Abstract
The research reported in this thesis is a comparative study between students holding academic and vocational qualifications transitioning into Aerospace Engineering from further to higher education. The study investigates both a full time and a degree apprenticeship route. The research adopted a longitudinal empirical study methodology through the collation of both qualitative and quantitative data in a college of further education in the North of England, commencing in the academic year 2015-16. Semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and a focus group with students provided empirical data. The research identified the key challenges faced by engineering students during and beyond their transition into higher education, taking into consideration their entry routes, whilst comparing the student experience and their overall academic achievements.
The research addressed gaps in knowledge regarding the impact of entry qualifications on transition experiences and success rates. Outcomes from the research showed that there was commonality in the transition experiences in relation to entry routes, however, academic achievement was a stronger driving focus for the A-Level entrants, whilst the importance of individual maturation and peer / tutor interaction was more evident amongst the vocational entrants.
The experiences and journeys traversed to arrive on a higher education engineering programme have both benefit and impact upon individuals in different ways and some clear patterns emerged across the different entry routes. It was evidenced that strengths from one route can be limitations with the other. Although the academic achievement for the A-Level entry route was higher overall, and is still deemed of higher educational stature, findings lean towards justification that the benefits of a hybrid feeder qualification into higher education, particularly in the specific research focused area of Aerospace Engineering, could prove highly fruitful, as could better support mechanisms for transitioning students generally.