Bridging socio-cultural incongruity: conceptualising the success of students from low socio-economic status backgrounds in Australian higher education
- Authors: Devlin, Marcia
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Studies in Higher Education Vol. 38, no. 6 (2013), p. 939-949
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- Description: This article examines the conceptual frames that might be used to consider the success and achievement of students from low socio-economic status in Australian higher education. Based on an examination of key literature from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and North America, it is argued that Australia should avoid adopting either a deficit conception of students from low socio-economic backgrounds or a deficit conception of the institutions into which they will move. Further, rather than it being the primary responsibility of the student or of the institution to change to ensure the success of these students, it is argued that the adjustments necessary to ensure achievement for students from low socio-economic backgrounds in Australian higher education would be most usefully conceptualised as a ‘joint venture’ toward bridging socio-cultural incongruity.
Directions for Australian higher education institutional policy and practice in supporting students from low socioeconomic backgrounds
- Authors: Devlin, Marcia , O'Shea, Helen
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management Vol. 33, no. 5 (2011), p. 529-556
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- Description: The Australian Government's response to the 2008 Bradley Review of higher education has set clear targets for increased university participation of people from low socioeconomic status backgrounds. Using a ‘success-focused’ methodological approach, this research documents the factors that a sample of 53 later-year, low socioeconomic status background students at one Australian university report have assisted them to manage and overcome the challenges of remaining at, progressing through and succeeding at university. Thematic analyses of the data identified the most helpful factors as including the students' own study behaviour around, and attitude toward, study; teacher characteristics; institutional support of particular kinds; and student-to-student connections. Directions for institutional policy and practice are outlined.
‘Uni has a different language … to the real world’ : Demystifying academic culture and discourse for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds
- Authors: McKay, Jade , Devlin, Marcia
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Higher Education Research and Development Vol. 33, no. 5 (2014), p. 949-961
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- Description: The Australian government has set ambitious targets for increased higher-education participation of people from low socioeconomic backgrounds. There is, thus, a pressing need to explore how best to empower these students with what they require to progress and succeed at university. The paper draws on a literature review and qualitative data from a national study in which 89 students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and 26 staff were interviewed. The paper argues that demystifying academic culture and discourses for these students is a key step institutions and staff can take in assisting students from low socioeconomic backgrounds to progress and succeed at university. A recurring theme to emerge from both the literature and interviews with students and staff was that teaching the discourse empowers and enables students to learn, has a positive impact on their sense of belonging and ultimately helps them succeed in higher education. © 2014 HERDSA.