Open Research Online The Open University’s repository of research publications and other research outputs The Emergence Of Irish Access Policy And Practice In The 1990s Thesis How to cite: Jordan, Anne T. (2002). The Emergence Of Irish Access Policy And Practice In The 1990s. EdD thesis The Open University. For guidance on citations see FAQs. c 2002 The Author Version: Version of Record Link(s) to article on publisher’s website: http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21954/ou.ro.00004a2c Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. For more information on Open Research Online’s data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policies page. oro.open.ac.uk ANNE T.JORDAN P013272X THE EMERGENCE OF IRISH ACCESS POLICY AND PRACTICE IN THE 1990s DOCTOR OF EDUCATION (EdD) APRIL 2002 Declaration No element of the work described in this dissertation, nor the dissertation itself, has been previously submitted for a degree at this or any other institution. The work described in this dissertation has been carried out entirely by the author. Anne T. Jordan April 2002 Table of Contents Page Table of Contents I List of Tables iii Abstract V. Chapters Title 1. Introduction and Overview of the Study 1. 2. Research Questions and Methodology 8. 3. Key Definitions of Access 24 4. Global Trends and EU Policy Leading to Access Provision 37 5. Access Provision: a Comparative Analysis 52 6. Irish Access Policy to the Present Time 69 I. A Survey of Access Provision in Ireland 94 8. Access Outcomes: a Case Study 110 9. Conclusion: Summary and Further Development of Access Policy and Practice in Ireland I34 i Appendices 1. Chapter 7. Tables 144 2. Chapter 8. Tables 153 3. List of Institutions with Access Provision in 1999 170 4. Survey of Outcomes 171 5. Access Foundation Certificate Courses: Questions for Focus Group Facilitators 178 Reference List 180 ii List of Tables Table Title Page Chapter 7. 7.la Access Course Providers i44 7.lb Access Course Location 144 7.2 Date of Course Inception 145 7.3 Mode of Course Delivery 145 7.4a Contact Hours for Participants 146 7.4b Self-study hours for Participants 146 7.5 Participant Type 147 7.6 Academic Course Level and Qualification awarding Body 147 7.7 Progression and Guaranteed Places 148 7.8 Number of Subjects Studied 148 7.9 Rank Order of Core and Elective Subjects 149 7.10 Successhl Access Course Participants 149 7.1 1 Access Course Drop-out Rate 150 7.12 Higher Education Destination of Students 150 7.13 Mentoring Systems 151 7.14 Ranking of Access Student Problems 151 7.15 Funding 152 Chapter S. 8.1 Access Groups Surveyed 153 8.2 Drop-out from Access Course 153 8.3 Current Situation of Access Graduates 154 8.4 College and Course Attended on Completion of Foundation Course 155 8.5 Awards Sought and Awards Received 156 8.6 Access Students not Engaged in Further Study 157 8.7 Intention of Those Not Engaged in Further Study to Resume Studies 157 iii 8.8 Desired Subject Areas by Those Not at Present Studying 158 8.9. Current Employment Status ofFormer Access Students 158 8.10 Relevance of Access Course to Present Employment 159 8.1 1 Benefits of Attending Access Course 159 8.12 Disadvantages of Access Course 160 8.13 Recommendations Regarding Access Course 161 8.14 Relevance of Course Content I62 8.15 Assessment Strategies on Access Courses 163 8.16 Teaching Styles on Access Courses 164 8.17 Level of Student Support for Access Students 165 8.18 Funding and Financial Support 166 8.19 Potential of Course for Personal Development 167 8.20 Guidance for Further Study or Employment 168 8.21 Recommendations 169 iv Abstract The focus of this study is the provision of Access courses for Irish adults. This interest arose from the researcher's involvement with Access initiatives in one Irish higher education institution. The principal research questions investigate the development of the policies and practices associated with the Access movement in Ireland. The research begins from the theoretical, and narrows down to an examination of policies and perceptions, then to initiatives, and fmally to the experiences and voices of a small number of Access students. Action research methodology, selected as an appropriate approach for a practitioner working in the field, is used to investigate these questions. In attempting to answer the principal research questions, the study examines the defmitions and rationales for Access. This leads to a categorisation of such rationales in terms of equity, economic and social factors, and those connected with personal development. A comparative analysis of world-wide trends and EU educational policy and provision in a number of selected countries is next undertaken, prior to an examination of recent Irish Access