‘Widening participation’ (WP) or ‘fair access’ is a flagship initiative of the Scottish government and overseen by a Commissioner for Fair Access in Scotland, with a stated aim that ‘by 2030 one-fifth of entrants to higher education should come from the 20-per-cent most deprived communities in Scotland’. Given that the UK has one of the least socially mobile societies of the Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries (Sutton Trust, 2017) and sustains persistent patterns of inequality of access (Hannon et al., 2017), the significant and laudable progress made by the Office of the Commissioner and Higher Education Institutions (HEI) institutions is to be welcomed. Although 2021 targets (16 per cent) have been met, the pace of progress has stalled (Commissioner for Fair Access, 2024), and there is evidence to suggest that a lack of economic, social and cultural capital hampers students’ experience and attainment, and compounds entrenched barriers to a thriving participation (Friend, 2021).

A team from the University of Edinburgh Business School set about understanding the current state of knowledge of widening participation in Scotland (O’Toole et al., 2024). Such research suggests implications for each aspect of the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion charter. This matters because, simply put, it is harder for disadvantaged students to gain the resources to access university; and once in, it is harder for them to feel that they belong. Further compounding this disadvantage, a developing body of research suggests that it is harder for widening participation students to attain in the same manner as their less-disadvantaged peers (Advance HE, 2012).

It also matters because rising social inequalities (such as those which count towards classification as WP) adversely affect the mental health of these student groups and place them at higher risk of poor overall wellbeing (Maguire & Cameron, 2021; Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2021). Given rising societal awareness of the implications of poor mental health and multiple reports of the declining state of student mental health, this topic in particular requires much additional research. A specialist research network on Scottish Student Mental Health – ‘ScotSMART’ – has been established by academics at the universities of Edinburgh, Strathclyde and Glasgow for this very purpose, and academics and practitioners working in this space are invited to engage with us.

‘If we are to offer higher education systems which allow WP students to thrive, it must be the systems themselves that are required to change rather than the students.’

Our article notes how existing research on WP in Scotland has highlighted both progress and challenges regarding the transition, admission and attainment of WP students (O’Toole et al., 2024). Moreover, the review has also revealed important gaps in understanding which remain around the lived experiences of WP students, and the more systemic institutional supports needed to support their journeys through university. We argue that if we are to offer higher education systems which allow WP students to thrive, it must be the systems themselves that are required to change rather than the students. Further research offers the opportunity for more intersectional, nuanced and granular understandings of the WP student and their lived experience and will offer valuable insight into systemic issues which compound the challenges faced.

Conducting a literature review has highlighted important implications for policy and practice. Specifically, policies must foster greater social mobility and socioeconomic inclusion by cultivating environments that align more effectively with the talent, potential, aspirations, needs and available capital of WP students. Such initiatives can in turn enhance how WP success is evaluated in relation to the ultimate aim of ensuring fair access and equality of outcomes for all in higher education, irrespective of their backgrounds. Undoubtedly, that matters.

This blog post is based on the article ‘Widening participation in Scotland 1997-2021: A semi-systematic literature review and avenues for further research’ by Michelle O’Toole, Susan Dunnett, Mary Brennan, Tom Calvard and Liudmila Fakeyeva, published in the British Educational Research Journal.

References

Advance HE. (2012). Compendium of effective practice in higher education retention and success. https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/compendium-effective-practice-higher-education-retention-and-success

Commissioner for Fair Access. (2024). Renewing the alliance for fair access: Annual report 2024. https://www.fairaccess.scot/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Sixth-Renewing-Alliance-for-Fair-Access-annual-report-January-2024.pdf

Friend, K. L. (2021). The creation of social networks: Social capital and the experiences of widening participation students at three elite institutions in the US, England, and Scotland. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 29(3), 359–377. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2020.1735496

Hannon, C., Faas, D., & O’Sullivan, K. (2017). Widening the educational capabilities of socio‐economically disadvantaged students through a model of social and cultural capital development. British Educational Research Journal, 43(6), 1225–1245. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3309

Maguire, C., & Cameron, J. (2021). Thriving learners: Initial findings from Scottish HEIs (2021). The Mental Health Foundation. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-06/MHF-Thriving-Learners-Report-Executive-Summary.pdf

O’Toole, M., Dunnett, S., Brennan, M., Calvard, T., & Fakeyeva, L. (2024) Widening participation in Scotland 1997-2021: A semi-systematic literature review and avenues for further research. British Educational Research Journal, 50(4), 1655–1675. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3991

Royal College of Psychiatrists. (2021). Mental health of higher education students. https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-source/improving-care/better-mh-policy/college-reports/mental-health-of-higher-education-students-(cr231).pdf

Sutton Trust. (2017). Social mobility summit 2017. https://www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Social-mobility-delegate-pack_WEB_FINAL.pdf