Student perspectives on integration in part-time, flexible higher education in Ireland;’we don’t socialise here’

ABSTRACT

Despite efforts in Ireland to increase the number of part-time students in Higher Education, there was limited growth over twenty years 1997–2017. Part-time featured in widening participation strategies; however, this mode of learning has orientated towards employability. Retention of part-time students remains a problem for Higher Education. This paper draws on findings from an empirical study and explores factors that encouraged integration amongst on-campus part-time, flexible students in Higher Education Institutions. Findings indicated that students persisted in their studies despite encountering challenges. Students reported a sense of belonging at programme and department level; however, this did not equate with inclusion within the Higher Education Institutions. Students continue to experience difficulty in accessing supports and facilities. The limits of an interactionist model were explored from the perspective of non-traditional students. Tinto’s model of integration does not translate straightforwardly to part-time flexible students who were not socialising on campus but were committed to completing the programme.

KEYWORDS:

• Part-time flexible
• integration
• persistence
• higher education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Nuala Hunt

Nuala Hunt is Head of Continuing Education in Art and Design (CEAD) at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. CEAD provides an extensive range of part-time courses in art and design higher education. She has devised accredited pathways for part-time students, designed undergraduate and post-graduate programmes as well as facilitating curriculum design workshops at NCAD. Nuala lectures at Masters level on Socially Engaged Art, Further Adult and Community Education. Her research interests include; flexible and part-time learning in Higher Education, participatory arts practice, adult education and how smart technologies may support innovative pedagogical practice.

Andrew Loxley

Andrew Loxley, Associate Professor at Trinity College Dublin. He has recently authored; Access and Participation in Irish Higher Education, (2017) and jointly edited Higher Education in Ireland Practices, Policies and Possibilities (2015)