Parental Influence - the role of parents for students living at home Catherine Foster & Helen Higson

Research Background Involving the Family Programme –Pre entry parents from non-traditional backgrounds or with no personal experience of Higher Education –Awareness raising –Events on and off campus Masters degree Extension of parental role and influence beyond entry Current first year students at Aston University who are living at home for their studies Paper based on Literature Review of 3 key areas

Key Literature Role of parents pre-entry –Support through compulsory schooling (Desforges) –Advice & guidance – (Connor et al, Dodgson & Whitham, Brooks) –Class, Gender differences - (Brooks, Archer & Hutchings, David et al) Students living at home –Choice – (Archer & Hutchings “Risk”) –Concept of “fitting in” & habitus - (Reay, Thomas) Adulthood –Adulthood (Erikson) & Emerging Adulthood (Arnett)

First Stage Data Collection Data collected from Aston University’s Student Management System (SITS) First Year Student Overall Performance Percentage calculated Analysed by Student Term Time Accommodation category 2004/52005/6 Institution Maintained54.62 (795)55.78 (959) Parental Home52.11 (545)52.20 (571) Own Home/Rented51.26 (271)48.60 (252)

First Year Withdrawal by TTA Percentage of Accommodation type cohort withdrawing at the end of the first year 2004/52005/6 Institution Maintained4%2% Parental Home13% Own Home/Rented13%14%

To the future Also investigating: Additional potential research areas Adjustment Developmental psychology Sociology of education –Research with current students Survey to be conducted with first year living at home students to explore the role and influence of parents for those students

Key References Archer, L. and Hutchings, M. (2000) ‘Bettering Yourself’? Discourse of risk, cost and benefit in ethnically diverse, young working-class non-participants’ constructions of higher education. British Journal of Sociology of Education, Vol. 21, No. 4: Arnett, J. J. (2000) Emerging Adulthood: A Theory of Development from the Late Teens through the Twenties. American Psychologist, Vol 55, No 5, Brooks, R. (2002) Young People’s Higher Education Choices: the role of family and friends. British Journal of Sociology of Education Vol 24, No 3 Connor, H., Burton, R., Pearson, R., Pollard, E. & Regan, J. (1999) Making the Right Choice: How Students Choose Universities and Colleges Institute for Employment Studies (IES) David, M., Ball, S., Davies, J. & Reay, D. (2003) Gender Issues in Parental Involvement in Student Choices of Higher Education. Gender and Education, Vol 15, No 1 Desforges C (2003) The Impact of Parental Involvement, Parental Support and Family Education on Pupil Achievement and Adjustment: A Literature Review. Department for Education and Skills RR433 Dodgson, R. & Whitham, H. (2003) Parents and Higher Education in the North East: Attitudes, Concerns, Influence and Engagement Aimhigher P4P Erikson, E. (1950) Childhood and Society. Norton, New York Reay D, David M & Ball S (2001) Making a Difference? Institutional Habitus and Higher Education Choice Sociological Research Online, vol 5 no 4 Thomas, L. (2002) Student retention in higher education: the role of institutional habitus. Journal of Educational Policy, vol. 17, no. 4:

Contacts Involving the Family: – Catherine Foster –