EXPLORING THE NEEDS AND EXPERIENCES OF NON-TRADITIONAL
STUDENTS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF SEVILLE
M. Te esa Padilla-Ca mona, Inmaculada Ma ínez-Ga cía, Áu eo Co ea-Cube os,
Jaime González-Rome o, and Abigail He nández-Solís
Dp . o Resea ch and Assessmen Me hods in Educa ion, Uni e si y o Se ille (Spain)
INTRODUCTION
Highe educa ion is subjec o a lo o change and e o m a p esen , and ecen deba es
highligh he impo ance o he social dimension o Highe Educa ion. The London
Communiqué (2007) s a ed ha he ole o he social dimension was linked o he
gene al ole o Highe Educa ion, gi ing he clea es idea as o he o e all aim o social
dimension policies: ‘ he s uden body en e ing, pa icipa ing in and comple ing Highe
Educa ion a all le els should e lec he di e si y o popula ions’. I appea s, he e o e,
ha deba es on non- adi ional s uden s and imp o ing s uden s’ s udy condi ions ha e
now en e ed he mains eam discussion, ins ead o la gely being seen as a social
democ a ic a gumen (Odds, 2010).
The e is an inc easing numbe o s uden s whose age, educa ional backg ound and li e
ci cums ances do no i he s e eo ypical p o ile, and he e m non- adi ional has been
used o e e hese he e ogeneous g oups. S uden s 25-yea s o olde , om o he e hnic
g oups, wi h some disabili y, om a low social backg ound and/o wi h dependen
ela i es a e likely o p esen a di e en p o ile han hose o hei mo e “con en ional”
ma es, and migh aise new challenges o he Highe Educa ion ins i u ions. Howe e ,
hey ha e emained ha d o ecognise as he e we e no de ailed su ey da a on hei
social and economic condi ions. The e o e, i migh be a gued ha he cha ac e isa ion
o his g oup as “an in isible majo i y” (McNai , 1998) s ill held ue in mos policy
se ings in Eu ope un il ecen ly. In he amewo k o he Bologna p ocess, he
Eu os uden p ojec ep esen s a long due e o o collec compa able da a on he socio-
economic dimensions o s uden s.
D awing on he Eu os uden epo (2008), as well as ano he na ional (MEC, 2011) and
o he local epo s ( he Uni e si y o Se ille Yea books), we wan o make a i s
app oach o non- adi ional s uden s in Spanish uni e si ies and, speci ically, Se ille’s-:
Who a e hey? Wha pe cen age do hey ep esen ? Wha s udy condi ions do hey ha e
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o deal wi h? As he e a e no p e ious s udies on hese g oups, we conside his
in o ma ion will p o ide an ini ial assessmen o hei numbe and cha ac e is ics om
which we could make a mo e in-dep h app oach o hei expe iences and needs.
Acco ding o Eu os uden (2008), 38% o Spanish s uden s a e 25-yea s o olde , in
compa ison wi h he EU a e age o 34%. This has been an e e -inc easing end du ing
he las 10 yea s, as he age s uc u e in he i s and second cycle has signi ican ly
changed, and he numbe o people unde 30 yea s has doubled while he pe cen age o
s uden s below 25 has d opped 10 poin s since 1999-2000 (MEC, 2011).
I is impo an o no e ha , in Spain, applican s wi hou admission quali ica ions can
en e Highe Educa ion ia a special en ance examina ion. This en ance examina ion
is only open o hose 25 yea s old o olde . The examina ion is egula ed na ionally, bu
i is o ganized by he ins i u ions o Highe Educa ion. A u he ini ia i e has jus been
in oduced o people 40 and 45 yea s old o olde . These ini ia i es will lead o a
g ea e pe cen age o olde s uden s en e ing uni e si y. In ac , Camille i and Mühleck
(2010) sugges ed ha he e migh be some ela ion be ween he de elopmen o
ecogni ion o p io lea ning and equi y.
