Can a Compositional Effect Explain (at Least Some of) the Degree Awarding Gap? Insights from Commuting Students and Implications for Practice

Abstract

A recent blog published by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), authored by Sean Brophy and entitled ‘Hiding in plain sight?’, poses a paradoxical question: what if the remarkable success in widening access helps explain one of the most persistent United Kingdom (UK) higher education (HE) challenges - the degree awarding gap? This article explores that question and its implications for educational practice by examining whether the changing composition of the student population, particularly the rise in non-traditional students who are more likely to commute, may be unintentionally contributing to the persistence of this gap. I consider the possibility of a general ‘commuting premium’, whereby the structural disadvantages associated with commuting intersect with widening participation efforts to influence degree outcomes. The argument advanced here underscores the importance of recognising potential compositional effects when evaluating the effects of inclusive learning and teaching interventions and interpreting awarding-gap metrics, as these effects may mask or exaggerate disparities between groups.