Inequality In Higher Education Research Articles

Students’ Perceptions of Racial Diversity and Inclusion in UK Universities

Building on previous studies of racial inequality in higher education, this paper reports the findings of an online survey (N = 407) exploring the extent to which UK university students recognised the existence of racism in wider society and perceived the need for greater racial diversity and inclusion on campus. Utilising the CoBRAS scale developed by Neville and colleagues together with a new Racially Inclusive Attitudes Scale (RIAS) designed by the lead author of this paper, we find that most students reject the notion that we live in a colour-blind society and feel that their university needs to do more to foster racial diversity and inclusion on campus. However, while the rejection of colour-blind narratives was equally strong across students from all ethnic groups, Black students were significantly more likely than students from other ethnic groups to perceive the need for their university to become more racially diverse and inclusive.

The View from the Top: The Relationship Between Parental Education and Graduate Enrollment

ABSTRACT Given the dramatic risks and rewards to different graduate pathways, it is imperative to understand disparities in access to the highest levels of education. This paper responds to a tension between the traditional understanding that parents’ education ceases to influence children’s educational trajectories after college and the more recent reemergence of family background as a predictor of children’s socioeconomic attainment. This paper asks two questions: to what extent is parental educational background associated with (1) graduate enrollment overall and (2) enrollment into particular credentials (e.g. master’s, professional, and research doctoral degrees)? Drawing on data from the 2008–18 Baccalaureate and Beyond study, findings reveal that parental educational background, especially parental graduate degrees, are associated with enrollment into graduate school. By using two measures of parental education and disaggregating the outcome into different credentials, this paper shows that highly educated parents are associated with a greater advantage for doctoral enrollment than for master’s enrollment. Due to the close ties between doctoral credentials and elite, high-paying occupations, this study has implications for inequality in higher education and economic inequality more broadly.

Global Trends in Gender Inequality in Higher Education: A Bibliometric Analysis (1993–2024)

Global Trends in Gender Inequality in Higher Education: A Bibliometric Analysis (1993–2024)

Racialized and Colonial Experiences of Graduate Teaching Assistants: Oppression, Meaning and Transformation

Despite significant research on racialized inequity in higher education, little research examines the experiences of TAs who are Black, Indigenous or people of colour (BIPOC) in Canada. Based on 37 semi-structured interviews with BIPOC domestic graduate student TAs, this article explores the racialized and colonial oppression of BIPOC TAs: They confront racism from students (disrespect, challenges to their authority and expertise; microaggressions and discrimination; exposure to racist and colonial discourse in students’ work). They also experience challenges with TA supervisors (not being heard; discriminatory discipline; political alienation). Finally, BIPOC TAs face racism within administration (“unthinking” racism; discrimination). Yet, BIPOC TAs also experience TAing as a source of meaning (love of teaching; pride in their pedagogy; desire to help students) and transformation (fostering critical thinking; reflecting students’ identities; being a role model). Although BIPOC TAs are marginalized by institutional whiteness-coloniality, they engage in resistance from the position of marginality. Given the vital role TAs play in today’s universities, attention is needed to address the inequities faced by BIPOC TAs and to support their role in transforming the university.

Gender equality in South African higher education: A scholarly analysis of the National Development Plan

This study offers a thorough examination of South Africa's National Development Plan (NDP), emphasising its dedication to advancing gender equality in higher education. Notwithstanding constitutional assurances of equality, considerable gender discrepancies endure in South African higher education institutions (HEIs), with women encountering institutional obstacles that impede their entry and achievement. The research utilises a systematic review approach, consolidating current academic literature to discern the problems and opportunities related to the NDP's gender equality objectives. Critical findings indicate that structural obstacles, including socio-cultural views and financial limitations, substantially hinder women's engagement in higher education. The under-representation of women in leadership positions within higher education institutions fosters a cycle of inequity, as cultural beliefs and institutional regulations frequently neglect the distinct problems encountered by female students. The investigation underscores the necessity of employing an intersectional approach to comprehend the intricacies of gender inequality in higher education. This study emphasises the importance of executing targeted interventions and unified national policies to cultivate an inclusive educational environment that empowers women and corresponds with the overarching objectives of sustainable development. By resolving these difficulties, South Africa can advance towards genuine gender equality in its higher education system, thereby fostering national development and social progress.

