The Transition of International Sub-Saharan African Students into the UK University system with reference to a University in the North of England

The study seeks to examine the transition of international Sub-Saharan African students joining a UK University situated in the North of England. This research study examines the existing literature on the transition of international students into higher education; the factors that influence universities in recruiting international students; the motives of students to study in the UK; the issues prospective international Sub-Saharan African students experience in the process; and the support mechanisms universities have in place. Using interviews as the primary research method, an empirical inquiry has enabled the researcher to explore areas of transition where no substantive theory existed. The interviews were conducted with international Sub-Saharan African students who were new to the country and had been in the University for only six weeks. The interviews covered the international Sub-Saharan African students’ background, their decision to study in the UK and their transitional experiences. The research enquiry found that the majority of respondents in the study were first generations pursuing higher education outside their country of origin. Generally, the international Sub-Saharan African students in this study agreed that their previous upbringing and educational experiences had impacted on their studies. In retrospect, the decision to come to study in the UK was influenced by their parents, the prestige of obtaining a UK degree, enhancing future prospects and assisting the families in their own countries. The international Sub-Saharan African students encountered a catalogue of problems which had a great impact on their transitions to a UK university. In the name of “education” and a UK qualification, the international African students were prepared to endure difficulties. Such findings regarding these included: limited support during the transition process, in particular prior to the student arriving in the UK, and also upon arriving at a UK airport, but prior to arriving at the University. Induction programmes are conducted generally in academic institutions, but this research shows they are not targeted at meeting the needs of international African students. Prior learning of international students is not considered. There was also inadequate support for students arriving at the University after the induction process. This research explains perceptions the international Sub-Saharan African students held about their transitional experiences, and personal strategies they deployed in order to cope with their new environment. Whilst the results of the inquiry are in agreement with much of the current literature about international students, this study contributes to the existing knowledge on transition and provides a number of recommendations to the University in order to help improve its transitional processes for international Sub-Saharan African students

Developing business students' employability skills though working in partnership with a local business to deliver an undergraduate mentoring programme

Purpose Working collaboratively with local business is vitally important in the delivery of Higher Education in Further Education. This study aims to explore an effective way of engaging local employers to enhance the employability skills of students through a closely monitored and supported mentoring relationship. The project was developed in order to address the employability needs of final year business students at a higher education facility offered by a college situated in the North West of England. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative data was collected through the use of reflective journals and a series of focus groups with mentors and mentees Findings Overall both mentors and mentees reported positive responses to the mentoring scheme. From the mentees point of view self-confidence, employability skills and networks were enhanced. Mentors reported satisfaction in contributing to the local community. Challenges were found in matching mentors with appropriate mentees. A perceived poor match negatively affected the relationship. Mentors reported that mentees lacked career direction and seemed to have limited understanding of what was expected in the mentoring process. Research limitations/implications The scope of this study is one mentoring scheme in one institution and therefore has limited generalisability. However, there are implications for the development of further mentoring schemes in other institutions in the UK and beyond. Originality This mentoring scheme was carried out in FE that offers HE courses in a northern town with above average levels of unemployment and with a diverse ethnic population. The scheme involves senior managers volunteering to support business undergraduates

Leaving home: the challenges of Black-African international students prior to studying overseas

Much of the literature on international students centres on their experiences once they arrive in their host countries. This study explores the preparations of Black-African students for leaving their home countries to study abroad. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 50 Black-African students studying at one British university. The students spoke of the complex and frustrating process of obtaining visas and applying to university abroad as well as the tensions they felt in leaving their communities. These pressures were extensive and impacted their subsequent ability to adjust to life in their host institution. A greater understanding of the backgrounds of international students will enable higher education professionals to develop more culturally inclusive universities

PSEM:An Audit Tool for Higher Education

The aim of this guidance paper is to present the proposed social enterprise audit tool. The idea of the social enterprise audit tool is to set out what should be covered when designing a social enterprise curriculum for an interdisciplinary social science subject area. The work that is presented here is formulated from a funded Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) project undertaken by the authors

Social enterprise as a model for change: mapping a global cross-disciplinary framework