O he ele an ea u es abou “non- adi ional” s uden s in Spain a e he ollowing
(Eu os uden , 2008; MEC 2011):
- The e is a pe cen age o 1.9% o disabled s uden s who eel impai ed in hei
s udies.
- 4.1% o he s uden s ha e child en.
-The pe cen age o s uden s om ab oad in he class ooms is 4.1% in he i s and
second cycle and much highe in mas e s (18.4%) and doc o a es (34.6%). The
g ow h a e in he las h ee academic yea s has been 34.6%, which migh be due
o he inc ease o he immig an popula ion.
-The pe cen age o s uden s wi h a low social backg ound, measu ed by hei
a he ’s and mo he ’s educa ion, is 28.37% ( a he ) and 33.85% (mo he ), and
3.5% o he s uden s ha e pa en s wi h low incomes.
Wi h ega ds o he Uni e si y o Se ille, i is ha d o make an accu a e es ima ion o
he numbe o possible non- adi ional s uden s, as s a is ics only show in o ma ion o
hei age and na ionali y. The es o he g oups canno be iden i ied by he ins i u ion
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and hei condi ion o “non- adi ional” emains in isible. In any case, i we go by he
da a collec ed in he Yea books o he uni e si y, he pe cen aje o 25-yea s o olde
s uden s has inc eased by nea ly 3 poin s since 2002/2003, cu en ly being 29.82% in
he i s and second cycle. Tha means ha almos 1 ou o 3 s uden s a e “non-
adi ional” acco ding o hei age. Likewise, he pe cen age o s uden s om ab oad has
emained ela i ely s able since 2002/2003, ha ing nowadays eached 2.27%. These
s uden s mainly come om A ica, La in Ame ica and he EU coun ies.
In conclusion, he uni e si y should make g ea e e o s o iden i y he non- adi ional
s uden s who ake cou ses he e, and o know hei ci cums ances and cha ac e is ics
be e . Fu he mo e, i is impo an o go beyond he in o ma ion ha s a is ics can
p o ide, adop ing a mo e in-dep h app oach o he s uden s' eali y and daily
expe iences, in o de o de e mine wha Highe Educa ion ins i u ions can do o p omo e
equi y mo e.
THE PRESENT STUDY
We aim o deepen ou knowledge abou he amily, academic and social expe iences o
non- adi ional s uden s in he Uni e si y o Se ille. We a e especially in e es ed in
knowing he goals hey pu sue and he easons ha made hem access o he uni e si y,
and desc ibing he i s momen s a he uni e si y and he di icul ies hey expe ience in
lec u es and u o ials. Likewise, we wan o analyze he needs hey accoun o and hei
opinion abou he se ices ha he uni e si y p o ides, as well as hei u u e plans and
mo i a ions.
As ou in e es is o a ain a deepe knowledge o he s uden s’ expe iences and needs by
de eloping de ailed explana ions, we aim o p o ide insigh s in o his opic a he han
gene alized conclusions o a wide con ex . In his sense, we hope ou indings will be
illus a i e o he s uden s' li e and academic p ocesses.
Pa icipan s
A pu posi e sample o a minimum o 20 was conside ed o be sui able o collec
in o ma ion ega ding ou goals. Se e al c i e ia we e aken in o accoun in o de o
selec /in i e he esponden s: ep esen a ion o di e en g oups o non- adi ional
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s uden s (25 yea -old o mo e, disabled, low econcomical backg ound, wi h dependen
ela i es, i s gene a ion in uni e si y and o he na ionali ies/e hnic g oups),
ep esen a ion o s uden s om di e en deg ees, and easy access.
I mus be no ed ha he eques was highly welcomed and mos o he subjec s
accep ed and e en exp essed hei g ea in e es in aking pa in he s udy. As hei
pa icipa ion implies much ime de o ed o w i ing abou hei own li e and
ci cums ances, his willingness o pa icipa e was su p ising o he esea che s and, in
ou opinion, shows he s uden s’ en husiasm o ha ing been gi en oice o
communica e hei own s o ies and conce ns.