British supervisors’ conceptions of ideal and successful PhD attributes and their implications for equity in doctoral candidate selection

Purpose This study aims to explore supervisors’ conceptions of successful and ideal doctoral students’ attributes and their implications for integrating equity and diversity considerations into the doctoral selection process. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a qualitative approach and analyses data from extensive interviews with senior academics and a member of the professional staff in England on their perspectives of the attributes of ideal and successful doctoral candidates. The study is conceptually framed by the Research Development Framework (RDF) and an adapted ecosystem model of the factors influencing PhD completion (Lovitts, 2005). Findings The findings reveal that supervisors value both cognitive and non-cognitive attributes, with the majority of the non-cognitive attributes categorised in the RDF sub-domains of personal qualities, self-management, working with others and communication and dissemination. Non-cognitive attributes were, moreover, valued not just for their contribution to doctoral success but also to the doctoral experience. Practical implications In contrast to the typically narrow criteria emphasised in UK doctoral selection, the authors argue that a wider, more holistic, range of attributes better represents what supervisors actually value, while offering greater opportunities for equitable selection of diverse doctoral cohorts. Two key macroenvironmental challenges are discussed: the difficulty of selecting for highly valued non-cognitive attributes and the importance of institutional support for the creation and sustainability of more equitable selection processes. Originality/value This paper deepens the literature on supervisors’ perceptions of the qualities or attributes of doctoral success and links this to the use of criteria that avoid reinforcing structural racial inequities in higher education.

Studying technical sciences without borders: We use the navigator for open educational resources. Part 1. The Russian experience

Introduction. The introduction of information and communication technologies into learning processes expands the possibilities of using information resources and becomes one of the priorities of the transforming higher education system. These changes are reflected in the trends in the development and application of open educational resources. However, the scale and fragmentation of data on the Internet, as well as the lack of open educational resources standards, makes the information retrieval process a difficult task and requires professional skills.Purpose setting. To determine the relevance and prospects for the development of sectoral open educational resources, it is necessary to analyze their role in the modern educational system. It is important to identify the possibilities of using open access research in technical sciences as one of the tools to eliminate social inequality in higher education. To identify and present arguments for the purpose of justifying the need to develop an industry-specific «Navigator on OER of Technical Sciences» (hereinafter referred to as the «Navigator»).Methodology and methods of the study. The research methodology covers the study and analysis of scientific papers devoted to the development of tools and initiatives in the field of open educational resources in technical sciences both in Russia and abroad. This study is also based on the method of oral questioning of students, postgraduates and teachers of technical disciplines at universities in Novosibirsk. Results. An array of scientific literature and web resources has been studied, providing free access to scientific and educational information in the field of research under consideration. Taking into account empirical data, the necessity of developing a «Navigator» on open educational resources in the system of higher technical education is justified (http://lib-os.ru/issledovatelyam/resursy/obrazovatelnye- resursy/navigator-oor-techn-nauk/).Conclusion. The study of technical sciences using open educational resources contributes to the effective improvement of professional level and allows you to be aware of current solutions to innovative activities in the field of knowledge under consideration.

Advancing inclusive practices in higher education: possibilities and limitations of a social justice professional development course

ABSTRACT Research on widening the participation of historically underrepresented university students tends to focus on student preparation and the structural adjustments needed to attract and retain them. Few studies have examined how to prepare university staff for the diversity of students that comes with such widening participation programmes. This paper contributes to this gap by discussing the impact that a professional development course on practising inclusion in higher education had on academic and professional staff participants’ understanding of equitable and inclusive practices. Using interview data, we found that participants developed a more nuanced and sensitive practice and greater confidence to act for change as they acquired new skills and knowledge associated with social inclusion practices, reflected on their professional identity changes, and gained critical insights into their roles. These findings support the need for this type of professional development to prepare all higher education staff to genuinely support university students from underrepresented groups. They also highlight the need for these professional development offerings to foster greater reflexivity about taken-for-granted assumptions, a deeper understanding of structural power and inequity in higher education, and higher education staff members’ capacity to enact change within these structures.

