Foundation Years and Why They Matter presents a selection of case studies illustrating the diversity of foundation year provision and delivering a compelling narrative about what foundation years are, what they do, how they do it, and the impact they have.
Every year, thousands of British students enter higher education via a foundation year. Despite their growing popularity, the place of foundation years has become an increasingly contested issue: little is actually known about them outside the sector and they are widely misunderstood, leading some to question their value. As this book demonstrates, though, foundation years are not homogeneous they are diverse products of the institutions, students and communities they serve, providing vital pathways into higher education that address the specific needs of underrepresented and disadvantaged groups studying at specific universities, widening access and promoting social mobility.
Foundation Years and Why They Matter presents a selection of case studies, provided by experienced foundation year practitioners from twelve different UK Universities, illustrating the diversity of foundation year provision and delivering a compelling narrative about what foundation years are, what they do, how they do it, and the impact they have. This new and unique contribution to the literature on higher education and widening access is designed to help politicians, policy makers, and educators better understand UK foundation years and why they matter to the sector, to institutions, and above all to students.
Foreword; Lee Elliot Major
Introduction; Stephen Leech
PART
1. Why foundation years exist
Chapter
1. Foundation Years for Social Justice; Stuart Peck and Nayyar Jaan
Hussain
Chapter
2. Widening access, diversifying cohorts: Embedding a foundation year
within highly selective HE; Alex Pryce
Chapter
3. There is probably nothing you could do that would prepare you
better for university life: Foundation years as routes into higher education
for mature students; Sarah Hale
PART
2. What foundation years do
Chapter
4. Closing the gap: A statistical analysis of the impact of a
foundation year on awarding gaps in Business, Management and Economics;
Gabriella Cagliesi and Mark Clark
Chapter
5. Success in STEM and how foundation years support students from
neurodivergent groups to achieve it; Anna Barney
Chapter
6. Student voices: Reflections on the value of a foundation year;
Dawn Whitton and David W. Stoten
Chapter
7. Doing the Maths: The impact of a foundation year on Mathematics
students achievements and attitudes; Matthew J. Craven and Jenny M. Sharp
Chapter
8. Creating a student identity: belonging and mattering; Lucinda
Becker
PART
3. What makes foundation years different
Chapter
9. Growing good practice: Foundation years as an incubator for
pedagogical innovation and development; Lewis A. Baker, Carol Spencely, and
Robert Walsha
Chapter
10. Skills for Success: A student-centred and student led curriculum;
Jayne Hopkins, Ellie Davison, and Thomas Hobson
Chapter
11. Playing the game: Gamification as a pedagogical approach; Anna
Tranter, Amy Stickels, and Miriam Schwiening
Conclusion: Foundation years matter; Sarah Hale and Stephen Leech
Stephen Leech is Head of Transitional Education for Durham University, UK, and Chair of the Foundation Year Network.
Sarah Hale is Programme Director of the Foundation Year Programme at the University of Sheffield, UK, and Policy Officer for the Foundation Year Network.
