From policy to practice: Pupils' responses to widening participation initiatives

Baxter, Arthur; Tate, Jim; Hatt, Sue

Abstract

Recent widening participation policies have been subject to a number of criticisms; they focus on aspirations rather than differences in performance; they place less value on the aspirations of the ‘disadvantaged’ comparing them to a middle class norm; they subordinate what was a radical agenda to the demands of the economy and so constrain the available options to young people. Using data from young people who have taken part in Aimhigher initiatives in the South West of England and from teachers who have organised Aimhigher events, this paper will examine to what extent these features of policy are evidenced in the attitudes and aspirations of these pupils. It will argue that the data shows little evidence of pupils positioning themselves as inferior, that young people display instrumental attitudes to education, but that these attitudes relate to policy discourse and practice in complex ways. © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2007
• Journal: Higher Education Quarterly
• Print ISSN: 0951-5224
• Electronic ISSN: 1468-2273
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 61
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 266-283
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2273.2007.00355.x
• Keywords: policy, practice, pupils, widening participation initiatives
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1026465
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2273.2007.00355.x
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This article represents some of the work from the Aimhigher tracking study, funded by Aimhigher Southwest. The main purpose of the tracking study is to evaluate the impact of Aimhigher initiatives in the South West and to contribute to policy discussion both regionally and nationally. In this article interview data with students and teachers is used to consider current concerns, such as the effect of operating a targeting regime which some have accused of using a deficit model of recipients of Aimhigher initiatives. Baxter is responsible for 65% of this publication.