Table 1 shows a b ie desc ip ion o each o he 22 s uden s ha inally pa icipa ed in
he da a-collec ion p ocess. Nea ly all he s uden s ca ied ou a w i en na a i e abou
se e al opics. Only one o hem was in e iewed (Nasse ) due o his lack o ime o do
he w i en epo and he high in e es o his esponse o he s udy's goals.
Da a collec ion p ocedu es
W i en na a i es we e collec ed om he 22 pa icipan s. Se e al opics o w i e abou
we e sugges ed o he pa icipan s: amily en i onmen and backg ound; school pa hs;
access and adap a ion o uni e si y; eaching and eache s; ins i u ional en i onmen and
li e ou side lec u es; pe sonal and educa ional iden i y; u u e mo i a ions; and
sugges ions o imp o e he si ua ion o non- adi ional s uden s a he uni e si y. Each
opic p esen ed a guide o possible ques ions o conside , bu only as sugges ions o
os e inspi a ion. Responden s we e encou aged o w i e as g ea de ail as possible
abou hei expe iences, opinions and needs.
This pape will only explo e he accoun s on some o hese issues, lea ing aside o he s
(school pa hs, pe sonal and educa ional iden i y, u u e mo i a ions, sugges ions o
Uni e si y se ices).
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Table 1. Pa icipan s in he esea ch
PSEUDO-
NYM CATEGORY DEGREE PSEUDO-
NYM CATEGORY DEGREE
He nán 25 o olde , i s
gene a ion
Jou nalism Mª José
25 o olde ,
dependen
ela i es
Spanish
Language,
Li e a u e
and
Linguis ics
Man 25 o olde Pedagogy C is i
dependen
ela i es, i s
gene a ion
Pedagogy
Jesús 25 o olde Jou nalism MJ 25 o olde Nu se y
Educa ion
Magis e
i s gene a ion,
low economical
backg ound
Special
needs
Educa ion
U opía disabili y Pedagogy
Anónima
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disabili y, i s
gene a ion
Special
needs
Educa ion Y ia dissabili y Psychology
NOA
i s gene a ion,
low economical
backg ound
Special
needs
Educa ion Lidia
i s gene a ion
Pedagogy
Ananda
o he
e hnic/na ional
g oup
Law Lau a
i s gene a ion Biology
Al a i oC
ack
disabili y Business Sal ado i s gene a ion Nu se y
Educa ion
Ca los
disabili y Physics Emma
dependen
ela i es,
i s gene a ion
Nu se y
Educa ion
Nasse
25 o olde ,
o he
e hnic/na ional
g oup
Building
enginee ing Paola i s gene a ion
Nu se y
Educa ion
Isabel 25 o olde Pedagogy Ma ía
i s gene a ion
gene ación, low
economical
backg ound
Nu se y
Educa ion
RESULTS
The analysis o he s o ies has been a complex p ocess, as hey show a wide ange o
li e expe iences, and i became di icul o iden i y common pa e ns. Wha ollows is
only a i s a emp o explo e hese expe iences and u he analysis should be done.
Wi h ega ds o he amily con ex , we ound ha o many pa icipan s, he amily has
been a key suppo , p o iding he emo ional, economical and mo i a ional aid he
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s uden s needed o access o uni e si y and emaining he e. In con as , o o he s,
amily has been a cons an sou ce o ouble ha p e en ed hem om a aining a highe
achie emen .
“On a pe sonal le el, he oubles I had a his s age in he uni e si y we e
all he imes my mo he has been in he hospi al... And also my a he 's
dea h and he consequences his has had on my li e (se e al p oblems due
o deb s he had when he died)”(Magis e ).
The e seem o exis se e al ends in he amily en i omen and suppo which a e e y
ela ed o he economical and social backg ound. In wo king-class amilies, in which no
o he membe has ecei ed Highe Educa ion, he idea o aining as a key issue o
social mobili y p e ails. The kind o suppo hese amilies end o o e is mo i a ional,
passing he impo ance o going o uni e si y on o hei child en “ o be someone wi h a
u u e”, and i is a imes done in an au ho i a ian manne , like an obliga ion. When hei
o sp ing each Uni e si y, he amily eels highly p oud and sa is ied wi h hei
achie emen s.
