Chapter 7. Conclusions and Recommendations.

In this final chapter I shall offer an overall analysis of the m/s cohort through presenting a composite picture of the career of the m/s at CCAT between 1984 and 1987.

In the introduction to this thesis there was more of a personal commentary than is usual in academic work of this sort, but I thought it was important to indicate how my personal background could be both a source of insight in identifying issues and also a source of bias which most methodologists would argue is impossible to eliminate in this kind of exploratory and quasi-participatory research. By doing so I hoped that my awareness of some of the pitfalls would prevent me from falling into them, or at least would declare the bias of the findings if I was in error in this way. There was little in the literature which might have shown me how others had tackled a similar problem or had approached the subject on the longitudinal basis which I had been able to adopt over the three year span of this project.

However, there were a great many texts on adult and continuing education so that there was a need to define carefully the terms that were used in this thesis. The fact that there were two different official definitions of a m/s to start with had to be accommodated, and the differences between adult and continuing education needed to be classified. Many aspects of the career of m/s were explored as they were experienced by each respondent, from admission procedures to career advice. They were all useful in establishing parameters through which my own findings could be evaluated.

The expected growth in the area of adult education and the anticipated increase of m/s in H/ed. will inevitably lead to an increase in the literature on the subject which will be valuable in disseminating more information on the progress of m/s and their special needs in a situation dominated at the moment by s/l.

Initially there were 40 students over 25 years of age enrolled at CCAT in October, 1984 to read for a first degree at CCAT and who agreed to take part in this research. The majority were women and there were more from the m/c than the w/c, paralleling earlier findings reviewed in Chapter 2. The range of occupations and backgrounds from which the cohort came was wide, and opinions on every subject raised covered a wide spectrum of views. Because of this it was difficult to find a consensus on any subject except for the generally accepted view that there were no regrets in deciding to enrol on the course in the first place. The only exception to this was the student who left in the first month. He did not reply to my inquiry concerning the reason for this. It may well be that he thought he had made a "mistake" in joining the course in the first place or that staff felt that he was "unsuitable". The fact that only one student in this cohort "dropped out" appeared to speak well for the admission procedures adopted by the staff at CCAT when dealing with m/s, i.e. they had chosen those that they perceived could "cope" with the academic -and social- demands of the course.

Alternatively, it may suggest that most m/s successfully adapted to what initially may have been perceived as a personally challenging experience but which became,especially in the first year, a threatening, institutional environment.

On the admission front, two very different recruitment routes may emerge that might affect the overall number and background of m/s applying to CCAT. The advent of PCAS, to some extent, will reduce the in-built flexibility and negotiation that a direct entry system had previously provided.

The changing attitude of CCAT (and other similar institutions, as shown in their prospecti,) to a more flexible admission policy as far as m/s were concerned, must be welcomed in fitting into the more varied circumstances of a m/s as compared with that of a s/l.

The growing number of courses preparing m/s for a return to H/ed. was illustrated by the co-operation of CCAT with Peterborough Regional College in providing an "Access" type of course. Here a certificated course provided a pathway into H/ed. for those students who completed the course and passed the interviews with the staff at CCAT. Other entry alternatives to institutions or courses at different levels were not ruled out by this arrangement. Elsewhere, "Return to Study" courses and study skills tuition, which did not necessarily carry certification at the end, were be found to be an acceptable entry qualification in place of the previous obligatory "A" level examinations.

Those who enter via the Access course will clearly be in a more favourable position.: they will have become familiar with the college environment as well as its particular nuances.

The relaxation of the rather rigid entry requirements that were in force in 1984 may show that many aspiring m/s who may have been excluded are now being encouraged to enrol. It remains to be seen whether CCAT can accomodate a higher proportion of m/s and still maintain a similar level of success.

It is too early to say whether the presence of both PCAS and Access courses will dilute or strengthen the existing level of m/s numbers at CCAT, or whether it will help maintain the low "drop-out" level registered so far. Nevertheless, from the point of view of m/s, the extra flexibility of Access and similar courses can only be welcomed, as the criteria used to evaluate s/l entrants cannot always fit the very different experience and circumstances of a m/s.

The decision to define a m/s for this project as anyone over the age of 25 was justified by the consequent large number of respondents who were married and had children of school age.Only two students had a child below school age in 1984 and both started f/t schooling within the year. However two babies were born to mothers during the three year span of the research,though both were able to continue their studies without a break and appeared to make the necessary adjustments to their lives without too much stress.

The cohort appeared at first to be a very heterogeneous group, and initially there was some difficulty in deciding whether it could be divided into categories that would allow analysis, yet respect the variation found in the circumstances of m/s. The simplest and most effective solution to this problem was the grouping together of the individual students according to their primary social status. The largest group within the cohort derived from this categorisation was that of the middle-class, middle-aged, married women whose children were then [1984] in f/t schooling.

The discussion on motivation in the literature was seen as producing an unnecessarily limiting dichotomy between either vocational or non-vocational reasons for returning to H/ed.

