Lyn H Ashmore

Mature Women in Higher Education:: a Study of Culture, Ethnicity, Gender and Educational Experiences in Northern England Lyn H Ashmore

This reports on a small-scale study of black (African-Caribbean) mature women and their experiences as higher education students. This is investigated in relation to the ethos of the post 1992 universities and the social circumstances in which non-traditional black students find themselves. It explores the current practices of policies and roles of higher education in England and investigates the problems and challenges faced by this particular group of students and searches for practical suggestions to improve the effectiveness of their experiences. Critical Race Theory (CRT) has been used as a framework for examining the university experiences of mature black women students using both qualitative and quantitative research methods, as well as the effectiveness of widening participation policy, and takes a feminist perspective to engage methodologically with participants adopting a multi-method approach. Findings revealed that the majority of students who participated, experienced poor behaviour and bad attitudes and expressed dissatisfaction with their tutors. Nonetheless, their attitude towards higher education and what they have achieved so far were found to be positive.