‘I can do it, and how!’ Student experience in access and equity pathways to higher education

Alternative pathways and enabling courses such as foundation programmes are well-established in some tertiary institutions and are likely to be broadened and enhanced across the sector. If such a course is designed along the lines of Biggs’ constructive alignment, it would be hoped that students would be likely to adopt a ‘deep approach’ to learning through their course of study. In addition, it is often assumed (but rarely properly demonstrated) that such courses promote the confidence of students to achieve well in their academic studies. This study explored changes in approaches to learning and academic self-efficacy in the first topic of a Foundation Course, using Biggs’ R-SPQ-2F and a newly developed academic self-efficacy scale. While the findings on approaches to learning were inconclusive, analysis showed a substantial and statistically significant increase in academic self-efficacy.