Articulating metaphors: the discourses of student transitions between further and higher education

Abstract

UK wide government targets for widening participation in further and higher education institutions have seen increased numbers of students following routes to university which depart from the typical pathway of school to university. There are a range of alternative routes, one being articulation, whereby students who complete relevant qualifications are considered for entry into an advanced level of university study. In Scotland, students completing Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Higher National Diploma (HND) qualifications in college are considered for entry into year two or three of specific undergraduate programmes. Research on articulation is limited, but that which exists affords significance to the transition experience of students, signalling smooth experiences as the ideal. This study considers the significance of written discourses which inform policy and research around articulation, exploring the tropes and metaphors used to make sense of the student experience. Drawing upon theories of metaphor, this study aims to address gaps in research by considering articulation from the perspective of those going through it, foregrounding the metaphors used by students to document their experiences. Visual methods are utilised, with findings presented as case studies to give a sense of who participants are. Dominant metaphors are identified, conceptualisations of transition are critiqued, and implications for education considered. Findings show that participants mirrored metaphors found in research and grey literature such as ‘spoon-feeding’, but also added their own, at times contradictory metaphors. This suggests that metaphors are impactful, raising questions about the influence of metaphors on the experience of articulation and on how education is conceptualised and experienced. Findings also indicate that a smooth transition was less important to students than research implies, with students seemingly craving a challenging educational experience. Recommendations include a reconsideration of language in policy and research to facilitate more adequate and hopeful discussions, with new metaphors suggested to demonstrate possibilities.