Futuretrack: part-time students

HECSU's new longitudinal study of part-time students in higher education

Overview

'Futuretrack: part-time students' is a new longitudinal study of part-time students in HE. It is part of HECSU's Career Making research programme, of which Futuretrack - a comprehensive UK-wide study of 2006 applicants to full-time HE - is the core study.

The study aims to investigate part-time students' motivations, expectations and aspirations in studying, and how these influence their decision-making about work and careers. In particular, the research will explore:

students' career intentions and ambitions;
students' career development, learning and decision-making;
the employment and training outcomes of part-time study; and
the views of employers of their employees studying part-time in HE.

Methodology

The research is a four-year study involving two samples of part-time students taking a first degree, foundation degree or HNC drawn from selected HE institutions and FE colleges throughout the UK:

Sample 1 - First year students starting courses in 2007/08 academic year

Sample 2 - Final year students graduating in 2007/08 academic year

Both groups of students will be surveyed in 2008, and again, two years later in 2010. The study will also include a longitudinal survey of employers who employ part-time students, and in-depth interviews with both students and their employers.

Significance

Part-time students tend to be overlooked by policy makers and researchers, yet their numbers are growing and they are central to the widening participation agenda. This research will help to fill the gaps in our knowledge. It will provide a better understanding of part-time students’ career intentions and ambitions, the support they need in their career decision-making and what happens to part-time students once they complete their studies. The findings from the study will help to inform educational institutions' strategies and broader HE policy making. It will also give deeper insights into employers’ views of part-time students, especially how they support and reward employees studying part-time.

Who is involved in the research?

The study is being conducted by an interdisciplinary research team at Birkbeck College, University of London and the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, directed by Professor Claire Callender.

It is funded by the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).