Mature students in Higher Education: does age matter?

Anne Jamieson

BILL SeminarMarch 06

Aim: To explore some of the ways in which age is (is not) related to aspects of Higher Education

study in adulthood

• What difference does age make? (level and subject of study; socio-economic background; reasons for studying and reported benefits)

• For the older (51+ and 61+) students, what is the importance of studying for a qualification ?

• Are there any pedagogical implications? What further knowledge do we need?

Background and Context

Education context.

• HE funding policies – outcome driven and evidence based

• Lack of evidence about motivations and benefits of HE for mature students

• Older adults relatively low priority – yet some do find their way to us – can policy makers be persuaded that they are worthwhile investing in?

Gerontology context

• Post-retirement strategies: can existing theories of ageing help us understand the significance of study in later life? Can research on older students help inform gerontological theory?

• Educational gerontology: main focus on informal and non-accredited formal learning – majority of learning.

Birkbeck (OU) study

• Aim: to understand more about the economic and social benefits of part-time study. Three-year study of a cohort of graduates:

• 1. Postal questionnaire survey (year 1)

• 2. Interviews with sub-sample (year 2)

• 3. Follow-up survey (year 3)

Birkbeck study population

Questionnaires to 600 undergraduate finalists in September 03 and to 1,000 post-graduates and 1,100Certificate/Diploma graduates in January 04. So, all completed their progr. of study

Response:356 Undergraduates (UG’s) (59% response rate)589 Post-graduates (PG’s) ( 59% response rate)594 Certificate and Diploma graduates (CE’s)

(54% response rate)Overall response rate was 58%

Total responses: 1,539

Questions asked about:

1. Background characteristics• Employment and income• Involvement in community• Socio-economic status; parents’

education2. Study• reasons for study • benefits of study

Open University study

Similar size population (sample of graduates)

Same questionnaire

Same range of qualifications

Age and sex

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

30 & under 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+ Total

F

M

All

Birkbeck

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

30 and under 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+ Total

F

M

All

OU

Award level by age

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

30 & under 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+

year age groups Total

PG

Cert/Dip

UG

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

30 andunder

31-40 41-50 51-60 61+

age groups Total

PG

Cert/Dip

UG

Birkbeck

OU

Subjects studied by ageBirkbeck

0

1020

3040

50

6070

8090

100

30 & under 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+ Total

Arts

Social science

Social science Business

Science

BirkbeckQualification on entry

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

30 & under 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+ All

Level 2 or below

Level 3

Sub degree

Degree

Postgrad

OUQualification on entry

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

30 and under 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+ Total

1

2

3

1= sub-A-level 2= A-level3= Some HE

Reasons. Birkbeck

0102030405060708090

100

To changetype of work

To getrecognisedqualification

Interested insubject

To meetpeople

30 & under

31-40

41-50

61+

All

Jobsatisf

Progr.Pers.Dev.

Reasons: OU

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

To changetype of work

To getrecognisedqualification

Interested insubject

To meetpeople

30 and under

31-40

41-50

61+

Total

Job sat.

progr Persdev.

Reasons for study

0102030405060708090

100

To changetype of work

To getrecognisedqualification

Interested insubject

To meetpeople

30 & under

31-40

41-50

61+

All

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

To changetype of work

To getrecognisedqualification

Interested insubject

To meetpeople

30 and under

31-40

41-50

61+

Total

Birkbeck

OU

Number of reasons ticked as important. Birkbeck

0

5

10

15

20

25

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

30 & under

31-40

41-50

51-60

61+

Total

Work and further study benefitsBirkbeck

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

30 & under 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+ Total

new job

job satisf

progr.

Work and further study benefits Open University

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

30 and under 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+ Total

new job

job satisf

Progr.

Work and further study benefits

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

30 & under 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+ Total

new job

job satisf

progr.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

30 and under 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+ Total

new job

job satisf

Progr.

BBK

OU

Personal and social benefits: age and gender effects. Birkbeck

0102030405060708090

100

61+ Total 61+ Total

Females Males

new peop

self-dev

happier

self-conf.

Personal and social benefits: age and gender effects. Open University

0102030405060708090

100

61+ Total 61+ Total

Females Males

New peop

self-dev

happier

self-conf.