“Since my b o he and I we e young, ou pa en s ha e ins illed us wi h he
signi icance o s udies, and hey ha e shown us hey we e wo king ha d so
ha we could s udy and ha e a good u u e... Mo eo e , some imes my
a he was e y au ho i a ian on his opic” (C is i).
Howe e , in middle-class amilies, he impo ance o going o uni e si y is no
some hing pa en s ha e o ins ill, as hey hemsel es ha e Highe Educa ion diplomas
and hey do no e en ques ion ha hei child en will do he same. In hese amilies, he
suppo is mo e “ac i e”: in oducing hem o cul u e, p o iding help wi h homewo k,
buying books, e c. And, when child en access o uni e si y hey do no eel especially
p oud, as hey end o “no malize” hei success.
“My pa en s ha e in luenced my lea ning, my a he is an educa ed man
and he likes alking abou in e es ing opics, my mo he helps me wi h my
s udies and she ies o mo i a e me and my b o he s” (Ca los).
And, in a ew cases, a lack o conce n abou he child en's educa ion is he gene al
end, and consequen ly, hey do no p o ide suppo and show an absolu e igno ance
abou wha he s uden s do in uni e si y. Some imes, his lack o suppo and conce n
a e con inuous obs acles o he s uden s’ de elopmen .
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“My mo he ha dly asks me any hing abou i , because I hink ha she
doesn’ know wha o ask abou and she also has he mind on o he , mo e
impo an hings... My a he ha dly e e knows wha I'm s udying” (Noa).
The i s momen s a uni e si y a e equen ly desc ibed as “ igh ening” as he s uden s
we e a aid o inding a hos ile en i onmen , in which eache s we e oo s ic and
subjec s oo di icul . I was a chao ic pe iod, as hey we e unawa e o almos
e e y hing: he ocabula y (“c edi ”, “co e-subjec ”, and so on), how o manage he
b and-new au onomy in hei lea ning, he lack o di ec supe ision...
“I hough ... ha uni e si y would be ha d, eache s would be s ic people,
and also I hough I wouldn’ be able o pass my deg ee, I e en hough ha
i I didn’ pass my i s exams, I would gi e up my deg ee” (Magis e ).
“My i s yea a he uni e si y was so o chao ic, I didn’ know how o do
he uni e si y egis a ion, I didn’ know wha he di e ence be ween
annual and co e subjec s was... I didn’ know anyone, o he acul y...”
(C is i).
The olde s uden s also men ioned hei ini ial disconce ion abou being olde han he
es . In any case, p ide abou hei success p e ailed o e hei ea s, as hey had
achie ed wha hey had been wo king o .
“Tha i s day, I me people who we e a ound 5 o 6 yea s younge han
me, I el a li le ou o place. Anyway, being whe e I wan ed o be, I didn’
ca e abou he es , I didn' need any hing else, I was whe e I wan ed o
be... in a place I had wo ked ha d o ge o” (He nán).
A change in hei pe spec i e is men ioned by some esponden s. Taking hings mo e
se iously, accep ing hei new esponsabili ies, li ing on hei own a e pa o he
challenges hey assumed om he e y i s momen in he uni e si y, and,
consequen ly, hey a ained highe achie emen s han in p e ious educa ional s ages.
“When becoming a uni e si y s uden , he way I hough abou li e
comple ely changed, I became eally awa e o handling my money, abou
he cos o my educa ion, and abou my pa en s’ e o s o gi ing me his
educa ion. Lea ning o be esponsible wi h he s udies, o alue he
knowledge...” (Ananda).
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In con as , o he s disco e ed he “social li e” associa ed wi h li ing on hei own and
he ac ha lec u es a e no obliga o y. This led hem o a low achie emen in he i s
yea .
“I ook he i s mon hs in a mo e elaxed way, wi hou ge ing anxious...
