A systematic review of evidence on the effectiveness of interventions and strategies for widening participation in higher education

Younger, Kirsty; Gascoine, Louise; Menzies, Victoria; Torgerson, Carole

doi:10.1080/0309877x.2017.1404558

Cited by 76 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The existing literature focusing on Europe are systematic reviews of evidence on the effectiveness of interventions for widening access, participation and completion rates of equity groups in HE. For example, Torgerson et al (2014) and Younger et al (2019) provide a synthesis of the international evidence, mainly from the US and the UK. Similarly, Herbaut and Geven (2019) selected 71 studies, most of them across the US and few from Europe, and compared more than 200 causal effects of outreach and financial aid interventions on access and completion.…”

Section: Literature Gap and Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

What Works for Underrepresented Groups? Identifying Effective Measures for Enhancing Access to Higher Education in Europe

Torotcoi¹,

Gologan

Kurysheva

2020

European Higher Education Area: Challenges for a New Decade

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Over the last three decades, policy-makers have developed numerous measures, policies, projects and programs with the intention to increase the enrolment and participation of underrepresented groups, however, little is known about the ways in which such initiatives shape opportunities for potential students. Knowing which of these initiatives work and whether they are achieving their intended goals is of utmost importance for policy-makers across Europe. This paper aims to collect, document, scrutinize and critically analyze the current research literature which assesses the effectiveness of different public initiatives at Higher Education Institutions’ (HEIs) level for widening access for underrepresented groups and, at the same time, to identify gaps and make recommendations for potential further research. The 17 identified studies can be categorized based on the access measures they analyze: (1) outreach, counselling and mentoring of prospective students; (2) financial aid measures, and (3) preparatory courses and programs. The findings show that there are little research and information about the actual outcomes of most measures to increase access to HE. We found a lack of adequate, reliable and consistently collected data about the policy instruments already put to practice. Since there is no excuse for the lack of effective action towards more equitable educational systems, more evidence-based approaches will be necessary to learn from these specific access measures and move forward towards more efficient equity policies.

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Section: Literature Gap and Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

What Works for Underrepresented Groups? Identifying Effective Measures for Enhancing Access to Higher Education in Europe

Torotcoi¹,

Gologan

Kurysheva

2020

European Higher Education Area: Challenges for a New Decade

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“…Particularly with relatively small student cohorts, gathering of statistically significant data on the effectiveness of these projects is compromised (Younger et al 2018).…”

Section: Which Staff?mentioning

confidence: 99%

What (and who) works in widening participation? Supporting direct entrant student transitions to higher education

Breeze

Johnson

Uytman

2018

Teaching in Higher Education

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This article considers support programmes for direct entrant (DE) student transitions as a widening participation strategy. We reflect upon one induction and support project with 27 students transitioning from further education into the second year of undergraduate social science degree programmes in a Scottish university. We use focus group data to discuss what works (barriers to successful transitions, project successes and limitations) and primarily who works; how responsibility for supporting DE student transitions is distributed and which students benefit. Original findings confirm existing evidence that becoming an 'independent learner' is a challenge for DE students. However, analysis problematizes and significantly expands existing understandings of relationships with staff and peer support, and contributes new insight into how the materiality and everyday logistics of the university relate to DE student transitions. We argue for more institutionally embedded approaches to supporting student transitions, including resourcing academic staff to develop and provide this support.

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“…Research directly examining issues of equity is warranted (Boliver, 2013;Crawford et al, 2017), and made more so given the growing body of evidence demonstrating that what undergraduates study and where has significant prestigieuse, ainsi que leur expérience sociale et académ- repercussions for their employment and earnings prospects (Britton, Dearden, Shepard, & Vignoles, 2016;Social Mobility & Child Poverty Commission, 2014;Sullivan, Parsons, Green, Wiggins, & Ploubidis., 2018;. What can practically be done to assist students from under-represented backgrounds gain access to and flourish at prestigious universities, however, remains unclear (Bathmaker et al, 2016;Harrison, Davies, Harris, & Waller, 2018;O'Sullivan, Robson, & Winters, 2018;Younger, Gascoine, Menzies, & Torgeson, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘You got into Oxbridge?’ Under‐represented students’ experiences of an elite university in the south of England

Stubbs

Murphy

2020

Higher Education Quarterly

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A systematic review of evidence on the effectiveness of interventions and strategies for widening participation in higher education

Cited by 76 publications

References 26 publications

What Works for Underrepresented Groups? Identifying Effective Measures for Enhancing Access to Higher Education in Europe

What Works for Underrepresented Groups? Identifying Effective Measures for Enhancing Access to Higher Education in Europe

What (and who) works in widening participation? Supporting direct entrant student transitions to higher education

‘You got into Oxbridge?’ Under‐represented students’ experiences of an elite university in the south of England

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