Looking Forward Investigating the counselling and support needs of - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Looking Forward Investigating the counselling and support needs of non- traditional students in Irish third-level education Trinity College Student Counselling Service 2007 Overview Third-level students in the 21 st Century
Trinity College Student Counselling Service 2007
Third-level students in the 21st
Century
Meeting needs through student
counselling
The importance of researching ‘non-
traditional’ students
Defining the ‘non-traditional’ student
Mature students Students with disabilities Students from ethnic minority groups,
including refugees
Students from the traveller community Students from socially- disadvantaged
backgrounds
Research Question What is the current counselling provision for non-traditional students in third-level education in comparison to their traditional student peers?
Mature Students (23+ years)
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Third- level 1 Third level 2 Third level 3 Third level 4 Third level 5 Third level 6 Total
% in college % in counselling
Mature Students (non-CAO applicants)
5 10 15 20
1998- 1999 1999- 2000 2000- 2001 2001- 2002 2002- 2003 2003- 2004 2004- 2005 2005- 2006 2006- 2007
% referral rate from total student body % referral rate of mature students
Students registered with Disability
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
third level 1 third level 2 third level 3 third level 4 third level 5 third level 6 Total
% in college % in counselling
Mature Students in Counselling
10 20 30 40
Presenting issues for Mature Students at UCC Counselling Services August 2004 to June 2005
Students with Disability
20 40 60 80 100 Physical Sensory Medical Learning Mental Health
IAUCC counsellors' self-rated experience of service provision (n=23)
2 4 6 8 10 12 TCD UCC % in college % in counselling
Finding out what students think
“First year in college: the
experience of mature students”
“The experience of students from
socially-disadvantaged backgrounds at third-level”
What are the training needs and practice guidelines required by student counselling staff in order to provide a quality service to non-traditional students in a third-level setting?
Counsellor training needs
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Refugee Community Disability Traveller Community Socially Disadvantaged Mature
(n=23)
What are the counselling and support needs of non- traditional students in Irish third-level education?
Choosing third-level education
“ There was no option, the option for me to come to college at that stage, after school, just did not exist…my parents wouldn’t have been able to afford it…I was so disillusioned”.
Personal impact
“You’re trying to balance the subjects and the topics yourself. Finding that balance is difficult enough, but then you have to find the balance with your family, kids, friends, social life and that is really, really difficult”.
Social Comparison
“…coming back to full time education from so long that you worry, and if you are heading in to your first year exams, that you’d be wondering were you up to it, were you up to the mark, could you make the grade in third level”.
Coping and support
“...there’s a crowd of us. We’ve kind of formed a nucleus, there are other ‘matures’ who we’ve gotten to know…so we keep an eye”.
Positivity
“I’m doing something for myself…I’m not trapped anymore. I feel like I’m working towards something as well. The goal is a Degree. Hopefully in a couple of years time…maybe who
going to have choices”.
Experiencing difference
“My Mam and Dad were very eager that I kind of got a new route, because they seen what they had to do and how they had to work… breaking their backs all the years”.
The right to an education
“what matters is not the door you go
Future focus: the big picture
“it’s like my legacy to my kids. They will have a father who went to college…that will be another step up for them…something that I didn’t have and that will be passed on through the generations”.
The meaning of education
“It’s given me the option…of just having what I want instead of having to settle for second or third”.
Practical challenges
“I’m having to work. I’m in college Monday to Friday and I’m working probably one or two nights during the week and then Saturday and Sunday as well. I’m just finding it really tiring”.
Improving counselling services
Pro-active personal contact Assisting time-management Focus on relationships Communication and information sharing Staff training and liaison
Available in electronic format (pdf) from:
http://www.student_counselling/tcd