‘Why are we doing this if there’s no connection?’ The importance of prior experience in academic learning on a Master’s programme

Personal approaches to learning in Higher Education are acknowledged to offer an engaging and motivating approach to learning. This article argues that they can also enable students to learn more effectively, and apply this learning to their professional lives. Previous research has suggested that three of the most difficult facets of Master’s level study for students are abstract thinking, unpredictability, and research skills. This practitioner study found that drawing on students’ prior personal and professional experience is an effective way to develop these skills, because it provides the necessary contextualisation for learning. Interview data from one diverse cohort on a Master’s in Education programme show that the students believed that this approach improved their understanding of these three areas, and their ability to use formal assignments to explore and explain their experience. This more personal and engaged approach to learning addresses a neglected area of higher education: attending to Master’s students’ academic skill development.