Digital Infrastructure – The Need to Overcome Digital Divide and Inequality in Higher Education

Digital Infrastructure – The Need to Overcome Digital Divide and Inequality in Higher Education

Market or State? Post-Reform Distribution of Sociology Faculty at Chinese Universities

Neoliberal policies since 1978 have caused severe regional inequality in China. Cities in regions with high levels of marketisation attract top academic experts due to their proximity to economic incentives and prestigious universities. However, little is known about how economic reform has shaped the distribution of experts in the social science and humanities disciplines as they are less in demand on the market and often rely on support from the state. Using sociology as a unique case, this study investigates market and state influences on the regional distribution of sociology experts in Chinese universities based on city-level measurements. Sociology has a unique historical and paradigmatic connection with the state of China, which complicates any straightforward relationship between neoliberal policies and higher education inequality in sociology departments. Through a manual collection of 1,041 faculty profiles from 66 university websites, it was determined following the fractional logistic regression method that both the market and the state facilitate distribution. The city’s marketisation increases the internationalisation of faculty members in sociology departments, while the city’s position in the state’s administrative hierarchy maintains the sociology departments, regardless of the city’s marketisation. In general, the state still plays an important role in shaping academic expert distribution after 40 years of market reform in China.

Exploring the factors informing educational inequality in higher education: a systematic literature review

ABSTRACT This systematic literature review explores the factors influencing educational inequality in higher education across diverse global contexts. The study reveals the systemic nature of disparities rooted in the cyclical relationship between poverty and educational inequalities, particularly in relation to access to higher education. Six key factors – socioeconomic status, parental education, ethnicity, previous schooling experiences, gender, and geographical location – constitute an intricate web of intersecting influences. These factors necessitate adaptive policy solutions to address the multifaceted challenges. The review underscores the cultural and societal impact on educational disparities in accessing further study, emphasising the need for policies that challenge ingrained prejudices and foster inclusivity. The analysis highlights the global nature of disparities while emphasising the importance of locally informed and contextual specific solutions. In conclusion, the findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the nuanced dynamics of educational inequality in accessing higher education, offering insights for researchers and policymakers alike.

Is there room for interculturality? Indigenous youth in Peruvian private universities and the scholarship programme Beca 18

ABSTRACT Applying an ethnographic approach, this study examines recently implemented scholarship programmes for Indigenous people in private higher education (HE) institutions in Peru. Interviews with students and staff, participant observations, and participatory activities reveal distrust of scholarship holders by government staff and programme regulators, who exercise various surveillance and control mechanisms. Staff at private universities hinder cultural diversity among students through segregation or integration strategies to deal with Indigenous students, thereby curtailing an intercultural approach. Indigenous students ask for more integration activities and intercultural dialogues as they claim a lack of adequate support programmes and real inclusion, which leads to higher dropout rates. This study contributes to the recovery of students’ voices and concerns by unveiling persistent inequalities in HE. The findings have implications on policy design that take for granted problematic assumptions riddled with colonial prejudices and privatisation ideologies within the field of HE.

