FACE Conference 2009FACE Conference 2009

Cultural capital as an Cultural capital as an explanation of variation in explanation of variation in

participation in higher participation in higher educationeducation

John Noble and Peter Davies John Noble and Peter Davies

Institute for Access Studies, Institute for Access Studies, Staffordshire UniversityStaffordshire University

Cultural CapitalCultural Capital

Bourdieu’s Three forms of Cultural Capital:Bourdieu’s Three forms of Cultural Capital:• Embodied state – directly linked to and incorporated Embodied state – directly linked to and incorporated

within the individual and represents what they know within the individual and represents what they know and can do.and can do.

• Objectified state – represented by objects and goods Objectified state – represented by objects and goods

such as books, paintings, music, instruments and such as books, paintings, music, instruments and machines.machines.

• Institutionalized capital – represented by a world of Institutionalized capital – represented by a world of certificates and qualifications – a world of credentials.certificates and qualifications – a world of credentials.

The Cultural Capital The Cultural Capital QuestionnaireQuestionnaire

• Previous work: Sullivan (2001); Bennett Previous work: Sullivan (2001); Bennett et al., (2005) : et al., (2005) : long questionnaireslong questionnaires

In this questionnaire:In this questionnaire:• Maximum of 15 mins to completeMaximum of 15 mins to complete• Measure of students’ and parents’ Measure of students’ and parents’

cultural capitalcultural capital• Parents’ educational qualifications and Parents’ educational qualifications and

occupationoccupation• Predicted A level gradesPredicted A level grades

SampleSampleDeepdaleDeepdale HillsideHillside TownheaTownhea

dd

Number of Year 13 (17-18 year-Number of Year 13 (17-18 year-old) students on roll old) students on roll

158158 340340 9393

Number of returned Number of returned questionnaires questionnaires

107107 190190 8989

Number likely to or definitely Number likely to or definitely entering higher education entering higher education

9494 152152 7070

Percentage with reporting Percentage with reporting parents’ occupation as parents’ occupation as professional or managerial professional or managerial

61%61% 34%34% 47%47%

Percentage reporting parents Percentage reporting parents with degree with degree

43%43% 30%30% 31%31%

Local area Local area Semi-Semi-ruralrural

UrbanUrban TownTown

Robustness and Factor Robustness and Factor AnalysisAnalysis

• Cronbach Alphas: 0.75 (Students) Cronbach Alphas: 0.75 (Students) 0.83 (Parents)0.83 (Parents)

• Bartlett and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin OK. Bartlett and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin OK.

• Maximum likelihood extraction under Maximum likelihood extraction under oblique rotation.oblique rotation.

• 2/3 Factor solutions: Current Affairs; 2/3 Factor solutions: Current Affairs; High Art; Music. High Art; Music.

Models TestedModels Tested

• (Model 1) Is = f(PO(Model 1) Is = f(POss, PE, PEss, D, Dss, H, Hss))

• (Model 2) Is = f(A(Model 2) Is = f(Ass, PO, POss, PE, PEss, D, Dss, H, Hss))

• (Model 3) Is = f(A(Model 3) Is = f(Ass, C, Css, PO, POss, PE, PEss, D, Dss, H, Hss))

• (Model 4) Is = f(A(Model 4) Is = f(Ass, , Current affairsCurrent affairsss, , MusicMusicss, , High artHigh artss, PO, POss, PE, PEss, D, Dss, H, Hss))

Results (1)Results (1)Model 1 Model 1

(p)(p)Model Model 2(p)2(p)

Model Model 3(p)3(p)

Model 4(p)Model 4(p)

Constant Constant <.001<.001

POPO .135.135

PEPE .212.212

DD .156.156

HH .629.629

AACCCC

CACA

MM

HAHA

nn 386386

ResultsResultsModel 1 Model 1

(p)(p)Model Model 2(p)2(p)

Model Model 3(p)3(p)

Model 4(p)Model 4(p)

Constant Constant <.001<.001 <.001<.001

POPO .135.135 .818.818

PEPE .212.212 .192.192

DD .156.156 .191.191

HH .629.629 .220.220

AA <.001<.001CCCC

CACA

MM

HAHA

nn 386386 350350

ResultsResultsModel 1 Model 1

(p)(p)Model Model 2(p)2(p)

Model Model 3(p)3(p)

Model 4(p)Model 4(p)

