[Carlton Howson]
[De Montfort University]
[HLS]
[chowson@dmu.ac.uk]
Researching and Evaluation Widening Participation
– The Culture of Higher Education and the Student
Experience
Experience of ethnically minoritised students
in higher education
One DMU –Valuing Diversity
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
Research aims
• To explore BEM students’ experiences of HE in the
UK.
• To gain insights into which factors BEM students felt
impacted on or explained the differential attainment,
retention and progression of awards
• To suggest ways of enhancing the BEM students’
experiences, increase attainment, reduce attrition
and enhance progression within courses and beyond.
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
Themes The HE Problem
analysis Tree
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
Key themes from literature
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Theoretical framework and methodology
Critical race theory & Participatory Action research
1
State policy and rhetoric
2
Education and legacy
3
Cultural impediments
4
The Equation (>BEM=LS)
5
HE inertia and resources
6
Cultural competence / intelligence
7
Institutionalism – Oppression, Discrimination, Racism +
8
‘creating spaces’
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
Theoretical framework
• Critical Race Theory:
• “…challenges the traditional claims of the
educational system such as objectivity,
meritocracy, color-blindness, race neutrality,
and equal opportunity. Critical race theorists
argue that these traditional claims act as a
camouflage for the self-interest, power, and
privilege of dominant groups”.
•
• (Yosso et al, 2001:91)
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
• PCS model, ranking exercises, a SVOT
model, a forcefield analysis, PIN triangles,
rich pictures, johari windows, card-sorting
exercises and both SMART and SPICED
objective setting.
• Students worked occasionally as a large
group, often in small groups, pairs and
individually, feeding back and reflecting on
each others’ developments and thinking
• Ground rules and a working agreement
discussed and agreed by the group at the
first meeting and sustained throughout the
course of the meetings
Methodology
varied
Demographics
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Period: - 10 meetings of the BSDGs - May 2007 – May 2010
Number of students:
ranged from 6 to 20 with the average number being 10 students per
discussion group
Location: - – all meetings took place on campus.
The duration of the sessions: - Each session 10.00 – 4.00
The target group - 75% of students YCD undergraduate courses, 20% SW
undergraduate courses and 5% from other programmes within the faculty of HLS
B&L
Gender: - The ratio of participants 65% women and 35% men
Ethnicity:
There was an equal number of students from African and Asian (Indian,
Bangladesh, Pakistani) backgrounds 40% respectively, 10% African Caribbean and
10% Mixed ethnicity backgrounds.
PCS – issues identified
Themes from literature review reflected in
findings
7
Institutionalism –
Oppression, Discrimination,
6 Cultural competence/
intelligence
5 HE inertia and resources
8 Safe Space
4 The Equation
(>BEMS=LS)
2 Education and
legacy
3 Cultural
impediments
SVOT - Strengths and Vulnerabilities
STRENGTHS
The Space VULNERABILITIES
between
• Pride in our strength
• Have lived and survived
the experience
• Understand our own
power
• Have solidarity with others
• Understand our history
• Understand our potential
• Have been believed in,
supported and valued in
other places, know our
own worth
• Demand accountability
• Want more for ourselves
Students spoke
about the
struggle they
had in carving
out a space to
live and study,
trying to find an
OK place to be,
observing the
environment
around in detail
and trying to
understand the
rules, making
decisions about
how much to
assimilate.
• Aware of vulnerabilities
• Doubt the systems and world
around us
• Afraid of being a target
• Don’t expect to be supported
• Have lower aspirations
• Go along with things to stay
safe
• Afraid of being isolated
• Abdicate responsibility to bring
change for fear of isolation and
victimisation
• Negate our culture
• Try to live dominant values
SVOT – Threats & Opportunities
Threats
Black students
White students
discourse
Institution (uni)
How much time? What’s
expected?
Black tutors as role
models
Taught Black history
(white)
Diversity – widening
participation
Reputation
Advocacy
Discourse of white
privilege & supremacy
National student survey
Training and consistency
Accommodation
To question social
structures
Specific outcomes,
employability
Importance of issue
Affirmative action
Value individuality
Generate academic
achievement
Understand our history
Radical curriculum
Love
Retain students
Family exclusion
Unity
Empathy
Progression
Credibility
Resources
To be held accountable
Exploitation of students
Recognition
Understanding
Work load
Loss af alliances and
partners
Knowledge
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
The seven key themes emerged :
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‘Discrimination’
‘Positionality’
‘Desire for safe space’
‘Consciousisation’
‘Learning contracts’
‘Radical curriculum’
‘Peer Support & Mentoring System’ (PSMS)
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
3 Themes – LC, RD, PS&M
Narratives
• BEM students collectively expressed that there was
a:
• “sense of lots of issues,”
• “not clear where to start”.
• “a lot of baggage”,
• “sometimes a lifetime’s worth”,
• “how systemic it is and how hard it has been
to survive within the system”.
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
• “…being isolated and feeling conspicuous in
negative ways, (a) sense of needing to ‘fit in’
to something that was not negotiable…
despite my desire to succeed or potential to
learn, there was always a battle for me to be
recognised and I always felt like I fell short
because of my inability to be like my peers.”
•
• (BEMSDG, 2010)
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
• “There were very few black teachers and
lecturers; systemic failures to protect black
students and teachers from racism (including
language); lack of support for ‘race-conscious’,
politicised staff and students (described as
‘too passionate’, or understood as ‘difficult’);
collusion with racist behaviour towards black
staff by white students.”
