Students’ self-reported barriers to success: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of first-generation and non-traditional students on an undergraduate Primary Education Studies degree in London

Supporting adults on their learning journey through further education (FE) and higher education (HE) involves understanding that each learner may come with complex needs and external factors that may hinder their educational success; however, sometimes the barriers may come from within the learners themselves. Impostor syndrome–especially for students who are first generation into university or for ‘non-traditional’ students returning to education after a career break or raising a family–can be one such barrier to education. This small-scale study, intended to improve understanding of their perceived barriers to learning, interviewed eleven students who were ‘first-generation’ and/or ‘non-traditional’ students on an undergraduate Primary Education Studies degree at a university in London, England. Individual interviews were conducted face to face on campus. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) aimed to offer insight into the lived experiences of the participants. This case study considers strategies and interventions that maybe employed in both FE and HE settings to help increase student engagement, retention and success, while also nurturing student wellbeing. The author suggests that, although data were gathered from HE students, the findings and interventions are applicable and transferable to FE students.