Accommodating change: The process of growth and development amongst a mature student population

Many commentators have noted that mature students speak of education changing them. One of the most positive outcomes is a heightened sense of self-belief and confidence, which pervades other areas of their lives, not just the academic environment. It is argued within this paper that such research tends to offer a somewhat simplistic account of the change outcomes; rarely is space dedicated to a discourse about the processes involved in negotiating them. Drawing on concepts from life span psychology, the role of conflict or imbalance is explored. It is suggested that this is an inevitable and, indeed, necessary part of the process. Within this context, the nature of the conflicts experienced by mature students returning to education will be identified, together with a discussion of the ways in which they can be negotiated in order to facilitate development within the present academic environment.