policy. The comparative research report commissioned by the Irish government from Professor Skilbeck was not foreseen when this study began, but it is such an important recent influence on Irish policy that it is given serious consideration. The study moves from an examination of policy to that of practice. A national survey of Access course providers is carried out to show the extent and nature of Access provision. At a more local level, the outcomes for a selected group of Access students are examined, including the experiences of a small number of students from this group. From these a number of key issues arise and are considered. The answer to the research questions posed is that a conflation of economic investment in education; social cohesion strategies; membership of the EU; equity awareness, the 'Celtic Tiger' and an increased demand by adults for education are the forces driving Access in Ireland. Analysis of representations by one group, and reinforced by the " survey of Access students show that students represent the least source of influence on Access policy and practice. The study demonstrates that education is now conceived as an 'absolute good', capable of tackling many ills in society. The research concludes with a SWOT analysis showing the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats that arise in relation to the expansion of Access opportunities in Ireland. This is followed by a number of key points for practice and suggestions for further research. vi Chapter 1. Introduction and Overview of the Study The focus of this research is on the provision of Access’ courses for Irish adults in the Republic of Ireland. This type of course provision has been commonplace in the UK and Australia for the last twenty years or more, and before that, in the US since the 1960’s. but barely existed in Ireland prior to the 1990’s. One reason for this was that, due to the scarcity of higher education places and a highly competitive selection system, access to higher education for Irish adults was traditionally very difficult. In consequence, Ireland was only admitting less than three per cent of adults into the full- time higher education system by the early 1990s (Clancy, 1995%p.41), in comparison with the UK which had at this same time up to thirty per cent of full-time mature students (Parry, 1995, p.104)? Moreover, neither the government nor the educational institutions themselves demonstrated much interest in allocating scarce and highly sought places to older learners who had not been through the traditional Irish higher education selection procedure ofthe Leaving Certificate (Murphy & Inglis, 2000, p.101). My particular interest in such course provision arose from same funding opportunities which arose in 1994 in my own institution, the Midshire Institute of Technology (MIT),) one of fourteen such establishments providing higher education in the Irish state binary higher education system. I stress the funding, since it is my view that many developments in Irish higher and hrther education over the last ten years have been driven. as much by the provision of funding ffom bodies such as the European Union, and in particular the European Social Fund, as by the recognition of need from the Department of Education and Science. It has been noted by Wagner (2002, p.1.) that internationally there has been an upsurge of demand for Access associated with dynamic national economic ’ To avoid confusion I have followed the practice of Davies and Parry (1993. p.4) in capitalising ‘Access’ in order to differentiate the intended meaning of ‘access to third level education’ from the other connotations of the term. 2 In 1995 only 2% ofthese were over 26 compared to 19% in western countries (Lee, 1998). ’ The name is fictitious, in order to mask the identity of Institute students and staff. performance. This national upturn was beginning to be evident in Ireland in the mid-nineties but would not explain Access funding prior to that time! In 1994 -5,l was working in the Adult Education Department in the Institute: teaching courses mainly in the areas of the social sciences, business and the humanities. A community group 6om a nearby large corporation housing estate with unemployment levels of forty three per cent (WAP,1997, p.4) approached the Adult Education Department with a small amount of funding they had raised (fIr.14,000.00), and asked ifthe Department could put on an Access course for disadvantaged adults kom the area, that would help them in gaining entry to mainstream college courses.6 I was asked to co-ordinate this course and began with student recruitment, which was not envisaged as being difficult, given that the request for the course had arisen f?om the community itself.