The balance between family and student life and the teaching-learning process in Higher Education: a qualitative study

La presencialidad obligatoria en Educación Superior y el creciente número de estudiantes con compromisos familiares justifican la necesidad de conocer las opiniones del alumnado con respecto a la conciliación estudiantil-familiar en el contexto universitario. Se adopta una metodología cualitativa mediante narrativas. Participan de la investigación 27 estudiantes de la Universitat de València y 46 de la Universidad de Alicante, del Grado en Maestro de Educación Primaria. Los resultados evidencian limitaciones, dificultades y demandas ante las nuevas exigencias metodológicas y evaluativas, si se tienen cargas familiares. Se concluye con propuestas académicas, legislativas y de implementación de recursos que faciliten la conciliación estudiantil-familiar.The existence of compulsory Higher Education and the growing number of students with family commitments justifies the need to understand students’ opinions with regard to family-student balance in University environments. We adopted a qualitative methodology using narratives. Twenty-seven Graduate students in Primary Education from Valencia University and forty-six students from Alicante University participated in the research. As a result of the new methodological and assessment requirements, the results demonstrated that there were further limitations, difficulties and demands if family commitments were present. To conclude, academic, legislative, and resource-implementation proposals are made aimed at facilitating family-student balance