Conscientiousness, Resilience, and Personality: What do Mature Female Students tell us About Being an Adult Learner on a Foundation Programme at a Business School?

This article examines the coping strategies of mature female students enrolled in a Foundation Programme at an English Business School, focusing on how personality traits—specifically conscientiousness and resilience—inform their ability to balance study, part-time work, and familial responsibilities. Through semi-structured interviews with five mature female students, including three mothers, analyzed via Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the study highlights their strategic time management, self-directed learning, and social support challenges within a curriculum primarily designed for younger school-leavers. The findings underscore the importance of integrating andragogic principles and authentic, vocationally relevant content into the curriculum, alongside personalized institutional support that acknowledges mature students' complex life contexts. The paper proposes a model for a more inclusive learning environment that fosters personal agency and social networking to better support mature learners' academic success and well-being.