Kate Thomas, Stories from the Sidelines? Transition from Foundation degree to Honours year

To be presented at the Widening Participation Conference 2012 'Discourses of Inclusion in Higher Education', 24-25 April 2012

Stories from the Sidelines? Transition from Foundation degree to Honours year

Kate Thomas

The paper considers the findings of a longitudinal, qualitative research project (March 2010-May 2011) which investigated the student experience of transition from Foundation degree (Fd) at an Further Education College (FEC) to an Honours year at the validating university.  The research considered not only the way the process of transition impacted upon students’ experience of higher education and their identities as’ work-connected’ learners, but also the role of the institution in facilitating and supporting transition.  Research methods included online questionnaires, group and individual interviews and journal entries, aiming to capture student narratives pre-and post-transition and across a range of disciplines and occupational fields. The paper draws on individual narratives of transition to highlight key findings and themes and explores the opportunities to enhance and support the transition process.