“A Change Is Gonna Come”: Pedagogical Shifts in a Post-COVID World

Background/Context: COVID-19 changed how students learn, the challenges they face both in and out of the classroom, and the ways they access and engage with higher education. COVID-19 also highlighted inequalities in higher education. In response, faculty have also had to change their pedagogical approaches. Purpose/Focus of Study: This article presents ideas to address some of the challenges that COVID-19 has brought to the community college classroom. The focus of these strategies and pedagogical changes is to create a more equitable and successful environment for all students. Research Design: The author’s praxis used Paulo Freire’s 1970 work, The Pedagogy of the Oppressed, as a guide to critically examine pedagogical practices and choices for sociological curriculum development at a medium-sized, urban, Hispanic-serving community college. Changes were evaluated through final grade analysis and student feedback. Findings: Ten changes were implemented: making the course mobile phone/tablet accessible, incorporating audio transcripts for all, using additional video formats, engaging families/children, addressing student anxieties, incorporating more assignment choices, using Open Educational Resources for reduced costs, allowing more flexibility in assignments, extending submission times, and varying course length. These changes have reduced barriers, decreased student anxiety, and increased student success. Conclusions: The pedagogical changes made seemed to help students be more successful in their courses.

Feminist Pedagogy in Women’s Studies Classrooms: Some Critical Reflections

Based on a study of five women’s studies degree programmes, this article attempts to discuss pedagogical issues that are surfacing in higher education on account of the changing social composition of students since the implementation of reservations for Other Backward Classes in higher education. Critical pedagogy has not found much space in discussions on higher education in the Indian context. The exception has been reflections on feminist pedagogy that primarily draw on Freirian thought and the scholarship of bell hooks. Against this background, the article brings out how the epistemic principles of critical disciplines like women’s studies generate ethical expectations of the feminist teacher, particularly in relation to caste in this case. It goes on to discuss the limits imposed on these ideas of feminist pedagogy by the institutional and structural inequalities in higher education and how the dominant social composition of teachers necessarily limits possibilities of feminist pedagogy.

Breaking barriers: Reducing inequality in higher education by understanding and addressing diverse student needs

AbstractThe purpose of this research is to explore the differences in perceived opportunities and potential barriers leading to inequality in our higher education system. To do this, we examine differences in satisfaction and expectations that exist among college students based on three key heterogeneous characteristics – gender identity (male vs. female), major declaration (decided vs. undecided) and generation (first generation vs. non‐first generation). Six hundred twenty‐five students completed a survey about the level of importance and satisfaction with educational services at their institutions. A mixed method design including analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test differences between students. At a time where universities are working arduously to increase enrolment numbers, adjusting the strategy to cater to the unique needs of students may prove to be part of the solution and more importantly, help remove barriers to lessen the current inequalities and improve access to education for all types of students.

Spatial inequality in higher education: a growing urban–rural educational gap?

Abstract Scholars have consistently found that inequalities in educational attainment are most pronounced along social origin and gender dimensions, but urban–rural inequalities have also been evident in recent years. A spatial gradient in educational attainment reflects how rural students are consistently less likely to gain higher education (HE) credentials than their urban peers. By drawing on full-population administrative data on the Norwegian birth cohorts from 1965 to 1989 (n = 1,419,406), followed from age 16 to 30, this article analyses how urban–rural differences in HE have changed over the last 25 years, and furthermore, whether urban–rural disparities have developed in distinct ways based on students’ social origin and gender. The results show that urban–rural disparities in higher educational attainment have become more pronounced for recent birth cohorts and particularly evident for post-1980 cohorts. This applies to students originating from both privileged and less privileged families. However, urban–rural inequalities are more evident for men than women, which over time has led gender differences to become considerably greater in rural areas. The results demonstrate that spatial inequality requires further attention in educational and stratification research, as the outcomes suggest that the urban–rural educational gap is not necessarily consistent over time.

Strategies for Preparing Future Public Health Leaders: Learning from Trailblazing Women in Health Education

Many female health education pioneers made seminal contributions to public health and social justice, yet these examples are not well documented in textbooks or integrated into public health curricula as pedagogical learning opportunities. Providing biographies and lessons learned from the past leaders within undergraduate health education curricula can help develop students’ skills as future leaders and address gender inequities in the field. Gender inequities in higher education as well as many public health practice settings result in lower salaries, slower career advancement opportunities, fewer supervisory positions, increased work-life conflicts, and heavier workloads. Developing women’s competencies in leadership and professionalism early in their careers is critical to meeting public health challenges such as COVID-19. We present four female health education trailblazers from different historical eras and various workforce sectors who exemplify leadership attributes (i.e., courage/risk taking, vision, advocacy, mentorship) and can be highlighted as a part of future health education curriculum. Innovative methods and approaches are provided for integrating these leadership lessons into undergraduate public health courses, in alignment with the HESPA II 2020 competencies. Learning from the past to inform the future is critical to inspiring and shaping the careers of emerging health educators.

