Tracey, Scully
(2021)
What are the Implications for Working-class
Adult Learners within the structures of
Higher Education?
Masters thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.
Abstract
This thesis sets out to explore the experiences of students within higher education in terms of
‘implications’ by where the values placed on success within the grading process has ill effects.
The values placed on students can be found within common meritocratic discourses that are
heavily infiltrated within the system, where ‘successful achievement’ is psychologically
constructed around hierarchal status. Such internally built constructs have its foundations
within middle class aspirations, where the grading system determines ‘crossing over to the
other side’ for working class students, that is, the greener side. Where achievement to reach
this side lies in a competitive structure that ‘operates’ on individual performance for a market
orientated economy. The heavily weighted values placed on working class students to achieve
to such aspirations have ‘voiced’ their implications of competing in such structures within
higher education. Where educational policies and discourses that governs these operations are
having serious ill effects for some working-class students. Although, the education system
professes a sense of overall human wellbeing and a prosperous life through the perception of
social mobility, the findings within this research would suggest otherwise, where social,
emotional, and psychological damage has occurred for some working-class students. Where
such operational structures are embedded with unequal practices, which will be emphasised in
this research. This study has attempted to unveil the real and honest truth through the
experiences of these students to highlight concerning issues for working class backgrounds
who enter in the realms of the dominant structure that is highly middle class led. This thesis
can only work off its limitations, sadly, where all findings cannot be included. This study
involves only three participants and therefore cannot give a general perspective. Additionally,
and in support to these findings, a statistical account will be offered to further support such
issues. The themes that have concerningly arose within these findings would require further
exploration in order to address a transformation within policy agendas and ideologies where
the use of such discourse of ‘working hard and you will succeed’ are at the core of such ill
effects.
| Item Type: |
Thesis
(Masters)
|
| Keywords: |
Implications; Working class;
Adult Learners; structures;
Higher Education; |
| Academic Unit: |
Faculty of Social Sciences > Adult and Community Education |
| Item ID: |
16397 |
| Depositing User: |
IR eTheses
|
| Date Deposited: |
08 Aug 2022 14:13 |
| URI: |
|
| Use Licence: |
This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available
here |
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