It was noticeable that younger members of both sexes were reported as being more orientated towards vocational motives for returning to H/ed. to gain a degree qualification than older students. As more older m/c women had the opportunity to enrol on the degree course than younger men it was inevitable that a majority of this cohort should be m/c and less vocationally biased, as described in Chapter 2.

My research has shown however,that motives may be very mixed but also that, as students progressed through the three years of the course and their "career" developed, the pattern of motives changed as a wider horizon opened up and unforseen opportunities presented themselves. The number of those deciding to go on into post-graduate study and/or a qualifying course, such as post-graduate teacher training, testifies to this finding. The change in aspirations between those interviewed before the course started and towards the end of the three years was demonstrated in the case and life histories in Chapters 5 and 6 respectively. The effect of the gap between leaving school and enrolling on a degree course on performance was not addressed in the literature. Here it was quickly shown to be of little significance with regard to the achievement level of those on the course, though it did engender anxieties among the cohort, particularly at the start of the course. In the longer run, the older members did just as well as the younger ones, if not better.

The decision of the older members of the cohort to enrol was often the culmination of a long-held ambition and had sometimes taken a long period of cogitation to reach this result.In many cases the "trigger" mechanism, as mentioned by Levinson,(1978) had come into play. An opportunity had arisen for the applicant to return to H/ed. at an interstice of their life development, e.g. children starting school or about to leave home. But in a few cases the decision was sudden, as an unexpected opportunity had arisen, e.g. a spouse had moved to a new job in the area. The increasing number of educational institutions having Day Nursery facilities also demonstrated the efforts of such institutions to attract m/s into H/ed. at an advanced level.

There are, however, institutional limits - both organisational and cultural - to this process. Organisationally, degree courses are still designed primarily to cater for the s/l; culturally, staff, as noted, argued for a need to maintain a "balance" between m/s and s/l. Perhaps m/s could then be more easily encouraged to conform to a model which might be described as "the ideal school leaver", and many m/s did indeed do so. If the m/s became a majority there would be less possibility of sustaining such a model. The career of a m/s over the three year period of the degree course was charted from the tentative beginning to the culmination in the successful taking of the Final Examinations. Only one student failed to "last the course" and here there were a combination of factors that made this decision necessary.

The first year was expected by many to be a testing time as the standard of work required was an unknown entity and the time required to accomplish the work load had to be found. A lack of confidence was manifested by those entering into a new role of student - a role usually associated with the young and inexperienced. Many m/s had had an extensive experience in the world of work or in the domestic situation and found the change to be more disorientating than they had anticipated, especially as their previous life skills seemed less useful in the formal academic environment than they thought.

However, the passing of the examinations - -a key "rite de passage" - at the end of the first year seemed to be the boost that was necessary to provide the confidence to face the continuous assessment which was an integral part of the work in the second year. Finally, the challenge of the Dissertation required in the third year, brought to an end the work of a demanding course that had been successfully achieved.

The great majority had enjoyed the course and found it to be a stimulating experience. As a result of the increased confidence seen in many students, especially so among the women, which they acknowledged themselves, changes in hopes and aspiration were uncovered.

Recommendations.

It must be encouraging to future aspiring m/s to know that the great majority of the m/s who studied at CCAT for three years found it to be an enriching experience. Hopefully, this will encourage more to follow. This research showed that there were many over-lapping areas in the life of a m/s that had to be integrated in order that the student could study successfully without too much interference to the family or dependents. However, there are a number of issues that need considering as part of the general policy of encouraging a higher participation rate of adults in education. The most important of these are outlined below.

Attitudes.

With an awareness of the difficulties that had to be faced and overcome, a change in attitude towards the aspirations of m/s would be one of the most rewarding results of this research. As Russell pointed out in his report to the DES in 1973, a change of attitude was more necessary than investing a great deal of money into adult education, though it is unlikely at this particular time, to see greater resources being made available to facilitate large numbers of adults to return to education, especially on non-vocational courses.

Nevertheless, a change in attitude is not only necessary from educational authorities, but also from the families and friends of m/s, so that they do not have to be embarrassed when answering the question "What do you do?" because of feeling that being a m/s is a deviant activity. One m/s told me that she said "I work in Cambridge." when asked this. It does seem that men, especially, do not see themselves in the role of "student" which is reserved for that of a s/l. The tradition of the male being the main bread-winner was still strongly felt by the older, married men in the cohort. From this point of view, not many could afford the large drop in income that an older man might suffer, when enrolling as a m/s.

Information.

The first requirement that a m/s needs is information about all aspects of the course. This should include finance, academic standards, hours per week in attendance in the college, recommended hours of extra work involved, college amenities and the name of a member of the staff who can give advice on individual problems. Members of the Mature Student Club run by the Student Union at CCAT would be in a position to give extra information on aspects of the course which prospective m/s might not think to ask.

