A STUDY OF NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS' EXPERIENCES OF HIGHER EDUCATION: ACADEMIC POTENTIAL AND ACHIEVEMENT

Over the last three decades the UK has seen the growth of research into access to and the non-traditional student experience of higher education (HE) in a culture of widening participation (WP)(Hockings, Brett and Terertjevs, 2012) with implications for the educational establishment and lecturers to demonstrate flexibility and adaptation for individuals and diverse learning communities (Higher Education Academy, 2011). This study focuses on mature students as part of this student body, which UCAS (2013) defines as those aged twenty one and over. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) argued degree qualified nurses would advance the profession, raise standards and improve patient care (Burke and Harris, 2000) The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) stated a degree would be necessary for registration from 2013 (NMC, 2008) prompting a return to education for nurses who qualified before these initiatives. Returners may be seeking a new caring career to apply their life experience. The study aims to explore the self-perceptions of academic potential and achievement of mature students returning to education at undergraduate level. Related objectives are to establish the mature students' views on their own academic ability in HE and elicit their perceived opportunities and barriers to academic development. Opinions of effective support that facilitates achievement of potential may also be determined. Eleven studies including three healthcare specific, mainly from the UK but also from Australia and ROI were reviewed. The definition of mature 21 and over is very general. Steele et al. (2005) recognise sub groups within the mature student population and Briedenhann (2007) focuses on those aged 35 and over. The main emerging themes were practical challenges, self-perception of academic ability, and role of individual and institutional support for mature students. Building on a study by Taylor and House (2010) considering the mature learner's experience throughout the academic course, this study aims to provide a rich snapshot of the period of 4-16 weeks after initial exposure to academia for returners to education in healthcare. Development of academic potential early in the course can only be of benefit to students and this study may inform teaching and learning in the early stages. Data collection took place between April and July 2014 in the form of semi-structured interviews, which were used to explore the experiences of a minimum of 8 participants aged over 21 and returning to education in healthcare. Thematic analysis was to analyse the data as it is flexible and underpins most qualitative research. Three themes emerged in the findings: academic freshness, complexity of support interplay and transformative power of returning to HE. While academic freshness emerged as a pertinent theme for this group of participants, the other two themes were mainly concurrent with previous studies. Such findings may feed into teaching and learning strategies.