Student-staff Partnership Research Articles

Exploring the value of PGRs who teach (PGWT) in supporting undergraduate students’ sense of belonging: A Student Staff Partnership Project

The aim of this research was to explore the impact of interactions between undergraduate students (‘students’) and the postgraduate researchers (‘PGWT’) who teach them, on students’ sense of belonging. Meaningful interactions between staff and students have been identified as a key aspect of students’ sense of belonging. The unique space that postgraduates who teach occupy- both student and teacher- is widely recognized in the literature and through this dual role PGWT can provide a valuable bridge between students and academic staff. Due to the nature of their teaching - which is typically small group teaching characterised by proximity and informality - opportunities can arise for discussion of matters from the wider student experience beyond the curriculum. Activity-oriented focus groups were conducted with module leaders, PGWT and their students in the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Hull to explore each groups’ perspectives, and the results were thematically analysed. Findings show that whilst students didn’t explicitly recognize or use the term ‘belonging’, through resonance, rapport and academic enrichment PGWT created environments which aligned with definitions of belonging, including building meaningful relationships, contributing to the student experience, and creating informal spaces where students discussed both learning and personal matters. PGWT were relatable, providing authentic examples and being role models. Our findings suggest that being a teacher enables PGWT themselves to feel part of, and that they belong in, the University community. This research adds to the literature on students’ perceptions of PGWT and provides recommendations for future practice.

Scotland’s Student Learning Experience model: building partnership in quality in a tertiary context

Since 2003, student engagement has been a key pillar of Scotland’s higher education Quality Enhancement Framework, through which sparqs, Scotland’s pioneering student engagement agency, was founded. A key tool underpinning this has been sparqs’ Student Learning Experience (SLE) model, created in 2006 from Scotland’s quality arrangements for colleges and placed at the heart of sparqs’ course rep training. The SLE model is designed to support conversations between students and staff to identify priorities to enhance the quality of learning. In 2021, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) announced the development of a new tertiary quality framework which would aim to put the experiences of students at the centre of the sector’s approach. sparqs identified the potential of the SLE model to fulfill this purpose and in 2021 was commissioned by the SFC to redevelop and embed the model in Scotland’s forthcoming tertiary quality arrangements. A distinct aspect of the redeveloped SLE model is that the building blocks, lenses and reflective questions are founded upon the views of students across Scotland about what makes an excellent quality learning experience. Throughout 2022 and 2023, sparqs worked with hundreds of students, alongside staff from students’ associations, institutions and sector agencies, to develop the SLE model. That it will remain at the core of course rep training, while also now rooted in quality arrangements, presents a significant opportunity for deeper synergy in understandings of the enhancement of learning and teaching. This article will introduce the SLE model, how conceptualisation of the student learning experience has evolved in policy, practice and literature, and the methodology behind the creation of the new model. It will then describe applications of the model for practice in academic development, course-level student-staff partnership, and strategies for quality enhancement. The article will conclude with next steps in the future of tertiary quality, in which students can be full, active partners in shaping their learning.

Curricular innovations to address inequalities in global health education

Abstract Background Global Health education (GHE) has expanded dramatically, with new degrees and expanded competencies in medical curricula. Yet, Global Health (GH) is also going through significant reckoning and debate around inequalities in the field. GH degrees are predominantly based in high-income countries and inaccessible to most global majority students. Some suggest GH education itself contributes to reproducing inequalities in GH. Thus, both educators and policy-makers require evidence and tools to support more representative and authentic educational experiences which can adequately equip our future graduates. Objectives To present educational innovations which gesture towards responding to the stark inequalities in Global/Public Health education. These include a unique project that experiments with disrupting current power dynamics through co-design and co-delivery of a curriculum on Syrian healthcare by colleagues with lived experience, and a student-staff partnership to integrate self-reflexivity and positionality (SRP) in curricula at Imperial College London (UK). Results Qualitative data shows that the Syrian Curriculum has resulted in enhanced student experience, being consistently cited as a highlight of the curriculum, whilst alsoenhancing inclusivity for many students. SRP supplemented this by providing students with tools to engage in open, respectful discussions and critically reflect on personal biases that impact class dynamics. Conclusions These projects provide tools for educators and policy-makers across European universities to address current challenges in GH education. Nonetheless, these innovations should principally be seen as tools to reflect and advocate for fundamental changes towards more representative structures in GH. Key messages • Curriculum innovations offer key tools to address inequalities in GHE, enhancing student experience/inclusivity. • Yet, these remain limited without fundamental change towards a more representative sector.

