A presentation from the HEA's Research Conference: Promoting Equity in Higher Education 2010.
Aimhigher programmes aim to widen participation in higher education through work with selected students in schools where indicators show there is potential to raise aspiration and attainment. Central to this is the funding of dedicated Learner Mentors to work intensively with students identified as likely to benefit from focussed support particularly in key transition years. Such students have low aspirations are at risk of underachieving and have parents with no experience of higher education.
This paper presents quantitative and qualitative findings on the impact of Learning Mentors including the predicted and actual attainment of mentored students against their peers and the longitudinal tracking of individual students over years as they progress. Complementing these measures is qualitative research that reveals shifts in attitude and aspiration through generic and individual case studies.
The paper contends that Learning Mentors have a significant impact upon GCSE attainment retention and progression beyond 16. We hope to provoke discussion on the impact of such research on policy and practice in an economic climate where strategies to widen participation in higher education may suffer.
