Sarah O'Shea is Associate Professor at University of Wollongong, Australia, and an Australian Teaching and Learning Fellow who is currently researching the experiences of first-in-family learners in higher education. Her research focuses on student access and participation within the university sector, with particular reference to students from identified equity groups.
Josephine May is Conjoint Associate Professor at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She has a special interest in educational experiences, history, representations and gender. Cathy Stone is Conjoint Senior Lecturer with the University of Newcastle, Australia, and a Visiting Research Fellow with the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education at Curtin University, Australia. She has had many years' experience in developing strategies to improve student success and retention in higher education; her research and publications focus particularly on improving outcomes for mature-age and online students.
Janine Delahunty works in academic professional development and various research projects at the University of Wollongong. Her core interest is how the learning-teaching experience can be enhanced in HE, particularly for students from diverse backgrounds. Her other research interests include the experiences of first-in-family students, online learners and Indigenous students.

Provides an overview of global developments within the higher education sector

PART I.- Chapter 1. Setting the Scene.- Chapter 2. The Lack of What ...?: First-in-Family Learners and their University Experience.- Chapter 3. Disrupting the Deficit: Beyond Notions of Lack for First-in-Family Students.- Chapter 4. What Am I Waiting For?.- PART II.- Chapter 5. Trailblazing: Motivations and relationship impacts for first-in-family enabling students.- Chapter 6. The Online Student Experience: New Challenges for Engagement and Support.- Chapter 7. 'So How was Big School Today?' Family Perceptions of HE Participation.- Chapter 8. Parents Managing University and Family Life.- Chapter 9. Motivated Men: First-in-Family Male Students.- Chapter 10. Concluding Thoughts.

This book examines the university experiences of first-in-family university students, and how these students' decisions to return to education impact upon their family members and significant others. While it is well known that parental educational background has a substantial impact on the educational levels of family and dependents, it is unclear how attending university as a first-in-family student translates into the family and community of the learner. With the continuing requirements for higher education institutions to increase the participation of students from a range of diverse backgrounds and educational biographies, this is a major gap in understanding that needs to be addressed.
Exploring how this university participation is understood at an individual, familial and community level, this book provides valuable insights into how best to support different student requirements. This book will be of great interest to students and researchers in the fields of education and sociology, as well as policy-makers in education and diversity initiatives.