Access campus: an intervention challenging educational disadvantage and widening participation in higher education

Education is important for developing human capabilities, personal, civic, and economic,  and is a core objective of public policy in many countries in order to create more inclusive  and equal societies. While numerous organisations, policies, and programmes are  committed to raising academic achievement, access to education and educational  outcomes vary and educational disadvantage is widespread. Of particular concern are the  numbers not completing secondary education and progressing to higher education. International and Irish literature shows that educational disadvantage is a consequence of various academic and socio-cultural factors, requiring multifaceted interventions that  address all of these factors in a holistic manner. This thesis examines a particular  intervention, the AccessCampus Study Club, exploring how it addresses the academic  and socio-cultural elements of educational disadvantage identified in the literature. Using  a single case study, and drawing on cultural capital theory, in-depth interviews were conducted with former members and parents to explore their experience of mainstream  education and the Study Club and to identify examples of good practice in addressing  educational disadvantage. The research reveals that while working-class families have appropriated the required embodied cultural capital, their lack of institutionalised cultural  capital limits parents’ ability to engage with teachers and also, determines both parents’  and students’ ability to navigate the educational system successfully. Important elements  in overcoming the tangible and intangible aspects of educational disadvantage were found  to include a positive culture and optimum use of educational resources; tailored academic  support in small classes; ongoing aspiration raising, mentoring and career guidance  activities; frequent and informal parental involvement and a quiet study environment. The  research concludes that supportive educational environments, which recognise and  enhance individuals’ cultural capital, providing instruction tailored to students’ needs and mentoring to overcome soft barriers lead to success in improving educational outcomes for disadvantaged students.