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'I've Got to Do This I've Just Got to Find My Way through It!': An Autoethnographic Case Study of Mature Working-Class Students Studying on a Foundation Programme

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Title: 'I've Got to Do This I've Just Got to Find My Way through It!': An Autoethnographic Case Study of Mature Working-Class Students Studying on a Foundation Programme
Language: English
Authors: Jennifer Laura Worsley, Gurpinder Singh Lalli (ORCID 0000-0002-7493-4813)
Source: European Journal of Education. 2026 61(2).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 11
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Autobiographies, Ethnography, Case Studies, Adult Students, Working Class, Adult Education, Higher Education, Career and Technical Education, Employment Qualifications, Part Time Students, Females, Foreign Countries, Inclusion
Geographic Terms: United Kingdom (England)
DOI: 10.1111/ejed.70571
ISSN: 0141-8211
1465-3435
Abstract: This paper shines a light on the influence of policy surrounding widening participation and the introduction of vocational qualifications and the increase in the number of mature part-time students in higher education. This study involved adopting autoethnographic approaches and developing five biographical stories of part-time mature, working-class women on a Foundation Degree programme in England and its influence on self-identity. Drawing upon a transformative model of Bourdieu's concept of habitus, this enquiry highlights how, through the adoption of coping mechanisms, examples of adaptations to habitus are revealed. The biographical stories provide insights into how the participants negotiate perceived structural inequalities in institutional culture to become independent resilient agents. The study concludes that a more inclusive pedagogy needs to be explored to consider the vocational capital mature students can potentially acquire when entering higher education.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1507064
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: 'I've Got to Do This I've Just Got to Find My Way through It!': An Autoethnographic Case Study of Mature Working-Class Students Studying on a Foundation Programme
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jennifer+Laura+Worsley%22">Jennifer Laura Worsley</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gurpinder+Singh+Lalli%22">Gurpinder Singh Lalli</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7493-4813">0000-0002-7493-4813</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22European+Journal+of+Education%22"><i>European Journal of Education</i></searchLink>. 2026 61(2).
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: 10.1111/ejed.70571
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  Data: 0141-8211<br />1465-3435
– Name: Abstract
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  Data: This paper shines a light on the influence of policy surrounding widening participation and the introduction of vocational qualifications and the increase in the number of mature part-time students in higher education. This study involved adopting autoethnographic approaches and developing five biographical stories of part-time mature, working-class women on a Foundation Degree programme in England and its influence on self-identity. Drawing upon a transformative model of Bourdieu's concept of habitus, this enquiry highlights how, through the adoption of coping mechanisms, examples of adaptations to habitus are revealed. The biographical stories provide insights into how the participants negotiate perceived structural inequalities in institutional culture to become independent resilient agents. The study concludes that a more inclusive pedagogy needs to be explored to consider the vocational capital mature students can potentially acquire when entering higher education.
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        Value: 10.1111/ejed.70571
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      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
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        PageCount: 11
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Autobiographies
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      – SubjectFull: Ethnography
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      – SubjectFull: Case Studies
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      – SubjectFull: Employment Qualifications
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      – SubjectFull: Part Time Students
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      – SubjectFull: Females
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
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      – SubjectFull: Inclusion
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            NameFull: Gurpinder Singh Lalli
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