face conference 2009. cultural capital as an explanation of variation in participation in higher...
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FACE Conference 2009FACE Conference 2009
Cultural capital as an Cultural capital as an explanation of variation in explanation of variation in
participation in higher participation in higher educationeducation
John Noble and Peter Davies John Noble and Peter Davies
Institute for Access Studies, Institute for Access Studies, Staffordshire UniversityStaffordshire University
Cultural CapitalCultural Capital
Bourdieu’s Three forms of Cultural Capital:Bourdieu’s Three forms of Cultural Capital:• Embodied state – directly linked to and incorporated Embodied state – directly linked to and incorporated
within the individual and represents what they know within the individual and represents what they know and can do.and can do.
• Objectified state – represented by objects and goods Objectified state – represented by objects and goods
such as books, paintings, music, instruments and such as books, paintings, music, instruments and machines.machines.
• Institutionalized capital – represented by a world of Institutionalized capital – represented by a world of certificates and qualifications – a world of credentials.certificates and qualifications – a world of credentials.
The Cultural Capital The Cultural Capital QuestionnaireQuestionnaire
• Previous work: Sullivan (2001); Bennett Previous work: Sullivan (2001); Bennett et al., (2005) : et al., (2005) : long questionnaireslong questionnaires
In this questionnaire:In this questionnaire:• Maximum of 15 mins to completeMaximum of 15 mins to complete• Measure of students’ and parents’ Measure of students’ and parents’
cultural capitalcultural capital• Parents’ educational qualifications and Parents’ educational qualifications and
occupationoccupation• Predicted A level gradesPredicted A level grades
SampleSampleDeepdaleDeepdale HillsideHillside TownheaTownhea
dd
Number of Year 13 (17-18 year-Number of Year 13 (17-18 year-old) students on roll old) students on roll
158158 340340 9393
Number of returned Number of returned questionnaires questionnaires
107107 190190 8989
Number likely to or definitely Number likely to or definitely entering higher education entering higher education
9494 152152 7070
Percentage with reporting Percentage with reporting parents’ occupation as parents’ occupation as professional or managerial professional or managerial
61%61% 34%34% 47%47%
Percentage reporting parents Percentage reporting parents with degree with degree
43%43% 30%30% 31%31%
Local area Local area Semi-Semi-ruralrural
UrbanUrban TownTown
Robustness and Factor Robustness and Factor AnalysisAnalysis
• Cronbach Alphas: 0.75 (Students) Cronbach Alphas: 0.75 (Students) 0.83 (Parents)0.83 (Parents)
• Bartlett and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin OK. Bartlett and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin OK.
• Maximum likelihood extraction under Maximum likelihood extraction under oblique rotation.oblique rotation.
• 2/3 Factor solutions: Current Affairs; 2/3 Factor solutions: Current Affairs; High Art; Music. High Art; Music.
Models TestedModels Tested
• (Model 1) Is = f(PO(Model 1) Is = f(POss, PE, PEss, D, Dss, H, Hss))
• (Model 2) Is = f(A(Model 2) Is = f(Ass, PO, POss, PE, PEss, D, Dss, H, Hss))
• (Model 3) Is = f(A(Model 3) Is = f(Ass, C, Css, PO, POss, PE, PEss, D, Dss, H, Hss))
• (Model 4) Is = f(A(Model 4) Is = f(Ass, , Current affairsCurrent affairsss, , MusicMusicss, , High artHigh artss, PO, POss, PE, PEss, D, Dss, H, Hss))
Results (1)Results (1)Model 1 Model 1
(p)(p)Model Model 2(p)2(p)
Model Model 3(p)3(p)
Model 4(p)Model 4(p)
Constant Constant <.001<.001
POPO .135.135
PEPE .212.212
DD .156.156
HH .629.629
AACCCC
CACA
MM
HAHA
nn 386386
ResultsResultsModel 1 Model 1
(p)(p)Model Model 2(p)2(p)
Model Model 3(p)3(p)
Model 4(p)Model 4(p)
Constant Constant <.001<.001 <.001<.001
POPO .135.135 .818.818
PEPE .212.212 .192.192
DD .156.156 .191.191
HH .629.629 .220.220
AA <.001<.001CCCC
CACA
MM
HAHA
nn 386386 350350
ResultsResultsModel 1 Model 1
(p)(p)Model Model 2(p)2(p)
Model Model 3(p)3(p)
Model 4(p)Model 4(p)
Constant Constant <.001<.001 <.001<.001 <.001<.001
POPO .135.135 .818.818 .892.892
PEPE .212.212 .192.192 .324.324
DD .156.156 .191.191 .247.247
HH .629.629 .220.220 .115.115
AA <.001<.001 <.001<.001CCCC .025.025CACA
MM
HAHA
nn 386386 350350 350350
ResultsResultsModel 1 Model 1
(p)(p)Model Model 2(p)2(p)
Model Model 3(p)3(p)
Model 4(p)Model 4(p)
Constant Constant <.001<.001 <.001<.001 <.001<.001 <.001<.001
POPO .135.135 .818.818 .892.892 .970.970
PEPE .212.212 .192.192 .324.324 .312.312
DD .156.156 .191.191 .247.247 .096.096
HH .629.629 .220.220 .115.115 .073.073
AA <.001<.001 <.001<.001 <.001<.001CCCC .025.025CACA .013.013
MM .042.042
HAHA .246.246
nn 386386 350350 350350 350350
The policy issueThe policy issue
Current guidance from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (2007 para. 8) suggests that background data should be collected on parents’ occupations and educational qualifications.
