Abstract:

Background:
Learners from socially deprived backgrounds often experience specific barriers to engagement within an educational setting and thus, it is widely recognised that these learners are underrepresented in Higher Education. Further research indicates that for these learners there may be multiple barriers including low self-esteem and self-efficacy and there can be a high proportion of ‘hard to reach, difficult to influence’ students. This carries a social cost for individuals, who have limited earning potential, and a societal cost for an economy that requires a technically skilled workforce. Programmes such as the Royal Society of Chemistry’s (RSC) Chemistry for All (Chemistry for All, 2019) and the UK Office for Students National Collaborative Outreach Project (Office for Students, 2019) are working to understand the barriers to HE for these learners and to provide a strong evidence base of what works to increase confidence and ability to progress into HE.

Objectives:
Working with the above programmes, a cross-university team with expertise in Chemistry, Education and Outreach, has developed and delivered a longitudinal programme of high-energy, UK curriculum based sessions that engage learners in student-centered, hands on activities to enhance their scientific literacy and improve independence and confidence in Chemistry. Through partnerships with local schools, an intensive set of interventions have accompanied students through their educational journey from ages 14 - 16. This talk will illustrate how the interventions were tailored for these learners, aiming to address their particular needs and taking a holistic approach to support the development of essential skills whilst building Chemistry knowledge. Immersive experience days at the University gave opportunities to meet with students to dissolve the mystique of University Life and address social barriers. Using a mixed methods approach, evaluation data demonstrates improved chemical literacy, and has gathered teachers’ and pupils’ views of the impact on attitudes and choices for study and careers.

Discussion and Conclusions:
The data shows that student engagement and enjoyment in the interventions was high. The students benefited from a student-centred ethos where they were empowered to take charge of their own learning. The pedagogical approach was to be inclusive, with learners of all abilities having the opportunity to undertake all tasks, and be supported to do so. The higher attaining learners could work independently, and the less confident students could access support to attempt higher level challenges. The exposure to students and professionals in their workplace, and the experience of contextualised science which related to careers, improved their understanding of where Chemistry study can lead. The longitudinal and intensive nature of the interventions has enhanced direct impact and also contributed to other factors that may contribute to positive social change in the community. In this study, sustained and progressive outreach interventions are more effective than ad hoc single events and could lead to a review of university outreach provision in the future.

References:
[1] Chemistry for All, 2019 retrieved from https://www.rsc.org/campaigning-outreach/outreach/scientists/chemistry-for-all/
[2] Office for Students, 2019 retrieved from https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/ncop-two-years-on/

Keywords:

Chemistry, student-centred, outreach, socio-economic status, widening participation, contextualised learning.