Student Voices on Inequalities in European Higher Education

This book focuses on the voices and experiences of non-traditional students in European higher education. It examines the impact that access to higher education is having on these students' lives and discusses what this tells us about European education and society. In particular, it explores the multi-dimensional nature of inequality in varied national contexts focusing on the issues of class, gender, ethnicity, age and disability. The book contributes to the on-going debate about the changing nature of European higher education and argues that research based on the experiences of non-traditional students can be used to improve policy and practice in tertiary education. Drawing on biographical narrative interviews with 'non-traditional' students, the book covers topics including: . the contemporary nature of inequality and how the various forms of inequality intersect and overlap in higher education and society . the formation and transformation of learner identities . the structural barriers faced by non-traditional students . the sources of student resilience and agency . a comparison of patterns of inequality, access and retention in various European countries . the implications of these findings for practice and policies. Student Voices on Inequalities in Higher Education will appeal to academics, researchers, policy-makers and practitioners working in higher education institutions as well as people working in the field of widening participation, adult education, access and centres for teaching and learning. It will also be of interest to postgraduate students in higher education.

Fergal Finnegan is Lecturer in Adult and Community Education at the Department of Adult and Community Education, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Ireland. Barbara Merrill is Associate Professor in Lifelong Learning at the Centre for Lifelong Learning, University of Warwick, UK. Camilla Thunborg is Associate Professor in Education at the Department of Education, Stockholm University, Sweden.

Introduction Part 1: Working Transnationally: Theory and Methodology Theorising Student Experience: Structure, Agency and Inequality Ted Fleming and José González-Monteagudo. Researching Student Experience Linden West, Agnieszka Bron and Barbara Merrill Part 2: Student Voices Capital Matters: Interrogating the Sociology of Reproduction and the Psychosociality of Transition and Potential Transformation in the UK Linden West. Critical Theory of Non-Traditional Students' Experience in Irish Higher Education Fergal Finnegan and Ted Fleming. Ethnicity and Class Matters: Experiences in Swedish Higher Education Agnieszka Bron, Camilla Thunborg and Eva Edström. Gender and Age: Negotiating and Experiencing Higher Education in England Barbara Merrill. Non-Traditional Students and Barriers to Participation in German Universities Frank Schomer. Disability and Learner Identities in Scotland John Field and Natalie Morgan-Klein. Equality and Improving Retention Practices for Non-Traditional Students in Poland Ewa Kurantowicz and Adrianna Nizinska. Social Inequalities and Family Support for Non-Traditional Students in Andalusia, Spain José González-Monteagudo and Miguel Angel Ballesteros-Moscosio. The Unwanted Students: Closure Tendencies in the German University System Peter Alheit Part 3: Comparative Transnational Dialogue: Conclusions Enduring Inequalities and Student Agency: Theorising an Agenda for Change in Higher Education Fergal Finnegan, Ted Fleming and Camilla Thunborg. Retention and Access in Higher Education: Implications for Policy and Practice John Field and Ewa Kurantowicz. .