Personal and social benefits. Age and gender effects.

0102030405060708090

100

61+ Total 61+ Total

Females Males

new peop

self-dev

happier

self-conf.

0102030405060708090

100

61+ Total 61+ Total

Females Males

New peop

self-dev

happier

self-conf.

BBK

OU

The importance of the qualification

• How important is the qualification for the older students?

• If it is ‘not important’, why do they study for it?

Reason: Recognised qual.Birkbeck

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

30 and under 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+

UG

Cert/Dip

PG

Reason: Recognised qual.OU

01020304050

60708090

100

30 and under 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+

UG

Cert/Dip

PG

Qualification as reason for study

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

30 and under 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+

UG

Cert/Dip

PG

01020304050

60708090

100

30 and under 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+

UG

Cert/Dip

PG

BBK

OU

Benefit: Recog. Qual.Birkbeck

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

30 and under 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+

UG

Cert/Dip

PG

Benefit: Recog. Qual.OU

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

30 and under 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+

UG

Cert/Dip

PG

Qualification as an important outcome

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

30 and under 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+

UG

Cert/Dip

PG

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

30 and under 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+

UG

Cert/Dip

PG

BBK

OU

Qualification as outcome

Status and self-esteem:

Catching up with peers/family; validation

Or

Replacement of lost status (retirement)

Qualification as outcome

• “ I wanted to have something to do….I did not want to just flit about being retired as it were, I did not see myself as retiring , I see myself as going on to a new venture.. I want to be stretched intellectually and fairly…I don’t have a degree and I suppose I have collected various other qualifications along the way ..I think I felt that if I collect enough it’s going to sort of ….that was a bad decision I made at 18+. ..it’s validated my feeling that I could have done a degree…it is that sort of degree level…all my family have degrees. “

Qualification as outcome

“I just want to have a degree – I want to prove that I can do it too ...more than that: I am basically lazy...need a regime…it gives me a plan of work..somebody to tell me what to do….I do actually enjoy essay writing,, but I am not clear why they want us to do it… Education is the main centre of my life, I run my life in order to be able to take these courses’..I will take the degree if I can....after that a PhD, just to be able to say I have got it. I want to know: can I get it? Have I got that sort of brain?”…. “I am extremely competitive, that is my attitude..I go into a sulk if I don’t get a top mark in my essay.”

Studying for a qualification (‘process’)

• Life structure; milestones

• Clear challenge; sense of achievement

• Enhancing the learning

Qualification and process

“ I am not interested in the qualification….but at the same time it is an objective…I need a tangible qualification as a marker…I like the feed-back I get from my coursework…I like a challenge when it is self-made”

Qualification as process

“I dread the coursework deadlines….but I need them to give me structure…and to show mastery of the subject…It is a sort of masochistic pleasure”.

“..it has to hurt..”

“..intensive learning…brings out the adrenalin junkie in me…”

Stress as challenge

Up to a point, stress can have a positive function (inverted U function)

Self-imposed stress (demand) as a coping strategy in later life

Demand-control-support model

demand

control

support

‘active’

healthy

OverstressedIll health

Conclusions

1. Overall some age based trends: older students give fewer work related reasons and benefits

2. Some differences among older students:– Those 50-60 (and some over 60): work reasons not

inconsiderable– Qualification for progression matters to a considerable

proportion of older respondents– Qualification as a benefit is highlighted by the majority, more so

by those with undergraduate degrees than with post-grad. Qual. (though different pattern for OU)

– Considerable differences between older women and men in terms of wider, personal and social benefits

3. Issue: are we talking about types of students or types of circumstances?

Life course perspective

• Our biographical and other longitudinal research suggests a great deal of movement of individuals over time between being ‘non-student’, doing an evening class for interest, studying for a certificate, studying at the OU, studying at Bbk, attending U3A events….

• Also some students have several ‘student’ roles (motivations) at any one time – e.g. OU and BBK

Main reasons for studying for qualification – other than instrumental

work/progression related• Wish to acquire a skill, e.g. language; IT

(need for feed-back and checking)

• Deep and passionate interest in the subject – identity related (as distinct from ‘leisure learning’)