This article considers the transition from A-level to degree-level study from the schoolteacher’s point of view. It highlights the conflicting subject philosophies that exist at A level, and the resistance to the revised English of Curriculum 2000 that has been apparent in debates about the nature of English Literature post-16. Its main argument is that teachers of English in higher education need to be alert to these issues in order to understand the difficulties that first-year students often experience, recognizing that (...) the ‘problem of transition’ is as much a problem of epistemology as of pedagogy. (shrink)

Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, Volume 20, Issue 4, Page 403-425, October 2021. Despite the plethora of research on widening participation in the last 20 years, access to the arts and humanities has remained relatively under-explored, especially in relation to the preparedness of adult learners. This article reports a case study investigating the impact of an arts and languages Access module at the UK Open University. Findings from interviews with 37 Access students were analysed in relation to four themes: (...) the need for Access preparation; generic studentship skills; discipline-specific skills; intrinsic enjoyment and interdisciplinary study. We conclude embedded generic skills enhance learner confidence and time management, while academic literacy skills relevant to the arts and humanities enhance cultural capital and enable disadvantaged learners to access challenging disciplines. The impact of a preparatory arts and humanities module extends into the lives of individual students, suggesting a counter-narrative to the prevailing, ‘economic value’ paradigms of higher education policymakers. (shrink)