•
• (BEMSDG, 2010)
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
• “… one of my tutors made some comments
that I don’t like.
• These comments are like personal, they are
talking about the way I write, you know the
way I express myself, it’s about my work and
it is personal. It’s how we talk – we are
straight people, to the point. It was crushing,
especially if I was a weak person.”
•
• (BEMSDG, 2008)
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
• “As I earlier stated, I was refused help and if I
received any, I was dictated to.”
• (BEMSDG, 2010)
• “I felt frustrated that there was no one I could ask for
assistance, or that she refused me time that for
others she freely gave.”
• (BEMSDG, 2010)
• “…most times I was ignored when I raised the issue,
even more so, I was compared to other students,
even though in class I was one of the most active
students and always did well.”
• (BEMSDG, 2010)
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
• “…the emotional processes…closely
resembled the process of grieving; denial,
anger, bargaining, deep sadness and
acceptance.”
•
• (Cole, BEMSDG, 2010)
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
• “They already think that we are not
educated. I just want to finish this degree and
get out of there. We don't speak out in
lectures for the reason that people don't
understand us. Tutors do not understand
either. I have been very oppressed for a while
feeling voiceless. I am now trying to speak out
again and finding my feet.”
•
• (BEMSDG, 2010)
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
• “Some of the students were considered by
the university to be ‘struggling’ or ‘failing’”.
Many of those participating in the discussion
groups were engaged, yet struggling to be
understood within a system that appeared to
find it easier to be incredulous about the
efforts that these students were making.”
• (Cole, 2010)
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
•
• “I noticed that when we are discussing issues
that have anything to do with black people,
the white students don’t contribute. When I
challenge this, they just reply ‘we are learning
from you’. Yet in the work situation, they are
the ones with the best jobs telling us what to
do.”
•
• (BEMSDG, 2009)
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
Positionality
• “in which people are defined, not in terms of
fixed identities, but by their location within
shifting networks of relationships, which can
be analysed and changed.”
• Maher & Tetreault’s (2001:164)
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
• SMART (specific, measurable, achievable,
attributable, relevant and time-bound) indicators,
which are then cross-checked with a number of
• SPICED (subjective, participatory, interpreted, crosschecked, empowering, diverse)
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
Peer Support & Mentoring Systems
• I was awed by how honest they were
about some of the experiences they
had had throughout the educational
process and horrified by some of the
incidents they disclosed.
• I was also in admiration of how they
were continuing in education is spite
of these experiences in the hope that
their degrees would help them claim
more security in the world.
• I was also aware of their confusion;
they had studied hard, met the entry
requirements and been allocated a
place at the university, and then
were hearing comments from their
tutors that they should not expect to
do well, that their aspirations were
unrealistic.
What did
you learn
about the
participants
in relation to
the issues
that were
considered?
Radical Curriculum
SPICED - Radical Curriculum
S
Subjective thinking for us has been able to adapt on articulated, more critical level of
thinking. The historical context has made us feel more passionate about a struggle of
equality and challenge
P
Beyond consultation, having active involvement throughout, having a feeling of safety
I
Analysis and evaluation, in depth feedback and discussion around the topics of moral
values
C
Making sure that every students view / reflection is taken into account and used in
evaluation to gain true views / feelings / perceptions
E
Giving Black students ownership to challenge the status quo / white supremacy
D
Empowering students to acquire an authentic process on the curriculum agenda, not
tokenistic
Learning Contracts
SVOT - Strengths
SVOT - Vulnerabilities
SVOT – Opportunities
SVOT - Threats
Institution PIN(diagram) analysis
Position
Black students need lots of
resources and have lots of
issues
Interests
Monitoring students to pass
meeting targets
Needs
Funds diversity retains
students
Reflective questions
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How did people support each other to participate?
How were people helped to participate?
What are your thoughts about group dynamics?
What was the impact of the white facilitator?
What difference did it make?
What helped/ hindered in the group dynamic?
Three themes: LC, PSMS and RC
in motion
Content
Ensuring
quality of
learning
Challenge
Practicability
Quality
standards
Advocacy and
availability
Relevance
Defining
boundaries
Feasibility
Ensuring
quality
standards
Vulnerability
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
Centre for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning
CCRTL v2.0
Establish a Centre for Culturally-Responsive Teaching &
Learning
Programme of activity
BEM management information
Objective 1: A peer support and mentoring system
Objective 2: Provision of a safe space
Objective 3: Learning Contracts
Objective 4: Culturally Responsive Teaching
Framework
Objective 5: Academic Preparation Programme
Objective 6: Personal Tutor System
Objective 7: Achievement of the Race Equality
Charter Mark
Creating Monsters
Theoretical framework and methodology
Critical race theory & Participatory Action research
1
State policy and rhetoric
2
Education and legacy
3
Cultural impediments
4
The Equation (>BEM=LS)
5
HE inertia and resources
6
Cultural competence / intelligence
7
Institutionalism – Oppression,
Discrimination, Racism +
8
‘creating spaces’
chowson@dmu.ac.uk
Perspectives
What do you think?
What can you do?
what will you do to
make the change?
•
http://lucas2012infos.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/communication-perspectives-andmisunderstanding-lucas/
(c) Carlton Howson 2012 Working
with Black young people