This paper examines how tutor-practitioners conceptualised and enacted their practice-based knowing (PBK) in a Higher Education Fashion School (HEFS). It adopts a qualitative insider-researcher methodology composed of oral biographies, dialogic interviews and participant observations. Social practice theory (SPT) is utilised as the analytical…

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, work and leisure is expected to change, and human creative competence is expected to be increasingly important, partly for the workplace and the economy, but also for thriving and well-being. There is some interest in fostering creative competence in mathematics, where it is seen as relating…

Recent years have seen renewed interest in personal tutoring in the UK higher education sector, and many higher education institutions (HEIs) are reconsidering and enhancing their personal tutoring provision. There is limited research into the principles and models of personal tutoring in the UK context and no studies which identify how those…

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic gave rise to swift and unprecedented changes in practice in pre-service teacher preparation programmes. Providers of pre-service education have made pragmatic adaptations to course provision, including adopting the practice of 'remote' visits to schools to assess pre-service teachers during practicum and to meet…

Personal tutoring is renowned for the positive role it can play in supporting student satisfaction, engagement and attainment outcomes in higher education. Surprisingly though, few studies have specifically investigated the demands of this role from the perspective of the personal tutor. Through the theoretical lens of Role Theory, this study…

This article explores the sustained impact of an Access module on mature students from disadvantaged backgrounds as they progress to undergraduate study. Framed in the context of OfS concerns about attrition and conceptualisation of dispositional, situational and institutional barriers, student survey and tutor focus group data were collected in a…

The personal tutor plays a key role in the student experience at university, and personal tutoring embodies the student relationship with the university, suggesting that it has the potential to provide insights beyond that specific relationship to the institution and higher education context. A focus session with first year undergraduate students…

The first year of university is often considered challenging and difficult for students who are adjusting to different academic and social demands. In this context, teacher-student interactions can play a crucial role in fostering student motivation, engagement in learning, a sense of belonging to the university and academic persistence. Although…

In an increasingly marketised UK higher education (HE) context, research on personal tutoring is crucial given its potential to positively influence both student outcomes and institutional measures of success. For example, students who experience poor personal tutor (PT) experiences may question the value of their degree in more economic terms and…

Developing social capital in university teaching teams is a worthwhile exercise which can benefit students, educators and wider institutions through improvements in areas such as knowledge sharing, a critical component of effective teams. This case study analysis explores the social capital and knowledge sharing of two teaching teams at an…

This article deals with the work of polytechnic tutors on adult foundation programmes and describes how their work has been affected by the current neoliberal climate in the education sector. Inclusive neoliberalism is characterised by heightened regulation, reduced support for the public sector and a greater requirement for individual…

Self-governance and responsibilisation are integral to Basic Key Skills Builder (BKSB) assessments and Functional Skills qualifications. However, very little is known of its neoliberalist effects and the governance practices of tutors teaching disengaged youth taking Functional Skills as part of the overall employability certificate. Adopting a…

This article delivers an evaluation of a pedagogical intervention implemented within a first-year undergraduate university module. The intervention, termed the student-led tutorial (SLT), is based on the concept of the tutorless tutorial and presents a platform for student learning which was designed to increase active learning prior to their…

Personal tutoring is considered to be an important support mechanism for students in higher education. However, the existing personal tutoring system at the British University in Egypt has needed for quite some time to be reviewed and improved as anecdotal evidence suggests that it is ineffective. This article therefore aims to identify the…

This article explores the impact of a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) Access module on the progression of students to undergraduate Science. Drawing on the Widening Participation (WP) literature, this research investigated the experience of adult learners from disadvantaged backgrounds taking their first steps into higher…