Reactivity, rationality, emotion and self-protection

Abstract

This chapter critically reflects on the use of the event-based diary method in capturing accounts of higher education (HE) decision-making and choices among student choosers. These reflections focus on ‘reactivity’, how this can overshadow the role of emotion in decision-making and choice processes, the suitability of diaries for capturing complexity in these processes, and finally, ethical questions concerning how diarising decisions and choices may impact participants’ well-being and perceptions of the self. To guide these reflections, the chapter uses data from an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded study which explored the HE decision-making and choice journeys of Further Education (FE) students in England between 2014–2015. In doing so, a case is made for the potential value of the event-based diary method in future HE research, including studies focusing on: macro-micro relationships, aspirations and transitions, and explorations of student and/or staff experiences of HE cultures and environments.