Investigating the Importance of Foundation Year in UK Education

This report delves into the significance of foundation year courses in the UK higher education system. It emphasizes how these courses bridge the gap between high school and university, enhancing students' subject-related knowledge and skills in areas like mathematics, history, and physics, thereby improving their chances of admission to top universities. The report highlights the benefits for international students, including language skill development and cultural adjustment. It also identifies key challenges faced by foundation year students, such as academic difficulties (e.g., time management, IT skills), institutional issues (e.g., classroom sizes, resources), situational factors (e.g., finance, family), and dispositional challenges (e.g., low grades, fear of isolation). The report concludes with recommendations to overcome these challenges, including building more classrooms, adopting advanced technology, developing training programs, and providing opportunities for learner interaction. These measures aim to improve student success and ensure more students can pursue degree courses in UK universities.

The Importance Of The
Foundation Year In UK In
Higher Education

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Investigate the importance of foundation year course for students. ...........................................1
The various challenges faced by foundation year students in United Kingdom. .......................2
Overcome the challenges faced by students of UK in foundation year course. .........................3
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Foundation year is an extra year of study in which subject related knowledge and skills
are enhanced so that student can take degree of course easily. It assists the students to crack the
admission criteria in the top universities of United Kingdom. Education plays a vital role in the
in upgrading the overall personal and professional life in a better way (Bratton and Gold, 2017).
Students of UK are facing many issues in order to get rid of problems UK is focusing more on
opening foundation year courses. This report is covers importance of foundation year course for
students so that they can be a part of top universities in UK. However, throw-light on the key
challenges faced by foundation year students. Additionally, how to overcome stated challenges
is studied respectively.
Investigate the importance of foundation year course for students.
Foundation year course plays a significant role in upgrading students skills, abilities and
knowledge related to subjects such as , maths , history, physics etc. so that they can easily crack
the admission pattern in top universities (DeCenzo, Robbins and Verhulst, 2016). This courses
aid the students to make their base strong in context of subjects so that they can perform similar
like that of “A” level students in the universities. By doing so they are able to take degree of
course easily and can grow in their career both by professionally and personally.
This foundation courses are formulated for the international students so that they can
achieve right level of qualifications as well as provide opportunities for weak student to fill the
gap and aid them to take a degree course (Chelladurai and Kerwin, 2018). In United Kingdom
foundation year courses are popular as it shows a path to enter into top universities under
graduate degree programmes. This particular courses are platform where weak students can
improve their skills and knowledge related to various subjects in order to take a course degree.
The importance of foundation year courses students in UK are discussed as follows:
` Fills the gap between high school and university: Foundation year courses helps to fill
the gaps in subject related knowledge between high school and universities so that students can
easily take degree from top universities of United Kingdom. The teachers enrich the skills like,
communication, problem solving, critical thinking etc. and subject related knowledge like,
physics, maths, history etc. of students in every aspect so that they can crack admission pattern.
By doing so weak students gets an opportunity to perform similar like that of A level students
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(Brewster and et. al., 2016). This courses helps to acquire knowledge in every aspects so that
gaps prevailing between high school and universities can be fulfilled accordingly.
Upgrade language barriers: International students come across language barriers while
taking admission in British universities because they speak mostly Arabic. Foundation courses
ion UK resolve this problem as they provide classes for english so that they can uplift their
communication skills and can easily crack the entrance test of top universities. This courses
helps students to cope up with language barriers by conducting various oral and written tests,
aptitude tests etc. in order to make them overcome their language barriers.
Learn to adjust time: This courses provides them plenty of time to adjust in the new
environment and enrich their academic skills. It is a platform where students grow professionally
and personally in their life (Brewster, Mayrhofer and Morley, 2016). Foundation year courses
provide them chance to make new friends, cope up with new culture and try to understand the
things which are around them. By doing so students are are able to mingle up with those students
who faces challenges in order to assist them to get expertise in time management. With the phase
of time students will be able to adjust with the time and will be able to crack administration
entrance tests.
The various challenges faced by foundation year students in United Kingdom.
The international students join foundation year courses so that their skills, abilities and
subject related knowledge can be improved and are able to take degree course in top UK
universities. However, students face certain challenges while studying in this courses which are
explained as follows:
Academic challenges: Students of foundation year face academic challenges while
being a part of this course in United Kingdom. As the subject courses are not completed on time
students are unable to perform better (Brewster, Mayrhofer and Farndale, 2018). Due to which
they are unable to crack the admission pattern in top universities. However, there are some more
issues related to academic such as , written expression, reflective skills, oral expression, tests, IT
(Information technology) skills etc. UK students work day and night to capture the seat in best
universities but as they lack in subject related knowledge and skills they drop the idea of taking
degree course.
Institutional challenges: In this case students face challenges related to classroom sizes,
