Enabling transformative university transitions: becoming a student and a graduate

Hordosy, Rita

Abstract

Drawing on a longitudinal research project that followed the undergraduate entrants of 2013 into, and through their university time, this paper provides a novel conceptualisation of transformative transitions via looking at the four dimensions of non-linearity, multiplicity, diversity and structure. The paper builds on Archer’s relational realist approach and work on reflexivity to show how students select and merge a diverse set of personal concerns to arrive at a modus vivendi. This four-year tracking study collected interview data from a diverse group of 40 students on a yearly basis at an English northern red brick university. The paper explores the changing focus of student experiences, from the social aspects of acclimatisation, to learning to be academic, and finally, becoming a graduate. The results presented here point to the structural enablements and constraints that higher education institutions and policymakers should mitigate in responding to the inequalities of access and experience.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: Society for Research in Higher Education Annual Conference
• Conference Location: Aston University, Birmingham, UK
• Start Date: Dec 6, 2023
• End Date: Dec 8, 2023
• Deposit Date: Jan 2, 2024
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/29264261