TY - JOUR

T1 - Creation and Confidence

T2 - BME students as academic partners….but where were the staff?

AU - Jones-Devitt, Stella

AU - Austen, Liz

AU - Chitwood, Liz

AU - Donnelly, Alan

AU - Fearn, Carolyn

AU - Heaton, Caroline

AU - Latham, Gabrielle

AU - LeBihan, Jill

AU - Middleton, Andrew

AU - Morgan, Matt

AU - Parkin, Helen

AU - Pickering, Nathaniel

PY - 2017/9/18

Y1 - 2017/9/18

N2 - This Case Study documents the REACT project 'Creation and Confidence' based at Sheffield Hallam University, which has a larger-than-expected Black Minority and Ethnic (BME) attainment gap; hence, this student group has been constructed as 'hard to reach'. The project team consisted of a range of academic and professional services staff alongside three dedicated student researchers. The project set out to achieve: gaining evidence-based insights into the use of co-design and peer-learning as conduits of confidence-building for and belonging of BME students; developing a scalable approach to building confidence for and fostering belonging of all students; raising awareness of the need to think differently about explanations for BME underachievement. In reality, the team found that staff engagement constituted the biggest barrier, as - no matter how much incontrovertible evidence was presented - other facets of institutional provision were always identified as having priority, which resulted in inertia. This study documents the emotional labour of trying to effect change within a resistant culture. Whilst some of the aims remain unachieved – and, arguably, were always going to be unachievable - there have been some very positive developments and enlightening lessons.

AB - This Case Study documents the REACT project 'Creation and Confidence' based at Sheffield Hallam University, which has a larger-than-expected Black Minority and Ethnic (BME) attainment gap; hence, this student group has been constructed as 'hard to reach'. The project team consisted of a range of academic and professional services staff alongside three dedicated student researchers. The project set out to achieve: gaining evidence-based insights into the use of co-design and peer-learning as conduits of confidence-building for and belonging of BME students; developing a scalable approach to building confidence for and fostering belonging of all students; raising awareness of the need to think differently about explanations for BME underachievement. In reality, the team found that staff engagement constituted the biggest barrier, as - no matter how much incontrovertible evidence was presented - other facets of institutional provision were always identified as having priority, which resulted in inertia. This study documents the emotional labour of trying to effect change within a resistant culture. Whilst some of the aims remain unachieved – and, arguably, were always going to be unachievable - there have been some very positive developments and enlightening lessons.

U2 - 10.21100/jeipc.v3i1.580

DO - 10.21100/jeipc.v3i1.580

M3 - Journal article

VL - 3

SP - 278

EP - 285

JO - The Journal of Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change

JF - The Journal of Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change

SN - 2055-4990

IS - 1

ER -