Young father's experiences in Higher Education

Little research has been done on the lives of young fathers (defined as aged 25 or under when expecting their first child) who are studying in Higher Education. The aim of this PhD study is to address this gap by examining the experiences of young fathers studying Higher Education courses at university or a further education college, and looking at how their experiences may change over time. Through online and telephone interviews with young student-fathers, this research aims to identify the positive aspects of their experiences as well as the difficulties and barriers they may face. It is expected that the findings will contribute to helping tutors, support staff and policy makers to better understand the lives of young student-fathers.

This study is being carried out by Kerry Fletcher, PhD Researcher at Leeds Trinity University and has been approved by the University’s Institute of Childhood and Education Ethics Committee. The study is being supervised by Dr Susan Elmer and Dr Carmen Lau Clayton, (Leeds Trinity University).

If you have any questions, if you are a young father who would be interested in taking part and/ or you would like to find out more about the study, please contact Kerry via email: [email protected]
or work telephone: 07434 692414