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Other Education

Selected Works

Professor Sarah O' Shea

Selected Works

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Education

Transitions And Turning Points: Exploring How First In Family Female Students Story Their Transition To University And Student Identity Formation, Sarah E. O' Shea Dr Jan 2013

Transitions And Turning Points: Exploring How First In Family Female Students Story Their Transition To University And Student Identity Formation, Sarah E. O' Shea Dr

Professor Sarah O' Shea

The purpose of this article is to explore how one group of students reflect upon their transition into the higher education environment. This qualitative research project followed one group of female undergraduate students as they moved through the first year of study. All of the participants were the first in their family to consider further education and each participated in four semi-structured interviews over one year. Drawing on the conceptual lens of ‘turning points’ the intent is to provide a ‘close-up’ analysis of the complex process of identity formation within the university landscape. By revisiting the students at various points …


Stepping Into Higher Education From The Vocational Education Sector In Australia: Student Perceptions And Experiences, Sarah E. O' Shea Dr, Pauline Lysaght A/Prof, Kathleen Tanner Dr Jul 2012

Stepping Into Higher Education From The Vocational Education Sector In Australia: Student Perceptions And Experiences, Sarah E. O' Shea Dr, Pauline Lysaght A/Prof, Kathleen Tanner Dr

Professor Sarah O' Shea

It is not unusual to hear study in the vocational education sector referred to as a ‘stepping stone’ into further studies in the higher education environment. What this pathway entails for those who choose it is not immediately clear however. This article reports on research conducted with a small cohort of students who arrived at an Australian university with advanced standing or credit transfer based on their studies in the vocational sector. A narrative inquiry approach highlights the voices of these participants drawn through stories of their individual experiences of the transition to higher education. Recommendations related to structural and …