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Using the Lens of ‘Possible Selves’ to Explore Access to Higher Education: A New Conceptual Model for Practice, Policy, and Research

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  • Neil Harrison

    (Department of Education and Childhood, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK)

Abstract

The concept of ‘aspiration-raising’ has been ubiquitous in the discussion of differential rates of participation in higher education in England for many years. Potential students from disadvantaged backgrounds are constructed as setting their sights too low and therefore not considering higher education or ignoring elite universities that they could access. However, it is increasingly understood that aspiration-raising is unable to explain patterns of participation and that it risks ‘blaming the victim’ by failing to appreciate the structural constraints forged through their sociocultural context. The purpose of this paper is to present an alternative lens in the form of ‘possible selves’. This is drawn from the discipline of psychology and aims to explain how we all conceive and develop visions of ourselves in future states. These images create a motivational impetus for actions in the present in order to achieve a like-to-be self—or evade a like-to-avoid self. Notably, the theory takes specific account of the individual’s expectations and the importance of having a clear pathway towards a long-term destination. This paper provides an overview of the foundational theory and empirical evidence for a general readership, before presenting a new conceptual model focused on access to higher education. This is then used to explore the principles that might underpin interventions to support participation from disadvantaged groups within highly stratified systems, as well as suggesting a new policy agenda and priorities for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Neil Harrison, 2018. "Using the Lens of ‘Possible Selves’ to Explore Access to Higher Education: A New Conceptual Model for Practice, Policy, and Research," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(10), pages 1-21, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:7:y:2018:i:10:p:209-:d:177514
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chevalier, Arnaud & Gibbons, Steve & Thorpe, Andy & Snell, Martin & Hoskins, Sherria, 2009. "Students' academic self-perception," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(6), pages 716-727, December.
    2. Francis Green & Samantha Parsons & Alice Sullivan & Richard Wiggins, 2018. "Dreaming big? Self-valuations, aspirations, networks and the private-school earnings premium [Career success: the role of teenage career aspirations, ambition value and gender in predicting adult s," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 42(3), pages 757-778.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jieun Lee, 2024. "The Roles of Identity-Based Motivation and Perceived Instrumentality for Probationary Students’ Positive Self-Beliefs, Self-Regulation, and Performance," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 65(4), pages 655-678, June.
    2. Katherin Barg & Simon Benham-Clarke & Anna Mountford-Zimdars, 2020. "Investigating the Imagination of Possible and ‘Like-to-Avoid’ Selves among Higher Education Students from Different Socioeconomic Backgrounds at a Selective English University," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-20, May.

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