The ‘just-ness’ of our teaching practice in Geography in Higher Education: issues of

fairness and social justice…

Annie Hughes School of Geography and Geology

Kingston University

Workshop

About this workshop: This workshop aims to encourage participants to reflect on our learning and teaching practice in order to enhance its fairness and ensure inclusivity for all.

We will:

• (Re)consider diversity (Re)consider how our teaching practice engages with this diversity

• (Re)consider variable attainment • Reflect on how our teaching

practice may contribute to variable attainment rates

• Reflect how we draw on normative assumptions based on our own (positioned) values, background and experience (Re)consider the principles of an inclusive curricula as it blends with our individual teaching responsibilities

Context

• Widening Participation (WP) Agenda • Increase in ‘non-traditional’

students• Less compelling evidence that we

have taken steps to rethink and reflect on how our teaching and learning practices

• Attainment Gaps (Equality Challenge Unit, 2012, Alexander and Arday, 2015).

“It is premature to consider widening participation in terms of access to [a] higher education until this is matched by parity in terms of educational outcomes.” (Richardson, 2008:33)

• Available at: http://www.closer.ac.uk/data/students-obtaining-university-degrees/

Moving on from Student ‘Deficit’ Model

Gaps result from student deficiencies

• Entry qualifications (esp. vocational)– (Shields and Masardo, 2015)

• External responsibilities– Employment responsibilities– Caring responsibilities

• Residential choice– Living at home

• First generation– Lack of understanding/social

support?

• Lack of commitment

Recognition of the role that institutions play

“Academic culture is not uniformly accessed or experienced. ..Students from ‘non-traditional’ backgrounds are disadvantaged by institutional cultures that place them as other…There is a need for initiatives to focus on ‘cultural’ aspects of the academy such as methods and styles of teaching and learning” (Read et. al (2003: 275)

Example: BME Attainment Gap in HE

The Problem

• Acknowledged for over 15 years in the UK (longer in the US)

• Non-White student (domiciled) are less likely to get a good degree

• Traditional explanation around deficit of the student

“we do not know what aspects of teaching and assessment practices in higher education might be responsible for variations in the attainment gap.” (Richardson, 2015: 288)

Problem reformulated?Failed to provide an appropriate educational experience (Gillborn 2008, 2009; Pilkington, 2011)• Critical Race Theory (CRT)• Institutional policy and practice• Whiteness is positioned as normative• Everyone and everything is

categorised in relation to it• Maintain and extend the educational

advantage of white people– Colour-blind policies – Liberal misnomer (Pilkington, 2011, 2013)– Unchanged Institutional habitus

undermines other ways of learning and teaching

Other groups

• Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds

• Care leavers• Disabled students• International students • Ex-offenders

Move to an ‘inclusive’ approach

What is required?“It necessitates…equity considerations being embedded within all functions of the institution and treated as an ongoing process of quality enhancement. Making a shift of such magnitude requires cultural and systemic change at both the policy and practice levels.” (Wray, 2013: 4)= including inclusive pedagogy

Core Definition of Inclusive Teaching:

“Inclusive learning and teaching in higher education refers to the ways in which pedagogy, curricula and assessment are designed and delivered to engage students in learning that is meaningful, relevant and accessible to all” (Hocking, 2010)

What is an ‘Inclusive’ Approach in Teaching Praxis

• Reframing the debate/new mind-set – flexible and adaptable

• Inclusivity does not mean treating everyone the same.

• Sophisticated understanding of diversity underpinned by the notion of social justice.

• We don’t treat everyone the same – ‘unconscious/implicit’ bias– Assumptions about ability,

commitment, potential…. Original source: unknown

Benefits for all

• Learning community where ‘everyone’s in’

• Everyone’s experience and background is fully valued, respected and most importantly reflected in curriculum content, delivery and assessment.

• Difference is a strength which can be harnessed for the best outcomes for ALL our students

• ‘Global’ learning (internationalisation agenda)

• Exposure to diversity and inclusion agenda

• Key skills to work effectively in a diverse team

• Original source: unknown

What does it look like?

Rethinking:• Curriculum Content• Learning and

Teaching (Pedagogic) Praxis

• Assessment strategy

How do we get there ?

Institutional Level

• Institutional commitment– KPI?

