ABSTRACT

In this article, we considered women’s experiences of undertaking Higher Education (HE) study (Foundation Degree in Early Years (EY)) drawing on research based in the North of England, UK. The study, informed by a social constructionist approach, explored 10 women’s experiences of work–life balance (WLB) and well-being alongside HE study through semi-structured interviews. A focus group explored women’s personal perceptions of WLB and well-being. The findings were analysed thematically and we argue that the formation of a third sphere of commitment (HE study) disrupted WLB and created some disequilibrium, which impacted upon the women’s well-being. The women underwent a transformative process as initial academic inexperience and lack of belonging in University was replaced by confidence and student identity. This transformation was made possible through personal adaptations, diverse strategies and motivation that indicated individual and collective resilience. One noticeable strategy involved the overlapping of commitment spheres, including HE study taking place at home. While being challenging to manage, this contributed to an important cultural shift as study became normal for households, creating the ‘learning family’.

摘要

在本文中，我们根据英国英格兰北部的研究，考虑了女性接受高等教育 (HE) 研究（早期基础学位 (EY)）的经历。该研究以社会建构主义方法为基础，通过半结构化访谈探索了 10 名女性在工作与生活平衡 (WLB) 和幸福感方面的经历以及 HE 研究。一个焦点小组探讨了女性对 WLB 和幸福感的个人看法。对调查结果进行了主题分析，我们认为第三个承诺领域（HE 研究）的形成扰乱了 WLB 并造成了一些不平衡，这影响了女性的福祉。这些女性经历了一个转变过程，因为最初的学术经验不足和对大学的归属感被自信和学生身份所取代。这种转变是通过个人适应、多样化的策略和表明个人和集体韧性的动机实现的。一个值得注意的策略涉及承诺领域的重叠，包括在家里进行的 HE 研究。虽然管理起来具有挑战性，但随着学习成为家庭的常态，这促成了重要的文化转变，形成了“学习型家庭”。