information technology (IT) facilities, infrastructure, resources etc. all this affect the interest
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level of students regarding taking admission in top universities in British universities. The sizes
of the classroom is small due to which it become difficult to adjust and perform better in order
to crack admission criteria. Due to this scenario many students drop the idea to take degree
course in their life (Banfield, Kay and Royles, 2018). Weak students fails to take a course degree
from top universities and are unable to take good position in a company. The decreases in
number of students in foundation year students is due to institutional challenges some other
challenges are, social problems, homesickness, money, cultural challenges etc.
Situational challenges: This challenges occurs from one's situation or environment at a
given point. In foundation year this challenges hampers students learner's ability and skills due to
which they are unable to perform better in the top universities of UK. Time, finance and family
are three major challenges which student come across while being a part of UK universities. Due
to which students drop the idea of taking admission in foundation year courses (Bratton and
Gold, 2017). As a result they lack behind in the professional growth are not able to take degree
courses from universities. This challenges reduce the moral value of students due to which they
are not able to perform similar like that of “A” level students.
Dispositional challenges: In this particular challenge student show their concern
regarding low grades in tests and examination, fear of isolation, group-ism, rivalry, pressure of
projects, cognitive skills etc. due to which students drop the idea of taking admission in
foundation year courses (DeCenzo, Robbins and Verhulst, 2016). All this factor creates mental
pressure on students due to which they are unable to perform better in their academic field. The
weakness in subject knowledge and skills demotivate them to drop the idea of taking degree
course.
Overcome the challenges faced by students of UK in foundation year course.
Students of UK faces many challenges while being a part of foundation year student. Due
to which students show less interest in taking degree courses. There are different issues faced by
students such as Academic, Institutional, Situational and Dispositional (Chelladurai and Kerwin,
2018). All these are major effects which will directly impact on growth and development of
student. In order to overcome above mentioned challenges, some recommendation have been
provided to foundation which are determined as under:
Build more classrooms : Foundation year courses upgrade the knowledge of various
subjects such as history, physics, Maths etc. For effective results more classroom should be build
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so that by modern teaching techniques the course help a student to increase their skills and
knowledge about the specific topic (Brewster and et. al., 2016). Development of large number of
classrooms will also assist a student to study in appropriate and accurate manner.
Development of technology: In order to overcome institutional challenges, foundation
must adopt different types of technology which will help a student to learn all things in
systematic and effective manner. Advancement of technology will be also essential for student
in improvement of its presentation and communication skills (Brewster, Mayrhofer and Morley,
2016).
Development of training programs: It is also identify as an effective and essential way of
overcoming Situational challenges among students. In the foundation, there are different
students who have different language which will impact on their confidence level. In order to
overcome this challenge, foundation must adopt different types of training program which will
help a student in improving its language according to the country and foundation requirement
(Brewster, Mayrhofer and Farndale, 2018).
Provide opportunities for learner interaction: In order to overcome Dispositional
challenges among students, foundation must give chances for learner interaction. Padlet walls,
blackboard forums or voice thread activities are identified best ways to encourage student
interaction. Along with this, social media is also identify best and effective way which must be
used by foundation to encourage students in their content. In this, student are able to share
resources which is linked with their course informally via a twitter hashtag or Facebook group
(Banfield, Kay and Royles, 2018).
There are all these are identified best way for foundation to overcome all challenges in
most effective and essential manner. Connect of students with each other as well as make them
feel or behave like they’re most essential part of a society of scholars. For this, foundation must
develop a simple Blackboard discussion meeting for introductions. For this, foundation can also
ask their students to transfer an image to their Blackboard profile. Therefore, in order to solve all
issues which will help a foundation to improve skills and knowledge among students.
CONCLUSION
From the above it can be summarized that foundation year students plays a significant
role in uplifting the overall personal and professional growth. This courses helps the students to
make their base strong regarding subject like, maths, physics, history etc. so that they can easily
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crack the admission criteria of the top universities. The UK students face several challenges
while being a part of foundation year courses. Moreover, various distinguished ways are adopted
in order to overcome this challenges so that in top British universities international students can
make their position. By adopting this suggestions in the courses the base of students will be
raised and more and more students will be able to take degree course from UK top universities.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bratton, J. and Gold, J., 2017. Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave.
DeCenzo, D. A., Robbins, S. P. and Verhulst, S. L., 2016. Fundamentals of Human Resource
Management, Binder Ready Version. John Wiley & Sons.
Chelladurai, P. and Kerwin, S., 2018. Human resource management in sport and recreation.
Human Kinetics.
Brewster and et.al., 2016. International human resource management. Kogan Page Publishers.
Brewster, C., Mayrhofer, W. and Morley, M. eds., 2016. New challenges for European resource
management. Springer.
Brewster, C., Mayrhofer, W. and Farndale, E. eds., 2018. Handbook of research on comparative
human resource management. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Banfield, P., Kay, R. and Royles, D., 2018. Introduction to human resource management.
Oxford University Press.
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