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Determined to stay or determined to leave? A tale of learner identities, biographies and adult students in higher education.

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Title: Determined to stay or determined to leave? A tale of learner identities, biographies and adult students in higher education.
Authors: Merrill, Barbara (AUTHOR)
Source: Studies in Higher Education. Dec2015, Vol. 40 Issue 10, p1859-1871. 13p.
Subjects: Adult students, Learning, College environment, Biographical methods in education, Adults, Higher education, Education
Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
Abstract: This article examines the meaning and experience of retention and withdrawal in higher education from the perspective and voices of non-traditional adult students. It draws on UK biographical data from a European study on access, retention and withdrawal. Withdrawal is perceived negatively by higher education institutions and policymakers as it has an economic cost and reflects on the efficiency of an institution and the student who leaves is viewed as a failure. This article challenges the “traditional” view and argues that non-completion is not always a negative act as many of the students who left in this study talked about the benefits they had gained in terms of learning, identity and the development of the self. Two in-depth biographical case studies are outlined: one student who completes and one who leaves. Both employed their agency and determination in ways which were positive to them but different. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
Copyright of Studies in Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Determined to stay or determined to leave? A tale of learner identities, biographies and adult students in higher education.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adult+students%22">Adult students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning%22">Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+environment%22">College environment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Biographical+methods+in+education%22">Biographical methods in education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adults%22">Adults</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+education%22">Higher education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Education%22">Education</searchLink>
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  Data: This article examines the meaning and experience of retention and withdrawal in higher education from the perspective and voices of non-traditional adult students. It draws on UK biographical data from a European study on access, retention and withdrawal. Withdrawal is perceived negatively by higher education institutions and policymakers as it has an economic cost and reflects on the efficiency of an institution and the student who leaves is viewed as a failure. This article challenges the “traditional” view and argues that non-completion is not always a negative act as many of the students who left in this study talked about the benefits they had gained in terms of learning, identity and the development of the self. Two in-depth biographical case studies are outlined: one student who completes and one who leaves. Both employed their agency and determination in ways which were positive to them but different. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Studies in Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/03075079.2014.914918
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 13
        StartPage: 1859
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Adult students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College environment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Biographical methods in education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Adults
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      – SubjectFull: Higher education
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      – SubjectFull: Education
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      – SubjectFull: United Kingdom
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              M: 12
              Text: Dec2015
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              Y: 2015
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              Value: 40
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