Widening Participation Research

The University established a capacity to undertake widening participation (WP) research pertinent to its own circumstances in December 2004. Since then it has invested a ground-breaking amount of resource into longitudinal research covering a wide range of WP issues.

The Widening Participation Research Fund Management Group oversees a number of ongoing research projects looking at a variety of WP topics. The six most recently funded projects ran over a three year period and findings were presented at a seminar in October 2016. Video footage and presentations from the seminar can be accessed below, as well as links to the final reports and policy briefings.

On 18 October 2016 we held a Widening Participation Research Seminar to disseminate and discuss our research. You can watch the recordings from the seminar here.

Project synopses, downloads and seminar recordings

High Potential Learners' Project PI: Prof. Leon Tikly

There are many able students with high potential who are learning in contexts in which academic excellence and the highest aspirations are not the norm, and who therefore do not apply to the most prestigious and selective universities. There are a number of dimensions in which the experiences and perceptions of these students are likely to differ from those of their equally able peers in better performing institutions and that hold them back. The High-Potential Learners Project aims to understand the key influences on the decision making of disadvantaged learners with high potential from different types of low-performing institutions.

The aim of the research is to provide new evidence on the key influences on the decision-making of disadvantaged learners with high potential from different types of institutions with low levels of average attainment at A-level. Using a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods, this research investigates which home, school and personal characteristics of KS5 students are the key influences on decision-making potentially leading to Higher Education (HE) and Russell Group (RG) university participation.

There are two strands of research in this project:

Strand 1: Secondary analysis of the Longitudinal Survey of Young People in England (LSYPE) dataset, to assess the predictive strength of a range of home, school and personal characteristics for HE/RG participation in 2010 among the target group.

Strand 2: Tracking a group of 60 learners with high potential (ie who have achieved highly in KS4) across six case-study institutions, as they progress through KS5. Most of these learners are from WP backgrounds, and with parents who have not been to university. In Strand 2 the study is more focused on the decision-making processes involved in young people aiming towards entrance to RG universities, and how schools and colleges support these aspirations.

Overcoming the Mathematical Barriers to Participation in HE PI: Prof R. Sutherland

This project centres on partnership with mathematics teachers, in schools that fall within the scope of the University of Bristol's WP agenda. The aim of this work is to develop their students' aspirations and awareness of University, together with their ability to obtain the pre-requisite GCSE grade in mathematics for their chosen area of study.

There is evidence that young people from poor families are much less likely to pass GCSE mathematics than those from more middle class families (Noyes, 2009). There is also evidence that the high-stakes assessment regime leads schools to prioritise borderline C/D mathematics students in order to reach the government's floor targets in terms of GCSE results (Gillborn & Youdell, 2000). GCSE mathematics is a pre-requisite for studying the majority of subjects at University and a good grade is necessary in order to study STEM subjects. In this respect poor performance in mathematics is a barrier to participation in HE.

The project consists of four phases. The first involved a literature review and statistical analysis of national and local data and recruiting mathematics teachers from local WP schools. The second and third phases engaged participating teachers in their own action research projects, recording their progress, and developing a meta-level thread around their separate projects. The final phase related to dissemination of the findings through events, conference presentations, and publications.

Using randomised control trials to evaluate WP outreach work PI: Prof Simon Burgess

The project delivers a set of interventions to raise the number of students from local disadvantaged communities and schools applying to and coming to the University of Bristol. Success will be evaluated using a randomised control trial (RCT) methodology. The ideas derive from traditional approaches based on information and incentives, and also make the most of recent behavioural insights to attempt to change students' behaviour.

The project aims to tackle some of the major issues identified in discouraging applications to higher education, and especially elite universities, for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The central issues are raising the chances of applying and attending given their prior attainment; and raising prior attainment.

Our short-run interventions aim to provide students with information and stimulate their aspiration to apply and attend the University of Bristol, largely taking grades as given. Our longer-run interventions aim to offer a direct help to study through targeted peer mentoring, as well as providing information and stimulating aspiration in order to raise effort and engagement to improve grades.

Widening Participation and Value Added in Higher Education PI: Prof Sally Thomas

The research aims to use UOB and DFE/HESA datasets and value added techniques to investigate a range of pertinent issues directly relevant to the widening participation agenda, to inform and support UOB evidence-based policy in this area. The research objectives are to access and prepare appropriate historical datasets for at least 3 consecutive UOB cohorts, and to conduct multilevel and other statistical analyses to address specific research questions:

  • What are the relevant outcomes (eg drop out/degree class), baseline and explanatory factors (outside UOB control) in relation to estimating undergraduate student progress at UOB? What differences emerge in apparent student progress when utilising different qualification measures as the baseline or outcome measure, especially when comparing disadvantaged, non UK and other students? Does the evidence indicate that current admission requirements (including use of a low school performance indicator), and qualification equivalences are justifiable and valid, especially for disadvantaged and non UK students?
  • What is the range and extent of UOB student progress within and across departments and/or faculties? What student background, departmental, contextual/peer group or other factors may explain differences in student progress across departments/faculties? What are the departmental effects and associated time trends when comparing disadvantaged, non UK and other students?

Should expenditure be switched from bursaries to outreach? PI: Prof Rich Harris

The research has two main objectives. Firstly, to understand the role that outreach activities or financial support plays, relative to other considerations, in encouraging applications to university generally, and to the University of Bristol in particular from students with Widening Participation (WP) backgrounds.

The second objective is to evaluate, from the perspective of students, any longer term impacts of attending outreach schemes. For example on the students' attitudes towards the University, their desire and ability to learn, whether they are able to participate fully in the life of the University and in their overall sense of belonging. Given the policy context, we are especially interested in the role of the bursary/enhanced financial package in Access to Bristol: does it act as a financial inducement, does it influence choice, and/or does it create a reciprocal bond with the University that leads to higher levels of personal and academic commitment?

DD-lab: Digital Diversity, Learning and Belonging PI: Dr Sue Timmis

The aim of this research is to explore the experiences of second year WP undergraduates, across the six faculties within the University, in relation to their formal and informal learning lives. In particular the project investigates the role of digital media in facilitating new learning experiences and a sense of belonging to the University of Bristol.

The project focuses on the following research questions:

  1. To what extent is 'a culture of belonging' and engagement experienced by WP students?
  2. What are the impacts of informal support and peer relationships on WP students in their learning lives?
  3. How are digital technologies being mobilised by WP students for educational, cultural and social purposes?
  4. What new forms of learning interactions are created?

The project aims to understand and reveal the ways in which digital technologies are influencing the work and studying practices of these students. How digital technologies might support their sense of belonging and participation within and to the university. The project recruited 32 students, who have worked as co-researchers with us, collecting data at three key time periods during the academic year (November, February/March, April/May).

Further research reports and publications

The following are key publications and reports from the work of the Widening Participation Research Cluster.

Widening Participation Research Fund Management Group Membership

  • Professor Judith Squires, Pro Vice Chancellor (Education)
  • Professor Alvin Birdi, Academic Director of Undergraduate Studies
  • Lucy Collins, Head of UK Student Recruitment
  • Doug Jennings, Widening Participation and Student Recruitment Manager, UK Student Recruitment
  • Dr John Selby, formerly Director (Education and Participation), Higher Education Funding Council England
  • Johanna Rule, Business Unit Financial Controller
  • Naomi O'Brien, Research and Evaluation Coordinator, UK Student Recruitment
  • Students' Union - Hannah Dualeh, Equalities, Liberation and Access Officer