Abstract
The paper will analyse the impacts of the Bologna Process (BP) on the achievement of equity and social justice in and through higher education, drawing on the experience of its implementation in Spain. It will consider especially the structural changes and emphasis on student centred teaching and learning methodology encouraged by Bologna. With regard to equity of access, process and output, we see some risks of a consequent reduction in students’ diversity and social mobility.
Drawing on research undertaken in other countries about the differences between working-class and middle-class students at university, we present some theoretical conclusions related to the implementation of BP in Spain and we develop some hypotheses in order to present some data from Spain in relation to them. Finally, we develop some policy implications that could be useful for BP managers and politicians who want to take into account equity and social justice issues in developing future policies for higher education.
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Notes
- 1.
Students sometimes choose a degree instrumentally (thinking to obtain a job) but when they start to study they enjoy it and identification and engagement process become important.
- 2.
Almost each policy level has a quality agency with an important paper in implementation process. In Spain the State agency and more the autonomous community agency of Catalonia (Autonomous Community with regional government) lead the process in this region and also in Spain.
- 3.
Average EU: 12% scholarships and grants and 8% loans. Spain: 8% scholarships and grants and 0% loans. UK: 6% scholarships and grants and 22% loans.
- 4.
Bachelor in Spain has 4 years.
- 5.
Obviously there is always the possibility to go to an e-learning university (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya – Open University of Catalonia- or Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia – National University of e-learning), but their prestige is clearly lower than traditional universities. Most teachers are used to having their students at class, and they think that this is the better way to learn and to obtain required skills. Also some skills, such as oral communication, are really difficult to assess if the student does not attend class.
- 6.
This research forms part of the “Plan Nacional de investigación científica, desarrollo e investigación tecnológica” (CSO2008-02812) financed by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, under the title “Los estudiantes ante la nueva reforma universitaria”.
- 7.
Working-class students are defined when both parents are skilled or unskilled hand workers, or one of them are skilled or unskilled hand worker and the other is inactive.
- 8.
There is a shared conventional wisdom of the difficulties to study, obtain the diploma and get a job in each Bachelor. Some of them closer to reality than others.
- 9.
Middle-class students embrace managers, professionals, middle skilled professional and liberal professions (doctor, teachers…).
- 10.
These figures are from crosstabs analysis. All results presented are statistically significant.
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Andreu, M.E., Brennan, J. (2012). Implications of the Bologna Process for Equity in Higher Education. In: Curaj, A., Scott, P., Vlasceanu, L., Wilson, L. (eds) European Higher Education at the Crossroads. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3937-6_6
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