Bringing the BTEC into the inclusivity agenda is the theme of the next CSHE (Centre for the Study of Higher Education) Research Seminar.

The seminar, to be presented by Dr Lavinia Mitton and Dr Alexander Hensby from University of Kent, will take place on Thursday 16 February, from 16.30-17.30, in the UELT Seminar Room, Canterbury Campus.

In this talk we will show why narrowing the white-BME attainment gap at degree level necessitates understanding vocational qualifications, in particular the BTEC. Secondly we will explain that not enough is known of how individual entrants with vocational qualifications may have a cluster of characteristics associated with low academic attainment, which may add to their disadvantage.

We will focus on the disparities in students’ confidence in their academic capabilities by qualification and ethnicity. Our evidence base is original unpublished data from the University . It was collected from Kent’s administrative records and a large scale online survey of its home domiciled undergraduates carried out in November 2014 (n=3858; response rate=34%). Our results indicate that in the pursuit of an inclusivity agenda we should monitor the academic attainment of students with vocational qualifications.

The talk will begin with an introduction to the research we are doing as part of the University’s wider Student Success (EDI) Project. https://www.kent.ac.uk/studentsuccess/index.html

All colleagues are welcome to attend.

Please book a place by emailing cpdbookings@kent.ac.uk as limited seating is available.