Session Information
99 ERC SES 04 C, Interactive Poster Session
Poster Session
Contribution
Within higher education, it is acknowledged that a sense of belonging is paramount to student engagement which ultimately impacts student success (Thomas, 2012; Kahu et. al. 2022). More recently, the concept of ‘mattering’ (Flett, 2018; Gravett, 2021) as an aspect of belonging has come to the fore, focusing on students’ sense of personal value to staff and peers rather than simply a sense of fitting in with a group. Diminished sense of ‘belonging’ has been linked to poorer academic outcomes for racially minoritized students than for white students in the UK (HEFCE, 2015; Millward, 2021). In addition, post-92 universities seek to provide a transformational learning experience to enable social mobility and increase access, participation and success amongst minoritized, marginalised and non-traditional students, but what exactly does it mean to belong and transform, and how do racially minoritized students make-meaning of these concepts in their learning context?
This study focuses on the lived experiences of racially minoritized undergraduate students within a post-92 Business School in the south-east of England. Exploring the immediate and extended environment of students’ lived experiences through their own photographs and metaphorical interpretations of these, factors which hinder or enable a sense of belonging and/ or transforming are examined and discussed.
Employing an arts-based methodology with reference to decolonising methodologies (Tuhiwai Smith, 2012) and Critical Race Theory, the study uses photo-elicitation and collage as methods to access deeper reflections on experience and situations which may go unnoticed or be dismissed (Hughes & Giles, 2010), thereby ‘making the invisible visible’ (Samatar et. al., 2021 p4). Through the creation of metaphors, and participants’ own interpretations of these, whiteness and patterns of oppression and resistance are identified using Reflexive Thematic Analysis (Braun and Clark, 2006 & 2022; Terry and Hayfield, 2020).
Whilst the research is contextually situated and conducted in the year post-Covid, the findings will have relevance to all universities looking beyond the headline statistics on ethnicity degree awarding gaps and drop-out rates to understand the lived experiences of students othered as ‘non-white’ in European higher education systems.
Method
Eleven undergraduate Business School students were recruited to participate in the study, following several promotions of the project during the Semester A induction period in 2022, and several personal student referrals from tutors. The participants all identified as either Black, Asian or from a minority ethnic background. Five participants identified as male and six as female. All were in either the second or final year of their bachelor’s degree in the same Business School. Photo-voice methods were selected to give agency to participants in determining which aspects of their subjective world to represent and how (Mannay, 2016), to capture atmospheres and feelings (Allen, 2020) and make it easier to discuss sensitive issues (Kara, 2015). The eleven undergraduates spent a week taking photos of anything in their student life which resonated with ‘belonging’ or ‘not belonging’ at the university, or with ‘transforming’ or ‘not transforming’ at the university. Following this, each attended an audio-recorded discussion of their photos with the researcher. The second stage of data gathering involved the use of non-stick collage as a vehicle for accessing deeper reflections on experience. A few months after the individual interviews had concluded, all eleven participants were invited to a group session (either an online session using Canva software for digital collaging, or an in-person session in a university art room using non-stick resources). Ten of the eleven participants attended the group sessions which were audio-recorded. These group sessions served to gather further reflections on experiences discussed in the individual interviews, allow participants to cross validate shared experiences and emotions (Blaisdell, Santos Dietz & Howard, 2022) and to ask each other questions about their experiences. All recordings of the interviews and the group collaging activities were then transcribed and analysed using NVivo software following the Reflexive Thematic Analysis framework (Braun and Clarke, 2006;2022). Data familiarisation and coding has been completed and theme generation will be ongoing throughout Spring 2024, with discussion of findings (conclusions) anticipated in April/ May 2024.
