Abstract

There is a contradiction of intensive national policy efforts and the slow pace of change in widening participation in England. This paper focuses on the use of contextual data in STEM subjects, where there has been less progress in widening access and a more rigid entry pathway through A-level study. Interviews with admissions tutors suggest a narrative in which STEM curricula, and the prior knowledge and skills required to succeed within it are fixed, and that attempts to widen participation and broaden the notion of ‘best students’ could undermine academic standards and the student experience. The paper draws on social justice and social reproduction theoretical frameworks to explore policy enactment, identifying support for widening participation and the effects of a conservative ethos amongst academics. The tension of these approaches, alongside the autonomy of decision-makers, are key dynamics explaining the inertia of policy efforts for change.

摘要

密集的国家政策努力与英国扩大参与的缓慢变化之间存在矛盾。本文侧重于 STEM 科目中上下文数据的使用，在这些科目中，通过 A-level 学习在扩大访问和更严格的进入途径方面进展较少。对招生导师的采访表明，STEM 课程以及在其中取得成功所需的先验知识和技能是固定的，并且试图扩大参与和扩大“最佳学生”的概念可能会破坏学术标准和学生体验。本文利用社会正义和社会再生产理论框架来探索政策制定，确定对扩大参与的支持以及学术界保守风气的影响。这些方法的张力，