Supporting carers in higher education
A qualitative longitudinal study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12577972 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jessica Runacres (0000-0003-3429-4054, University of Staffordshire, corresponding author), Daniel Herron (0000-0003-1159-1400, University of Staffordshire), Fiona Cust (0000-0003-4857-0806, University of Staffordshire) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 1-18 |
| Publication date | 2025-07-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Inclusive Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1360-3116 • E-ISSN: 1464-5173 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13603116.2025.2518405 |
| OpenAlex | W4411853633 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 27 |
Those students at university who have a commitment to providing unpaid support to a family member and/or friend who could not manage without their care are termed student carers. They are identified as a disadvantaged and under-represented group in higher education and therefore miss out on opportunities for educational attainment and the development of broader life skills. Yet little is known about the strategies that would best facilitate their inclusion in higher education. To address this, this research explored the experiences and support needs of student carers to establish how they can be better supported to engage in higher education and maintain their caring responsibilities. Qualitative longitudinal research in which twelve student carers were interviewed approximately eight weeks apart was undertaken informed by a steering group. Findings from a reflexive thematic analysis revealed friction between caring responsibilities and being a student, that student carers have an atypical university experience, and, as a result, flexible and formalised support is needed. Student carers’ views, steering group guidance, and existing literature were synthesised to develop recommendations for fostering student carers’ inclusion in higher education
Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Qualitative research · Sociology · Special education · Family and Disability Support Research · Family Caregiving in Mental Illness · Family Support in Illness · Psychology
Mental health and academic performance
Comparison of Convenience Sampling and Purposive Sampling
Implementing a peer support program for improving university student wellbeing
Thematic Analysis
Physical and mental health among caregivers
Students growing up with a chronically ill family member; a survey on experienced consequences, background characteristics, and risk factors
Student carer experiences of higher education and support
Longitudinal qualitative research and interpretative phenomenological analysis
So that's how I found out I was a young carer and that I actually had been a carer most of my life’. Identifying and supporting hidden young carers
Bounded agency in young carers' lifecourse-stage domains and transitions
Can sample size in qualitative research be determined a priori
Practices of inclusion for carers who are higher education students
An empirical case study of young adult carers’ engagement and success in higher education
Little islands’
Applying critical realism in qualitative research
Longitudinal Qualitative Methods in Health Behavior and Nursing Research
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |