HE students & ethnicity: Triangulation of qualitative and

quantitative funded research programs

Mary Stuart, Kingston UniversityMary Stuart, Kingston University

Catherine Lido, Thames Valley UniversityCatherine Lido, Thames Valley University

Jessica Morgan, University of GreenwichJessica Morgan, University of Greenwich

Promoting equity in Higher education

MEGs in UK HE

Students from MEGs face barriers in

terms of HE experiences & outcomes (e.g. Stuart, 2006; Reay et al, 2001)

• Student satisfaction (e.g. Surridge, 2006)

• Degree attainment (e.g. Richardson 2008)

• Alienation/ ‘fitting in’ (Connor et al., 2004)

Previous HEA Funded Research

• WP in PG Education: Identifying Barriers & Creating Success (Stuart, Lido, Morgan, Solomon & Ackroyd, 2008)

• N=1,073; 2 Southeast HEIs in UK• MEG students highest in PG Intentions, but also…• Debt worry, actual debt & lower in Family HE experience• Student Diversity, Extracurricular Activities and

Perceptions of Graduate Outcomes (Stuart, Lido, Morgan & May, 2009)

• N=749; 4 diverse HEIs• Demographic patterns of participation in ECAs

MEG activity differencesMEG activity differencesWhite students do more of this:

– See friends (p<.01)

– Visit pubs and bars (p<.01)

– Visit shops and cafes (p<.05)

Black students do more of this:– Visit the library (p<.01)– Pray (p<.01) & See family (p<.05)– Meet NEW friends on social-websites (p<.01)– Have paid employment (p<.01)

Asian Students are doing more of this:– Visit the library (p<.05)

– Attend Uni clubs & societies (p<.01)

– Pray (p<.01) & See family (p<.01) & Volunteer (p<.01)

Cultural Capital• Thinking more critically about the whole student

experience…• Forms of knowledge, skills, attitudes,

expectations (Bourdieu, 1979)

• Social capital (Field, 2005)

• Make environments, such as HE, comfortable/ familiar

• Institutional habitus (McDonough, 1996) • Which affects success…

SIT

• Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979)

• In-group Affiliation= Self-esteem needs and Positive Distinctiveness

• ‘Identity threat’ (HE environment)

• In-group identification (university and peers)=

Also key for success? 

Project Method

Phase 1: Large scale survey (n=766)

Distributed in lectures to 2nd years @ 4 HEIs:• 2 London post-92 Unis; 1960’s S.E England Uni;

London Specialist Medical Institution.

Phase 2: Qualitative analysis (n=54)• Student Focus groups x 10 (n=46)• Educational Life History Interviews (n=8)

Phase 3: Follow-up: 2nd year exam results (n=26)

Adapted Measures• Demographic factors• Academic self-esteem (Rosenberg, 1965)

• Well-being at university (Speilberger, 1970)

• Peer Support (Jessop et al., 2005)

• Marks (self-report actual & expected ; r=.46, p<.01)

• Comfort Zone (α=.71)

• University Identification (α =.86)

New Measures

Quantitative Regression findings

• Uni ID & Comfort Zone = key predictors for all students’ positive Uni experience (r2 from .12 - .37)

• Predict Black & White students’ marks (r2 =.03; .05)

• Comfort Zone more important for MEGs’ positive experience/ outcomes

• Uni ID more important for White students’ positive experience/ outcomes

Regression models predicting Marks

WHITE BLACK

Predictors:UniID (β) .11* -

Comfort Zone (β) .13* .21*

Variance explained 4% 6%

R2 .03 .05

Model p value p<.001 p<.05

Regression models predicting Academic Self-esteem

WHITE BLACK ASIAN ARAB/PERSIAN

Predictors:UniID (β) .34*** .17* .18* -

Comfort Zone (β) .20*** .43*** .40*** .53*

Variance explained 20% 30% 24% 26%

R2 .19 .29 .23 .20

Model p value p<.001 p<.001 p<.001 p<.05

Further ethnic group differencesBlack students• More Academic Self-esteem than white peers (p<.01)

• Less peer support than all other ethnic groups (p<.01)

Asian students• Less well-being at university than white peers (p<.001)

• Less well-being & lower marks for Asian females (p<.01)

Mixed Race students• Less comfort zone than all other ethnic groups (p<.05)

• Less UniID than all other minority ethnic groups

All MEG students (particularly Arab/ Persian)

Less comfort zone for lower SES students (p<.05)

Educational Life History Interviews

Ethnic minority students:

• Missing out on many benefits of social capital at University (academic and social)

• Compounded by early educational experiences, SES, age and gender

• Preference for individual study (e.g. not group work)

• Less awareness and uptake of available support from their peers, teachers and HEIs

‘Majdy’, Medical Student, Specialist Institution

I always worked alone at school as I was one of the few nerdy

kids, and the teachers left us alone

The careers advisor said medicine would be too difficult to

get into considering the area and the school I was from

I prefer working alone at Uni as that’s just what I’m used to

from school. I’m used to no one else being interested in what

I’m doing. 

I’m worried that I’m not revising thoroughly enough and I

should go and speak with someone but I'm not sure who.

White students:

• More supportive early educational environments

• Compounded by SES & family HE experience

• Expectations of collaborative & supported learning

• Stronger social network at University

• More confident to seek out extra help and support from peers, teachers and HEIs

I’ll always go to my friends for help first, and then a

group of us will go and approach the teacher together

if we’re still stuck. Problems are usually best sorted

out this way.[‘Lauren’, Maths, 1960’s University] 

When the workload’s bad we divide it up and help

each other as a matter of survival, you have to. [‘Hugh’, Engineering, Post ’92 University]

Summary of Projects’ Findings

Demographic group differences emerge in

Students’ educational experiences (early & HE):• Focus on study vs. friendship at Uni• Knowledge & uptake of peer, teacher & Uni support.

Comfort zone & Identification matter for success for all!• Students who aren’t comfortable on campus are at risk

(e.g. Mixed-race students)

• “University for study” disadvantage?

Any thoughts?