Hello All,

Over the last couple of years, we have increased the numbers of students that we see at both workshops and on a one-to-one basis. Despite increasing numbers, we still have a larger proportion of female students (70:30). Taking advice from our Counselling Service, who have also looked at encouraging the take-up of their Service by male students, we organised a regular drop-in service (12 - 1 everyday). Although ratios have slightly improved, we still have have a majority of female students who access our service. We are (obviously) keen to increase male participation, and in the next academic year we will be running staff development sessions on gender issues. I have read some of the literature around gender (Burke, 2007; Skeggs, 1997) which looks at how individuals mis-recognise themselves and use education as a way to becoming respectable persons. Notably, how boys' masulinities are constructed in both FE and HE and their connenctions to wider society. However, I am struggling to find data / research on what institutions have successfully implemented with regard to improving the participation of male students in HE.

If any of you have any experience of this issue, or can point me in the direction of any journal articles, it would be most helpful.

Thanks,

David

David Donnarumma
Effective Learning Adviser
Learning Teaching and Development Unit, Lc019
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Direct Dial: 01895 267313