research. My research explored beyond this surface. Using ethnographic data centred around a conceptual framework of the formation of HE aspiration, it documents how some young people “most able but least-likely” to participate in high-status HE institutions construct their Aspiration in everyday school life and with their classmates. These young people were aged 11-14, had high-prior attainment, but lived in a multi-ethnic area of the UK with relatively high socio-economic deprivation, and relatively low progression to Higher Education. Through participant observations alongside interactive games and group discussions, I collected data around the thesis’ definition of young people’s HE aspiration: their goal-driven plans for the future, their knowledge of HE including their past, present and future educational, cultural and career identities, their self-confidence, self-efficacy and wider self-concept, as well as the priorities and hierarchies of a variety of their school stakeholders. I explored how these worked towards (re-)negotiations and realisations of young people’s plans for the future beyond compulsory education.

My results suggested that the young people rated their HE aspiration, relative to their classmates. Their HE aspirations were evolving, but rarely discussed at great length with their classmates or within their school. However, when they were discussed, their HE aspirations were far from deficient, they were interwoven and multifaceted. The young people linked their HE aspirations to aspects such as subject choice, cultural reference points, HE sector hierarchies, their knowledge of HE and notions of the good life. Their HE aspirations were embedded within a complex backdrop of school institutional priorities around for example, subject priorities, staff’s expectations and understandings of HE, and tensions within the school between political and socially just commitments to offer WP and careers opportunities, and the limited reflective space to critique structural inequalities. My research calls for a re-think of the theoretical positioning of young people in Widening Participation as deficient, and argues for more nuanced methodological approaches and methods to research concepts within the discipline. It also encourages interventions within WP and careers to create reflective space for young people and other stakeholders such as school staff to explore their knowledge of HE. This is a sector that is constantly evolving, and this space could ensure that young people make further informed decisions about their plans for the future beyond compulsory education.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	L Education > LA History of education L Education > LB Theory and practice of education
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Student aspirations -- Great Britain -- Case studies, High school students -- Great Britain -- Attitudes -- Case studies, Education -- Social aspects -- Great Britain -- Case studies, Educational attainment -- Economic aspects
Official Date:	September 2021
Dates:	Date Event September 2021 UNSPECIFIED
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Centre for Education Studies
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Hughes, Christina, 1952- ; Abbott, Ian, 1955-
Format of File:	pdf
Extent:	293 leaves : illustrations
Language:	eng

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