Higher Education Funding Council for England (2007) Further Guidance on Evaluation Planning (Bristol: Higher Education Funding Council) available online at https://admin.hero.ac.uk/sites/practitioner/resources/Further%20Guidance%20on%20Evaluation%20Planning%20(April%202008).DOC
SummarySummary
• Parents’ education and occupation are unrelated to Parents’ education and occupation are unrelated to the likelihood that a student will participate in HE – the likelihood that a student will participate in HE – once examination grades are taken into account.once examination grades are taken into account.
• This challenges the WP agenda and the cultural capital This challenges the WP agenda and the cultural capital account of differences in likelihood of participation.account of differences in likelihood of participation.
• Cultural capital has not been measured separately in Cultural capital has not been measured separately in previous studies.previous studies.
• When a robust measure of cultural capital is included When a robust measure of cultural capital is included in the analysis it is shown to have a significant effect in the analysis it is shown to have a significant effect after allowing for examination grades.after allowing for examination grades.
From retention to From retention to engagementengagement
Engagement and Student Engagement and Student Choice Choice
• There is a relationship between student There is a relationship between student levels of cultural capital and the methods levels of cultural capital and the methods used to research and select a university used to research and select a university place.place.
• ““Everyone in my family has been to Everyone in my family has been to university. I just picked up on that”.university. I just picked up on that”.
• ““I found that I started to choose where to go I found that I started to choose where to go on how nice it looked in the prospectus”.on how nice it looked in the prospectus”.
Engaging with StaffEngaging with Staff
• ““They are way up there. I am not They are way up there. I am not sure how comfortable I am going to sure how comfortable I am going to be talking to them”.be talking to them”.
• ““Not a problem. It’ll just be Not a problem. It’ll just be different”.different”.
Engaging with Staff through e-Engaging with Staff through e-mailmail
• ““E-mail is a very good way of seeking E-mail is a very good way of seeking advice. You can think about what you want advice. You can think about what you want to ask in advance and take your time over to ask in advance and take your time over it”.it”.
• ““I am not very comfortable seeking advice I am not very comfortable seeking advice because I am not on a one-to-one basis because I am not on a one-to-one basis with my lecturers. I am more comfortable with my lecturers. I am more comfortable e-mailing my lecturers”.e-mailing my lecturers”.
Engagement and Teaching and Engagement and Teaching and Learning approachesLearning approaches
• No cultural capital affect apparent No cultural capital affect apparent here. Both groups recognised the here. Both groups recognised the need to adapt from ‘spoon-feeding’ need to adapt from ‘spoon-feeding’ to independent learningto independent learning
Engagement and habitusEngagement and habitus
• High cultural capital students are High cultural capital students are more likely to live on-campus than more likely to live on-campus than low cultural capital students.low cultural capital students.
• Habitus – “..the collectivity of norms Habitus – “..the collectivity of norms and practices of a social group”. and practices of a social group”.
(Yorke and Longden, 2004)(Yorke and Longden, 2004)
ConclusionsConclusions
• There is a relationship between There is a relationship between cultural capital levels and confidence cultural capital levels and confidence to interact with teaching staff.to interact with teaching staff.
• Institutional habitus may be affected Institutional habitus may be affected by low cultural capital students by low cultural capital students choosing to live off-campuschoosing to live off-campus
ConclusionsConclusions
• Cultural capital does exert an effect in Cultural capital does exert an effect in addition to gradesaddition to grades
• WP targeting is currently on the wrong WP targeting is currently on the wrong tracktrack
• Careers provision in Year 12 does not Careers provision in Year 12 does not taketake
account of cultural capital levelaccount of cultural capital level