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Widening participation, evaluation and performance: Using critical discourse analysis to explore performativity within English higher education access and participation plan (2020-2025), regulatory guidance and accompanying texts

Widening participation, evaluation and performance: Using critical discourse analysis to explore performativity within English higher education access and participation plan (2020-2025), regulatory guidance and accompanying texts
Widening participation, evaluation and performance: Using critical discourse analysis to explore performativity within English higher education access and participation plan (2020-2025), regulatory guidance and accompanying texts
In England, evidencing impact of higher education widening participation and access activities, such as mentoring programmes, summer schools and school-university partnerships, has become central to conditions of the newly established regulatory body, the Office for Students (OfS). However, evaluation evidence of these activities remains elusive across the higher education sector (Gorard, 2013; National Centre for Research Methods, 2016; Harrison and Waller, 2017). 'Robust evaluation' (University of Exeter, 2019), is now a core element of the regulatory framework in England. English policy makers and Government departments are also keen to see evaluation evidence, highlighted by the formation of a new 'What Works' centre specifically focussed on evaluation of access and student success activities (TASO, 2019). Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), this article analyses the English regulator's guidance documentation for higher education providers' Access and Participation Plans. It explores how the language of evaluation is framed within the discourses of widening participation and access. The article argues that current discourses promote performative evaluation methods, rather than an occasion to explore opportunities to develop transformative widening participation (Jones and Thomas, 2005). The article concludes by suggesting that higher education regulators and providers should rethink what constitutes robust evaluation evidence to facilitate equity in progression to higher education for under-represented groups.
1466-6529
Clements, Naomi
8ad8dade-6317-4e60-b13d-fdd482e95511
Clements, Naomi
8ad8dade-6317-4e60-b13d-fdd482e95511

Clements, Naomi (2023) Widening participation, evaluation and performance: Using critical discourse analysis to explore performativity within English higher education access and participation plan (2020-2025), regulatory guidance and accompanying texts. Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 24 (3). (doi:10.5456/WPLL.24.3.56).

Record type: Article

Abstract

In England, evidencing impact of higher education widening participation and access activities, such as mentoring programmes, summer schools and school-university partnerships, has become central to conditions of the newly established regulatory body, the Office for Students (OfS). However, evaluation evidence of these activities remains elusive across the higher education sector (Gorard, 2013; National Centre for Research Methods, 2016; Harrison and Waller, 2017). 'Robust evaluation' (University of Exeter, 2019), is now a core element of the regulatory framework in England. English policy makers and Government departments are also keen to see evaluation evidence, highlighted by the formation of a new 'What Works' centre specifically focussed on evaluation of access and student success activities (TASO, 2019). Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), this article analyses the English regulator's guidance documentation for higher education providers' Access and Participation Plans. It explores how the language of evaluation is framed within the discourses of widening participation and access. The article argues that current discourses promote performative evaluation methods, rather than an occasion to explore opportunities to develop transformative widening participation (Jones and Thomas, 2005). The article concludes by suggesting that higher education regulators and providers should rethink what constitutes robust evaluation evidence to facilitate equity in progression to higher education for under-represented groups.

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Accepted/In Press date: 1 February 2023
e-pub ahead of print date: 1 February 2023
Published date: 1 February 2023

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 476683
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/476683
ISSN: 1466-6529
PURE UUID: 9ba087cc-3a5f-4629-882c-77abb006c816
ORCID for Naomi Clements: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-6345-5684

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Date deposited: 11 May 2023 16:38
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:46

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Author: Naomi Clements ORCID iD

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