Chapter 3 discusses the way mature students who are also practitioners-professionals, see themselves as a valuable resource for children and their families. The term ‘mature student’ was used to refer to everyone who is 21 years old and above and fully enrolled with the Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in the UK and who is eligible to apply for the government maintenance grant and student loan as an ‘independent’ student (DfES, 2012).
Furthermore the chapter explores possible issues mature students face while studying the Foundation Degree in Early Years (FDEY). Drawing on the case studies of 42 mature students across three HEIs in the SE of England, mature students’ experiences were examined where the focus was on analysing their emotional experiences while studying at degree level. This concept may be a surprising perspective for you, who may expect that the primary focus is on children. However, this chapter gives you an insight to the multi-layered nature of mature students’ emotions highlighting the complex issues they face of how to balance the multiple demands of professional work, personal life and academic requirements. It is then linked to their personal achievement in education that enhances the quality of the Early Years (EY) settings which is relational to the value of attending HEIs and gaining a degree. Consequently, the course provided all participants with real depth of relevant knowledge, professional confidence and competence.