Constant Constant <.001<.001 <.001<.001 <.001<.001

POPO .135.135 .818.818 .892.892

PEPE .212.212 .192.192 .324.324

DD .156.156 .191.191 .247.247

HH .629.629 .220.220 .115.115

AA <.001<.001 <.001<.001CCCC .025.025CACA

MM

HAHA

nn 386386 350350 350350

ResultsResultsModel 1 Model 1

(p)(p)Model Model 2(p)2(p)

Model Model 3(p)3(p)

Model 4(p)Model 4(p)

Constant Constant <.001<.001 <.001<.001 <.001<.001 <.001<.001

POPO .135.135 .818.818 .892.892 .970.970

PEPE .212.212 .192.192 .324.324 .312.312

DD .156.156 .191.191 .247.247 .096.096

HH .629.629 .220.220 .115.115 .073.073

AA <.001<.001 <.001<.001 <.001<.001CCCC .025.025CACA .013.013

MM .042.042

HAHA .246.246

nn 386386 350350 350350 350350

The policy issueThe policy issue

Current guidance from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (2007 para. 8) suggests that background data should be collected on parents’ occupations and educational qualifications.

Higher Education Funding Council for England (2007) Further Guidance on Evaluation Planning (Bristol: Higher Education Funding Council) available online at https://admin.hero.ac.uk/sites/practitioner/resources/Further%20Guidance%20on%20Evaluation%20Planning%20(April%202008).DOC

SummarySummary

• Parents’ education and occupation are unrelated to Parents’ education and occupation are unrelated to the likelihood that a student will participate in HE – the likelihood that a student will participate in HE – once examination grades are taken into account.once examination grades are taken into account.

• This challenges the WP agenda and the cultural capital This challenges the WP agenda and the cultural capital account of differences in likelihood of participation.account of differences in likelihood of participation.

• Cultural capital has not been measured separately in Cultural capital has not been measured separately in previous studies.previous studies.

• When a robust measure of cultural capital is included When a robust measure of cultural capital is included in the analysis it is shown to have a significant effect in the analysis it is shown to have a significant effect after allowing for examination grades.after allowing for examination grades.

From retention to From retention to engagementengagement

Engagement and Student Engagement and Student Choice Choice

• There is a relationship between student There is a relationship between student levels of cultural capital and the methods levels of cultural capital and the methods used to research and select a university used to research and select a university place.place.

• ““Everyone in my family has been to Everyone in my family has been to university. I just picked up on that”.university. I just picked up on that”.

• ““I found that I started to choose where to go I found that I started to choose where to go on how nice it looked in the prospectus”.on how nice it looked in the prospectus”.

Engaging with StaffEngaging with Staff

• ““They are way up there. I am not They are way up there. I am not sure how comfortable I am going to sure how comfortable I am going to be talking to them”.be talking to them”.

• ““Not a problem. It’ll just be Not a problem. It’ll just be different”.different”.

Engaging with Staff through e-Engaging with Staff through e-mailmail

• ““E-mail is a very good way of seeking E-mail is a very good way of seeking advice. You can think about what you want advice. You can think about what you want to ask in advance and take your time over to ask in advance and take your time over it”.it”.

• ““I am not very comfortable seeking advice I am not very comfortable seeking advice because I am not on a one-to-one basis because I am not on a one-to-one basis with my lecturers. I am more comfortable with my lecturers. I am more comfortable e-mailing my lecturers”.e-mailing my lecturers”.

Engagement and Teaching and Engagement and Teaching and Learning approachesLearning approaches

• No cultural capital affect apparent No cultural capital affect apparent here. Both groups recognised the here. Both groups recognised the need to adapt from ‘spoon-feeding’ need to adapt from ‘spoon-feeding’ to independent learningto independent learning

Engagement and habitusEngagement and habitus

• High cultural capital students are High cultural capital students are more likely to live on-campus than more likely to live on-campus than low cultural capital students.low cultural capital students.

• Habitus – “..the collectivity of norms Habitus – “..the collectivity of norms and practices of a social group”. and practices of a social group”.

(Yorke and Longden, 2004)(Yorke and Longden, 2004)

ConclusionsConclusions

• There is a relationship between There is a relationship between cultural capital levels and confidence cultural capital levels and confidence to interact with teaching staff.to interact with teaching staff.

• Institutional habitus may be affected Institutional habitus may be affected by low cultural capital students by low cultural capital students choosing to live off-campuschoosing to live off-campus

ConclusionsConclusions

• Cultural capital does exert an effect in Cultural capital does exert an effect in addition to gradesaddition to grades

• WP targeting is currently on the wrong WP targeting is currently on the wrong tracktrack

• Careers provision in Year 12 does not Careers provision in Year 12 does not taketake

account of cultural capital levelaccount of cultural capital level