• Staff development– UKPSF Professional values

• Educational strategy• QA and QE policy and practice

– Validation– Subject reviews– Course and module review– External audit process

Individual Level

• Commitment of individual university teachers– Recognise – Understand – Act on

With respect to: Curriculum Teaching Praxis Assessment

Example of Transformation of Curriculum Content: Rural Geographies

Original Module: Restructuring the British (European) Countryside (GG3731)

Rationale for change: • WB/BME attainment gap• Non-White identities are disregarded from rural

place/space • BME groups often do not identify or engage with rural

parts of the UK (Askins, 2009; Chakraborti and Garland, 2004; Dhillon, 2006))

• Fundamental Disconnect: BME students’ personal experience of rurality are often in an international context drawing on very different conceptual processes

Action: • New Module: Global Rural Geographies (GG6030)• Internationalise the curriculum to better reflect non-

White identities• Include global perspective on rurality• Incorporate the life experiences of BME students -

reflected in their own life worlds

“If we are to accept the arguments that rural areas are repositories of white values and lifestyles…then it would not seem unreasonable to suggest that WB and BME students will experience rural environments in rather different ways…..This, in turn, may have significant implications for their learning experience and potentially their relative attainment” (Hughes, in press)

Example: Inclusive Teaching and Learning Praxis in undergraduate field teaching

• Starting Point: Fieldwork destinations reflect cultural practices and preferences.

• Most UK HEIs travel to UK (often rural) destinations, particularly in Year 1

• Complex relationships between ethnicity and rurality in Britain – Racialisation of the countryside with the absence of ethnic minorities in rural

areas – Cultural anathema– Racist harassment in rural and isolated areas of Britain

Changing Teaching Practice

Fieldwork is crucial• “The field trips have been a

real highlight, to be able to learn about your subject in context is brilliant” (NSS, 2014)

• “Field trips have helped improve my learning”. (NSS, 2014)

• “The field trips also allow for a firm understanding of the concepts taught in the classroom”. (NSS, 2014).

• (Re)examining (normative) assumptions

• Consider ‘inclusive’ locations/activities

• Culturally sensitive preparation and planning

• Opportunities for students to be involved

• Peer learning (before and during the trip)

Inclusive Teaching and Learning Practices

• Timetables• Timings• Event changes

• ‘Doing’ Kingston University Differently

Inclusive cultures through individualising learning

Personal Tutorial System (School Level)Rationale: • Recognise students as individuals –explore

strengths of diverse personal histories• (In)formal mechanism of student partnership and

knowledge share• Develop an effective forum to build confidence in

students who are less able to share knowledge and viewpoints in larger groups

• Acknowledges the responsibility of the student (not in deficit scenario)

• Set out ground rules: clear expectations • Implement monitoring for supportive/scaffold

activities

Action:• PTS embedded in academic modules at Level 4, 5

and 6• Clear programme of study (for tutor and tutee)• Summatively assessed• Evaluated 2014

Content: Integrity and the Curriculum

Why?• Care leavers• ‘Coping strategies’ prior to

an in education– Disassociation ( Bluff, et al.

2012)• Diverse understandings of

rules and authority• Introduced ‘Unbreakable

golden rules’

Inclusive assessment

• Challenge the view that providing the same assessment for all students is the ‘fairest way’

• Different assessment strategies devised in order to meet the same learning outcomes.

• Choice of assessment strategies – selected by student

• Negate the requirement for reasonable adjustment

“Inclusive assessment refers to the design and use of fair and effective assessment methods and practices that enable all students to demonstrate to their full potential what they know, understand and can do”(Hockings, 2010, p.2)

Inclusive Assessment

• Do my assessments help the learner to imagine and understand?

(borrowed from slide of Prof P. Kneale!)

“Traditional assessment practices that were once dominated by the unseen examination and the standard essay…have proved unable to capture the range and nature of the diverse learning outcomes now sought from courses.” (Boud & Falchikov, 2006)

Developing an Inclusive Strategy: ACTIVITY

1. Examine your reaction to the notion of developing an inclusive approach? Immediately or broadly supportive, sceptical or opposed? Why do you think this is the case?

2. Do you believe that your colleagues may hold different views? In what way different?3. What are your perceived problems? Are they philosophical, resource based , knowledge-based or time issues? 4. Solutions?