Unwilling trust: Unpacking the assumption of trust between sexual misconduct reporters and their institutions in UK higher education

AbstractThis article explores trust in organisations by analysing interview data from students and staff who have disclosed or reported gender‐based violence and harassment (GBVH) to their higher education institution in the UK since 2016. GBVH contributes to gender inequality in higher education (HE), and increased reporting of it may not only help prevent GBVH, but also improve gender equality by helping to retain women and gender minorities within HE. Around half of the interviewees in this study (n = 12) expressed distrust in their institution, yet despite this they still reported or disclosed their experiences to their institution. Existing literature in this area, particularly the concept of institutional betrayal, assumes that survivors of GBVH trust their institutions—including HE institutions—because they are dependent upon said institutions. Our data challenges this assumption, and in this article, we analyse participants' trust orientations in the context of their reasons for reporting. We argue that dependence on and trust in institutions are separate phenomena, in that members of an organisation may be dependent upon the organisation in various ways, but their trust in the organisation reflects their structural positioning within it. To develop the theorisation of trust in institutional betrayal, we draw on and extend Luhmann's concept of ‘system trust’ as well as other sociological theories of trust. Finally, the article introduces the concept of ‘unwilling trust’—a contradiction between an individual acting in trusting ways despite feeling a lack of trust—to explain this disconnect between dispositions and actions.

Gender and social class inequalities in higher education: intersectional reflections on a workshop experience.

Research about the experiences of underrepresented groups in higher education (HE) demonstrates the persistence of challenges, despite policies and institutional strategies to promote inclusion. Diversity and inclusion policies have been part of the HE agenda for several decades, yet most policies and interventions focus on (a) a given, isolated identity experience (e.g., based solely on gender, social class, or ethnicity) rather than more intersectional approaches to identity; and (b) top-down interventions that do not include participants insights in their design. In this paper, we report a case study of a workshop with students at an elite university that drew on an intersectional approach to social identities (IASI), specifically, looking at gender and social class. We explore three key themes: (a) the importance of group processes, (b) the use of visual techniques, and (c) the institutional tensions and the (de)politicisation of social psychology research. Reflecting on this case study we argue that approaches to identity and inclusion in HE can benefit from intersectionality beyond the use of multi and overlapping identity and social group categories. We argue that research in this space is not neutral and needs to acknowledge researchers' position about (a) inclusion and diversity, (b) perceptions of participants in research, and (c) the motivation and aims of institutions where the research is conducted. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and practical implications of integrating an intersectional approach within social identity research in HE when focusing on underrepresented groups.

Shifting Tides: The Evolution of Racial Inequality in Higher Education from the 1980s through the 2010s.

Amid the proliferation of state-level bans on race-based affirmative action in higher education, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on June 29, 2023, dismantled race-conscious college admission policies, intensifying concerns about the persistence and potential increase of racial inequality in higher education. The authors analyze four restricted-use national survey datasets to investigate racial disparities in college attendance outcomes from the 1980s through the 2010s. Although college entrance rates increased for all racial groups, Black and Hispanic youth became increasingly less likely than their White peers to attend four-year selective colleges. In the 2010s cohort, Black and Hispanic youth were 8 and 7 percentage points, respectively, less likely than their White counterparts to secure admission to four-year selective colleges, even after controlling for parents' income, education, and other family background variables. The findings underscore the urgent need for proactive policy interventions to address the widening racial inequality in attending selective postsecondary institutions.