ABSTRACT
This chapter draws on a national study of 'alternative' entrants to higher education. The majority of the qualitative data were generated through in-depth interviews, providing detailed educational life histories. The chapter examines the transitions made by women and men from their leaving school with little or no expectation of continuing with any study, to their entering higher education as adults. In outlining the way that different identities were produced through narrative accounts of their initial schooling and post-school experiences of family, paid work and education, the chapter analyses the process of formation and transformation of educational identity. Recent narrative research has revealed that the relationships between gender, education and self-identity are complex. The use of 'educational career' narratives to show how public policies interlink with the individual's life events and identities gives some insight into the personal decision making processes.