Common Concerns

• Landscapes of ‘blame’• Compromising

standards• Accreditation bodies

• Source: Unknown

‘How’: Key Strategies

Curriculum• Culturally inclusive teaching

Pedagogic Strategy• Interactive teaching• Build relationships (staff and students)• Use technology – flipped classroom,

clickers• Building effective communication

strategies• Inclusive lab practice and field work

practice

AssessmentInclusive assessment • Source: Unknown

Curriculum Content – Inclusive Approach ACTIVITY Level of study reflection

Reflective Questions

Lecture/Module/Course/Programme

What are the key messages/learning outcomes?

How has my own position impacted on my approach to /understanding of the topic?

Could this topic be viewed from different perspectives?

Has space been created to allow students to reflect on their different perspectives. If not, how could this best be achieved?

Does the assessment encourage students to explore their own understanding? How can this be made more inclusive?

Strategies: Do my examples reflect the international context?Do the authors that I have drawn upon, and my reference list , reflect the diversity of perspectives? e.g. are the authors all white males – if so, is this appropriate?Are there other voices that you could include? If not, talk about why not?Who is teaching the topic? Is it possible to bring guest speakers in that might provide a competing perspective or may act as additional role model to students?How can I best utilise and include the experience of my students?

Checklists Available

Plymouth https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/uploads/production/document/path/3/3132/Checklist_for_inclusive_teaching.pdf

Conclusion

Inclusive curriculum approach demonstrates:

• Open, responsive, respectful institutions

• willing to learn from our students

• extend the ownership of knowledge to our students

• students at the heart of what we do.

Diverse globalised society Education should fully embrace

diversity, difference and inclusion

Geography discipline potential to lead:Curriculum lends itself (globalisation, citizenship, sustainability, climate change)

– Responsibilities– Integrity – Reflection– Critical analysis

References • Askins, K. (2009) Crossing divides: Ethnicity and rurality. Journal of Rural Studies 25 365–375.

doi:10.1016/j.jrurstud.2009.05.009.• Bluff, B., King, N. , McMahon, G. (2012) A phenomenological approach to care leavers’ transition to higher education.,

Procedia – Social and Behavioual Sciences, 69, 952-959 952-959.• Boud, D. & Falchikov, N. (2006) Aligning assessment with long term learning. Assessment & Evaluation in HE.

vol31.no4.p399-413• Chakraborti, N. and Garland, J. (Eds.) (2004) Rural Racism, Cullompton: Willan.• Dhillon P. (2006) Challenging rural racism. London: NCVO Publications.• Gillborn, D. (2009) Education policy as an act of supremacy: whiteness, critical race theory and education reform. In E.

Taylor, D. Gillborn and G. Ladson-Billings (Eds.) Foundations of Critical Race Theory in Education (pp 51- 69). New York: Routledge.

• Gillborn, D. (2008) Racism and education: coincidence or conspiracy. Abingdon: Routledge. • Hocking, C. (2010) Inclusive learning and teaching in higher education: a synthesis of research. York: Higher

Education Academy • Pilkington, A. (2013) How appropriate is it to characterise Western universities as institutionally racist? International

Journal of Interdisciplinary Global studies, 7, 2, 13-25. Retrieved from http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/5650/3/Pilkington20135650.pdf

• Pilkington, A. (2011) Institutional racism in the Academy, Trentham Books.• Read, B; Archer, L; Leathwood, C. (2003) Challenging cultures? Student conceptions of 'belonging' and 'isolation' at a

post-1992 university, Studies in Higher Education, Vol. 28, No. 3, 261 – 277• Richardson, J. (2015) The under-attainment of ethnic minority students in UK higher education: what we know and

what we don’t know, Journal of Further and Higher Education, Vol. 39, 278-291.• Richardson, J. (2008) The attainment of ethnic minority students in UK Higher Education, Studies in Higher Education,

33 (1) 33-48 doi:10.1080/03075070701794783• Shields R. and Masardo, A. (2015) Changing patterns in vocational entry qualifications, student support and outcomes

in undergraduate degree programmes, HEA report, Available at: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/node/11216• Wray, M. (2013) Developing an inclusdive culture in higher education: final report, York: Higher Education Academy