Student–Staff Partnerships in Higher Education as Process and Approach

Abstract

This chapter discusses some of the challenges of student–staff partnerships in higher education. Drawing on a framework of process-product/activity-approach (Healey, Flint, & Harrington, 2014; Marquis, Black, & Healey, 2017), and our own experiences of writing this chapter, we explore some of the claims made in the literature. Firstly, we consider the plurality of definitions of partnership, and the effect of this diversity on “doing” student–staff partnerships. A second key area is how identities are (co-)constructed through partnership work. Thirdly, we examine how power structures are enacted and how different stakeholders manage hostility and resistance. A further theme is inclusivity and we discuss how, despite the fact that student agency is fundamental to student–staff partnerships, this key principle can be manifested in a variety of ways. We present a case for using a framework of process-product/activity-approach as a way to inform, develop and evaluate partnership work.