Different sides of university life: How multiple visits to a campus nurture a rounded view of the setting and strengthen intentions towards HE progression

Abstract

The evidence base supporting practices to widen participation in higher education, such as campus visits and multi-intervention programs for younger students, remains limited. In order to address this deficiency, this exploratory study examines the impact of repeated university campus exposure on primary-aged children in the UK. We studied the influence of a campus tour on the views of a group of 78 primary school children who had visited the setting on a previous occasion. Our cohort (32M, 45F, aged 10-11) was drawn from schools with high populations of pupils from low-socioeconomic status backgrounds. Using a pre- and post-visit survey design, we assessed changes in perceptions following a second campus tour, building on a prior visit. We found that while one visit was enough to establish basic perceptions – for example, a university is big not small – a second allowed participants to see a different side of the university experience, adding nuance, expanding university-related vocabulary, and increasing comfort with the campus environment. Notably, repeat visits strengthened intentions to pursue higher education. We conclude that multiple campus visits benefit low-participation groups by fostering familiarity and exposing younger pupils to different motivations for university attendance. While this study provides a useful foundation from which to explore this area, further work is needed to address limitations such as small sample size and UK-specific context.