This ga e me an odd eeling when he exams we e coming up, in a hu y,
wi h un o eseen wo k, e c. I was messing a ound in class wi h my
classma es. I lea ned he lesson well and, in he second yea , I s a ed o
wo k ha d” (Al a i oC ack).
S uden s who had amily bu dens old o hei he lack o ime ( o a end lec u es, o
s udy, o mo e om home o campus, e c.) and hei di icul ies in planning and
managing hei ime du ing he i s yea ha made hem go h ough a longe adap a ion
pe iod.
“I had a c isis ea ly on in he uni e si y; I was eally o e whelmed because
o he lack o ime and I saw no need o eel so bad balancing a job and a
deg ee” (Emma).
Rega ding he managemen o hei cu iculum h ough he di e en yea s, he co e and
yea ly subjec s a e he basis o hei plans. Some o he c i e ia unde which hey chose
hei annual cu iculum we e: ge ing he bes ime able o op imize he s udy ime;
uling ou which one no o choose (because hey we e oo di icul o need oo much
ime); he eache ; and, some imes, he cos .
“... I spen a lo o ime choosing he subjec s so ha I had a good ime able
wi h ee ime o s udy” (Ca los).
“... I' e lea ned o choose he subjec s acco ding o he eache who augh
hem...” (C is i).
“I can’ choose all he subjec s in each cou se, because I don’ wan o
bu den my pa en s wi h he money equi ed o do a deg ee” (C is i).
A ending lec u es is one o hei mos common pa e ns and i is conside ed a key issue
o lea ning. Taking no es, asking o concep s ha a e ha d o unde s and, pa icipa ing
and gi ing hei opinions help hem o op imize hei pe sonal s udy.
“I need o a end lec u es o unde s and he subjec , i I don’ a end, I eel
I'm missing some hing” (Magis e ).
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“I always a end 99.99% o he lec u es; i I miss one, i is eally due o
some hing se ious” (Ananda).
Howe e , u o ials a e no conside ed as impo an as lec u es and only a ew s uden s
use his esou ce, and when hey do, u o ials end o be ega ded as a “p oblem-
sol ing” de ice and no as a mechanism o guiding hei own lea ning.
“I ha en’ made much use o u o ials, I ha en’ had doub s o esol e
h ough hem” (Emma).
The use o u o ials is impo an o es ablish di e en kinds o ela ionships wi h
eache s and only one s uden seems o pe cei e he eal use ulness o u o ials.
“Bu i ’s di e en , a end lec u es means explaining he lesson, making
commen s abou wha has been explained, doing ac i i ies… bu going o
u o ials is mo e di ec … he ela ion be ween s uden and eache …, one
u o ial whe e you can alk abou all he a eas wi hin ce ain limi s, he
u o can help you, he can ad ice you, he can guide you…” (Lidia).
F om wha is old, i is easy o pe cei e ha he gene al end in eache s is gi ing
heo e ical, non-pa icipa i e lec u es, almos exclusi ely based on aking no es. In his
con ex , non- adi ional s uden s ha e o adap , and i hey canno a end lec u es, hey
ha e o ask o he s uden s o he no es in o de o pass he exams.
“A ypical day a he campus is … a ending lec u es, aking no es and
lis ening o he eache s; only wo o h ee eache s use a di e en dynamic
in class, in which we a e he ones who alk mos o he ime, s uden s, bu
o e all we a e s ill in school, whe e i is he eache who gi es he lesson”
(Lidia).
Howe e , when a ending u o ials, eache s become mo e awa e o hei special
ci cums ances and migh p o ide mo e lexible ways o ul ill he equi emen s,
showing a ce ain “complici y” owa ds non- adi ional s uden s.
“As o he eache s, mos o hem unde s and and alue my si ua ion, bu ,
ob iously, hey can’ ask me o less han hey ask he o he s uden s o . So,
hough I ecei e mo e lexibili y, some imes I’m pushed o inish my asks
on ime, o do he obliga o y eading, e c. […] I no ice ha eache s alue
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