Abstract

Widening participation in higher education is driven by policy that is then enacted by individual practitioners. Practitioners bring with them a wealth of personal and employment experiences which shape their interpretations and enactments. Drawing on 16 in-depth semi structured interviews with practitioners across seven universities in England, a classification is developed in order to conceptualise their orientations to policy enactment. Whilst nationally focused, this study has international resonance especially in marketised higher education systems where policies are similarly enacted. The model developed within the article proposes that personal and professional experience can cause practitioners to orient towards the interests of the institution or the individuals they work with. This orientation can be in compliance with institutional policy or adopt a more transgressive stance. Through deeper theorisation of practitioner positions, we can better understand how to ensure work in this area better serves the individuals whom it is targeted at.

摘要

高等教育的广泛参与是由个人从业者制定的政策驱动的。从业者带来了丰富的个人和就业经验，这些经验塑造了他们的解释和成文。基于对英格兰七所大学的从业人员进行的16次深入的半结构化访谈，我们进行了分类，以概念化他们对政策制定的方向。尽管这项研究面向全国，但在国际上引起了共鸣，特别是在市场化的高等教育系统中，制定了类似的政策。本文中开发的模型建议，个人和专业经验可以使从业者适应机构或与之合作的个人的利益。这种定位可以符合体制政策，也可以采取更违背的立场。通过对从业人员职位进行更深入的理论化，我们可以更好地了解如何确保在该领域中的工作更好地服务于所针对的个人。