A conference paper presented at the Widening Participation Conference 2012 'Discourse of Inclusion in Higher Education' 24-25 April 2012, UK

1. A (re) negotiation of identity:
from mature student to
‘novice academic’
Dr Amanda Chapman
University of Cumbria
Presented at Discourses of Inclusion in Higher Education, 24th -25th
April 2012

2. Background
 One of the findings from my doctoral
research
 ‘Followed’ 8 mature students through their
first year of undergraduate study
 Semi-structured interviews at 5 key points
through the year

3. Prior application/early weeks
 Imposter syndrome
 Different expectations/clear goals
 Usually made a sacrifice of some kind
(career, financial security, home life)

4. Settling in
 Induction was seen as ‘a waste of time’
 Due to discourse of ‘alcohol’ and ‘living away
from home’
 Settling in started with classroom activity &
subject engagement
 Need to acknowledge prior experience in the
classroom

5. Academic Literacy
 Took time but sought help
 Workshops on essay writing etc
 Emotion of assessment especially exams
 Poor educational experience or time lag

6. Feedback
 Crucial
 Never enough
 Assessment cycle helps with academic
literacy and with the ‘sense of belonging’
not just to their institution but to academia

7. Entitlement
 Mature students often have a lack of
entitlement
‘University is not for the likes of me’
 A few assessment cycles and they start to
overcome this
 Can get frustrated by other students if
there are lots of strategic learners

8. Strategic Learners
 ‘First year doesn’t count’
 Only have to pass
 Can lead to lack of engagement or
alienation from their subject area

9. Mature Group
 As they engage more deeply with their subject
area they become alienated from the strategic
learners
 Vicious circle
 Mature students felt they had to do all the work
in seminars
 Group work often an issue

10. Identity Issues
 Towards the end of the year the students
were asked how they would describe
themselves to a third party
 All 8 said they would say they are a
student but with some qualification
‘I’m a student at the moment but I used to work in insurance and I’m
hoping to run my own business’

11. Construction of ‘student’
 Laden with meaning that the mature
participants in this study wanted to
distance themselves from:
 Lazy
 Drink too much
 Doing just enough to get by
(Their words, not mine)

12.  They wanted to keep the ‘scholarship’
aspect of student but remove the rest
 ‘Novice academic’ seems to fit

13. Community of Practice
 If we see the CoP as academia rather
than the student body
 Academic staff as the expert
 Students as the novice

14. Novice Academic
 Reflects:
 The seriousness of the learning
 The sacrifices that were made to enter HE
 Engagement in the subject CoP
 Engagement in academia

15. References
Braxton, J.M. & Hirschy, A. (2004) Reconceptualising antecedents of social integration in student
departure. In Yorke, M & Longden, B. (Eds) Retention and Student Success in Higher Education.
Maidenhead: SRHE and Oxford University Press
Clance, P. & Imes, S. (1978) The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and
therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice. 15 (3), pp 241-247
Lave, J. & Wenger, E. (1991) Situated Learning, Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press
Mann, S.J. (2001) Alternative Perspectives on the Student Experience: alienation and engagement.
Studies in Higher Education. 26 (1), pp 7-19
O’Donnell, V. & Tobbell, J. (2007) The Transition of Adult Students to Higher Education: Legitimate
peripheral participation in a community of practice? Adult Education Quarterly. 57 (4) pp 312- 328
Warin, J. & Dempster, S. (2007) The Salience of Gender during transition to higher education: male
students’ accounts of performed and authentic identities. British Educational Research Journal.
33 (6) pp 887- 903
Wenger, E. (1998) Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning and Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press
Wenger, E., McDermott, R.A. & Snyder, W. (2002) Cultivating Communities of Practice. Boston:
Harvard Business School Press
Yorke, M. (1999) Leaving Early: Undergraduate non-completion in higher education. London: Palmer
Press