Expected Outcomes
Preliminary findings following data familiarisation and initial coding demonstrate a picture of individual endeavour, punctuated by isolation and loneliness, and insecure friendships at university. Large parts of the dataset relate to issues of struggling alone, feeling excited and proud to come to university but the reality of student life being more one of exclusion than inclusion. Mitigating factors which increased belonging included positive relationships with staff, lasting peer friendships and a sense of student community. Whilst the usual ups and downs of student life are expected for all undergraduates, for racially minoritized students entering the UK higher education system, issues of social safety, representation, fairness, trust and feeling valued impact their sense of belonging, regardless of whether they join from overseas or from UK communities. The findings thus far point towards a linear relationship between belonging and transforming, which is impacted by race. All participants identified how they had transformed as a result of coming to university, and some of that transformation had been achieved by persevering through the harder times, the social exclusion and the struggles with peers, to go on and achieve a future they feel proud of. Pride in the academic endeavour and the fulfilment of potential came through in the data, as well as pride in the institution. Feelings of being their authentic self, becoming viable professionals in the world of business and pushing themselves out of their own comfort zone were all given as examples of having transformed. The positive support of staff in keeping students on track, helping with wellbeing and academic support, and believing in their abilities were received as signs that the university ‘cares’ and this was seen to be important in feeling a sense of belonging and achieving transformation.
References
Allen, L (2020) Schools in Focus: photo methods in educational research. In Ward, M.R.M. and Delamont, S. (2020) Handbook of Qualitative Research in Education. 2nd edn. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited. Blaisdell, B, Santos Dietz, S. and Howard, C. (2022) The Secret Hurt: Exposing the Visceral Nature of Whiteness in the Academy, Educational Studies, 58:4, 474-494, DOI: 10.1080/00131946.2022.2087656 Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2006) Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), pp.77-101. Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2022) Thematic analysis: a practical guide. Los Angeles: SAGE. Flett, G (2018) The Psychology of Mattering: Understanding the Human Need to Be Significant, Elsevier Science & Technology, San Diego. Gravett, K., Taylor C. A. and Fairchild, N. (2021) Pedagogies of mattering: re-conceptualising relational pedagogies in higher education, Teaching in Higher Education, DOI: 10.1080/13562517.2021.1989580 Hughes, Robin, and Giles, M. (2010) CRiT Walking in Higher Education: Activating Critical Race Theory in the Academy. Race Ethnicity and Education 13 (1): 41–57. doi:10.1080/13613320903549685 Kahu, E. R., Ashley, N., and Picton, C. (2022) Exploring the Complexity of First-Year Student Belonging in Higher Education: Familiarity, Interpersonal, and Academic Belonging. Student Success, Vol 13(2) https://doi.org/10.5204/ssj.2264 Kara, H. (2015) Creative Research Methods in the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide, 1st edn, Policy Press, Bristol. Mannay, D. (2016) Visual, narrative and creative research methods. London: Routledge. Millward, C. (2021) Race and ethnic disparities in higher education – diagnosis demands prescription of a cure. Office for Students, 29 Nov 2021. Available at:https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/news-blog-and-events/blog/race-and-ethnic-disparities-in-higher-education-diagnosis-demands-prescription-of-a-cure/ [Accessed: 31 Jan 2023] Terry, G. And Hayfield, N. (2020). In:Handbook of Qualitative Research in Education, edited by Michael R. M. Ward, and Sara Delamont, Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/herts/detail.action?docID=6317815. Pp430-441 Thomas, L (2012). Building student engagement and belonging in Higher Education at a time of change: final report from the What Works? Student Retention & Success programme. Higher Education Academy. Available at: https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets.creode.advancehe-document-manager/documents/hea/private/what_works_final_report_1568036657.pdf [Accessed 23 Jan 2023] Tuhiwai Smith, P.L. (2012) Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. 2nd edn. London: Zed Books. Samatar, A., Madriaga, M. and McGrath, L. (2021) No love found: how female students of colour negotiate and repurpose university spaces, British Journal of Sociology of Education, DOI: 10.1080/01425692.2021.1914548
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