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, social enterprise has experienced a renaissance. In public policy circles, entrepreneurship and innovation are perceived as economic development tools, and in many parts of the world, as catalysts for change that can have a real impact by increasing employment in communities as well as environmental challenges. At a local level, entrepreneurship and innovation enable communities to stay vibrant due to social enterprise organisations offering much-needed goods and services. Social enterprise has been acknowledged as a solution to social inequality and environmental issues in society as it develops new areas of empowerment in local communities. Central to the success of social enterprise is education, training, and the engagement of the higher education sector. Traditionally, entrepreneurship and innovation have fundamentally been entrenched within the business subject area, but have now emerged within other disciplines such as criminology, health and social care, geography, sociology, and politics. The aim of this paper is to map out a new, global, cross-disciplinary framework from a teaching and learning perspective. The authors of this paper call for global empowerment of entrepreneurship education in the higher education sector, using examples from different countries across the world, specifically Ghana, India, and the UK. This paper sets out the vital importance of entrepreneurship in teaching and learning, by showcasing what can be achieved. In this paper, the authors develop and propose a new pedagogical social enterprise model that incorporates and emphasises the ethos of ‘think globally, act locally’ in a sustainability context

The Nexus between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial self-competencies: a social enterprise perspective

The purpose of the study was to examine the mediation roles of student satisfaction and entrepreneurial self-efficacy in the nexus between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial self-competencies within a social enterprise context. The study used a cross-sectional survey design, with a sampled population of 185 business students from three universities (Accra Technical University, Cape Coast Technical University and the University of Ghana) in Ghana. A PLS-SEM approach was used to examine the relationships among the independent–dependent constructs in the study. Entrepreneurial education had positive and significant relationships to student satisfaction and entrepreneurial self-efficacy, but it showed an insignificant relationship to entrepreneurial self-competencies. Student satisfaction was also found to relate positively and significantly to entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial self-competencies. Furthermore, both student satisfaction and entrepreneurial self-efficacy were found to fully mediate the nexus between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial self-competencies. The study highlights the crucial roles of student satisfaction and self-efficacy in the implementation of entrepreneurial education in higher education institutions. In a discipline that is characterised by paucity, this study provides a unique and original assessment of the important roles of student satisfaction and student self-confidence in building entrepreneurial competencies among students

The Transition of International Sub-Saharan African Students into the UK University system with reference to a University in the North of England

The study seeks to examine the transition of international Sub-Saharan African students joining a UK University situated in the North of England. This research study examines the existing literature on the transition of international students into higher education; the factors that influence universities in recruiting international students; the motives of students to study in the UK; the issues prospective international Sub-Saharan African students experience in the process; and the support mechanisms universities have in place. Using interviews as the primary research method, an empirical inquiry has enabled the researcher to explore areas of transition where no substantive theory existed. The interviews were conducted with international Sub-Saharan African students who were new to the country and had been in the University for only six weeks. The interviews covered the international Sub-Saharan African students’ background, their decision to study in the UK and their transitional experiences. The research enquiry found that the majority of respondents in the study were first generations pursuing higher education outside their country of origin. Generally, the international Sub-Saharan African students in this study agreed that their previous upbringing and educational experiences had impacted on their studies. In retrospect, the decision to come to study in the UK was influenced by their parents, the prestige of obtaining a UK degree, enhancing future prospects and assisting the families in their own countries. The international Sub-Saharan African students encountered a catalogue of problems which had a great impact on their transitions to a UK university. In the name of “education” and a UK qualification, the international African students were prepared to endure difficulties. Such findings regarding these included: limited support during the transition process, in particular prior to the student arriving in the UK, and also upon arriving at a UK airport, but prior to arriving at the University. Induction programmes are conducted generally in academic institutions, but this research shows they are not targeted at meeting the needs of international African students. Prior learning of international students is not considered. There was also inadequate support for students arriving at the University after the induction process. This research explains perceptions the international Sub-Saharan African students held about their transitional experiences, and personal strategies they deployed in order to cope with their new environment. Whilst the results of the inquiry are in agreement with much of the current literature about international students, this study contributes to the existing knowledge on transition and provides a number of recommendations to the University in order to help improve its transitional processes for international Sub-Saharan African students