Some unforseen problems occurred early on in the course, such as the required length of essays, the standard required and the amount of reading thought necessary to prepare for tutorials and seminars. If a short time could be set aside in the early weeks of the course to deal with these problems, a great deal of worry could be avoided. M/s might be as reluctant as s/l to air their problems which might seem trivial to an outsider, but which may assume a size quite out of proportion to their importance.

M/s sometimes assumed that they should be able to iron out all difficulties just by virtue of being more mature than s/l. But the role of student has to be learned and may be more difficult for a m/s coming from a work situation or a domestic context than for a s/l coming straight from school. Here the conflict identified by Rogers (1983) between the m/s self-image and reality, was seen in evidence.

Family support

Where a family is concerned, care should be taken to secure as much support as possible from this source. It may be necessary to point out that, what may turn out to be "delicate" negotiations, should take place with those who might be affected by the decision of the aspiring student to return to H/ed. before the course starts.

It can be seen at times, that the excitement found initially by the student in the course needs to be shared with the family who might otherwise feel excluded. This exclusion may be done quite unconsciously, but if the student is aware of this possibility, then action can be taken to prevent it happening. Family support should not be underestimated; when present it is a most valuable asset, and when absent, it is a great burden to bear.

The presence of five p/t students enrolling in 1984 may point the way in which those with family responsibilities can be encouraged to become students. It was noted that four of these students were mothers with young families who found the p/t route enabled them to combine their studies with their responsibilities at home. It was also found that four out of the five became f/t students as soon as they could - at the beginning of the second year - and although there was some apprehension at first about whether they would be able to cope with the change, in reality it was found that they were able to manage without too much difficulty.

Flexibility.

Because of the great variety of circumstances in the backgrounds of m/s, a greater flexibility towards them is necessary as compared with s/l. The needs of school-age children, for example, cannot be ignored. The fact that so many were able to combine the two roles of parent and student successfully must reassure staff on this count. But if, for example, students who have to fetch children from school could be accommodated in tutorials or seminars earlier in the day, it would seem to be a matter of commonsense to do so. In the same way, the presence of the Day Nursery on the premises now means that those with a child of pre-school age are now able to enrol as students more easily.

The relaxation of entry requirements has not seen a fall in academic standards. The higher motivation observed in mature students more than compensates for the lack of study skills. These seem to be rapidly acquired by mature students, especially if a short course on study skills is given before the degree course starts, or in the first year. But it is still too early to say whether the changes that are taking place will make it any easier for m/s to enrol at CCAT.

Confidence Building.

The great majority of m/s were apprehensive at the start of the course and were not sure how they would be able to cope with all the demands that might be made upon them. The first term of the first year was the most stressful in this respect as so many new experiences and expectations were encountered.

Repetition is needed to get the message across that help is available if required. This help may come from different sources: the personal tutor, fellow students, the Mature Students Club or the Welfare Department. A great deal of information is handed out at the beginning of the term and it takes a little while for this to be assimilated. Small problems may assume large dimensions if not dealt with quickly and lack of confidence inhibits the ability to deal with a situation. Staff may find this type of work repetitive but to the individual student it can only be reassuring if they are told whether or not they are on the right tracks regarding their academic work and pointed in the right direction.

This will, of necessity, put extra demands on staff to articulate for students what they understand to be acceptable standards of work. Given the different ways that "knowledge" is both taught and assessed, this task may be more difficult for teachers in the arts and social sciences than in the natural sciences.

Special Needs of M/s.

Although many m/s made the point that they did not want to be treated differently from school leavers, it was inevitable, since differences did exist by virtue of their maturity. However, it can be shown that changes that might help mature students would also help school leavers. The mutual benefits that arise from the combination of mature students and school leavers sharing a degree course are hard to quantify, but are acknowledged by all concerned as an added bonus. The work and life experience that mature students brought to their studies needed to be put into the context of their courses, and at the same time the theoretical background could be made relevant to the academic situation by the personal practice they had experienced. In this way theory and practice can be integrated into the work of the degree course.

Here both student and staff had a part to play but it would be expected that the staff had a duty to show the student how to integrate past experience into their studies.

Because of the twin problems of lack of money and shortage of time, many m/s found it difficult to join in the social side of college life. Activities arranged during the lunch hour seemed to be the most convenient time available for mature students. The monthly wine and cheese lunches arranged by the M.S.C. were always well attended. Those m/s who were not so tied by family responsibilities did play a full part in student union activities and were often chosen as student representatives on faculty board committees. The dual role that many parents have to play as student and parent needed to be acknowledged by both staff and s/l.

I end on a note of admiration for the dedication that this cohort displayed in acheiving such sucess in the three year degree course that they accopmlished between 1984 and 1987. This success was acheived in the context of a degree which made few concessions towards the particualr difficulties of m/s, though staff were prepared to be flexible on an informal basis.

It has been seen that m/s may over-conform to a model of the "ideal student"in this situation, based on an assumption of the expectations required of a school leaver. The "career" of a m/s might be very different, though still "successful", in an educational environment less tied to the traditional form of academic study, which saw the needs of m/s as primary, rather than as reluctant concessions which needed to be made.