Young people's pathways to higher education: geographical location and mobility as social justice issues

Adolescents making decisions about higher education are typically expected to make rational economic decisions about whichcourse offers them the ‘best’ prospects. Very little attention is given to decision making as it happens within the context of astudent’s whole life, or to the ways that students are making decisions embedded from within their wider social, cultural andcommunity contexts. This paper will explore how decisions about higher education are actually made by students, with a focuson how the often overlooked issues of geography and place are salient in this decision making process. Drawing on data from anongoing research project this paper will consider how living in a relatively remote and rural island location influences theuniversity choice of students. In this project 22 participants were recruited who had been resident in the British Orkney orShetland islands prior to entering higher education. The research utilised longitudinal qualitative interviews (LQIs), andparticipants were interviewed at the point of graduation and approximately one year later. Data were analysed thematically. Thispaper will focus on data coded under the theme of ‘university choice’. The data shows that students do not choose equallybetween universities in any geographical location, but have a preference for ‘familiar enough’ locations. Therefore, the data showsthat the geographical location of universities is an important influence in university choice. Further, the spatial preferences andrelative mobilities of students is influenced by their socio-cultural position and personal backgrounds. As a result, this paperargues that for educators and careers advisers to support young people effectively in making the transition to higher education,they must adopt a critical position informed by social justice perspectives.