A pedagogical evaluation of an institution's digital assessment platform (DAP): Integrating pedagogical, technical and contextual factors

An assessment for learning approach is foundational for student learning. The necessity to shift teaching and learning online as a response to COVID-19 has propelled digital assessment into the mainstream within higher education institutions. User experience is a common indicator of effectiveness of technologically enhanced initiatives; however, measuring the pedagogical impact of digital assessment initiatives has not been straightforward. This paper presents a pedagogical evaluation, incorporating staff and student perspectives, of a digital assessment platform (DAP) at a large Australian metropolitan university. Data were collected using surveys, interviews, focus groups and case studies and incorporated findings from student evaluations of courses and a student-staff partnership project. Results highlight strong pedagogical reasons for continuing the digital assessment initiative, while also identifying constraints and opportunities for improvement. The insights generated through this evaluation emphasise the importance of considering technical, pedagogical and contextual factors and the interplay between the factors. In a quality assurance climate, where the demand for this type of institution-wide evaluation is increasing, this study contributes an approach that addresses some of the complexities and challenges of evaluating digital assessment initiatives in higher education. Future research is needed to understand more fully the relationships between pedagogical and contextual factors when undertaking an evaluation. Implications for practice or policy: The DAP enabled the (re)design of authentic, inclusive, engaging and secure assessment tasks. Educator support is critical in learning the system and creating assessment with high pedagogical merit. Student familiarisation opportunities with using the DAP are beneficial. The DAP’s longevity within the institution is crucial considering the significant effort required of educators and students. Contextual influences blur understanding of pedagogical factors.

Improving assessment for work-based learning and degree apprenticeships in business through a co-designed peer review process

Involving students in peer review has substantial benefits for students’ learning and development and, more pragmatically, for staff workload. This paper reports on a student-led effort to co-design a peer review formative assessment task. The assessment is part of a personal development module within a higher education degree apprenticeship programme delivered via blended mode by a business school in South-East England. This case study on student-staff partnership offers a description of the process and a reflection on the impacts from both the student and staff perspective. It suggests that student co-design and peer review activities complement work-based learning, effectively bringing the prior experiences and academic skills of mature/professional students into the classroom.

Using expectancy-value theory to understand the teaching motivations of women physics lecturers

Being lectured by a woman physicist can benefit students’ performance, motivation, and engagement with physics. However, due to the severe underrepresentation of women physics faculty, these instances may be scarce. Through semistructured interviews with seven women physics lecturers, we used expectancy-value theory to understand the situative nature of gender regarding motivation to lecture. We sought to understand their choices and decisions when selecting their teaching roles, and if lecturing, what draws them toward certain courses. Our study was a staff-student partnership project carried out in a physics department at a UK university. We identified themes of confidence, enjoyment, the importance of lecturing, and the associated workload. The academic women could not relate to the “showperson” persona that they felt their men colleagues displayed. They navigated low levels of confidence by adopting a painstaking approach to lecture preparation, suggesting an inherent, higher workload associated with lecturing, compared with other forms of teaching. However, the women highly valued lecturing, enjoying the excitement and interactions with students, and were drawn toward developing students’ knowledge and skills. Being familiar with the content allowed them to feel confident in lecturing. We discuss these findings and recommend areas of support that physics departments should endeavor to offer. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Student-Staff Partnership in a Chinese Language Class in Japan: A Case Study of Speaking Test Practice

In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on fostering collaboration between staff and students to co-design learning and teaching methods in higher education. However, the inclusion of speaking tests within student-staff partnerships remains relatively uncommon. This paper addresses this gap by presenting two main parts. First, it outlines the stages of engaging students to develop and administer the speaking test. It then analyses the validity of student assessments and their perceptions of this educational practice. Student-staff partnerships create an environment that fosters empowerment, collaboration, voice, and responsibility. Through these partnerships, students are empowered to take control of their learning journey and develop into self-directed learners.

Student-Staff Partnership in a Chinese Language Class in Japan: A Case Study of Speaking Test Practice

In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on fostering collaboration between staff and students to co-design learning and teaching methods in higher education. However, the inclusion of speaking tests within student-staff partnerships remains relatively uncommon. This paper addresses this gap by presenting two main parts. First, it outlines the stages of engaging students to develop and administer the speaking test. It then analyses the validity of student assessments and their perceptions of this educational practice. Student-staff partnerships create an environment that fosters empowerment, collaboration, voice, and responsibility. Through these partnerships, students are empowered to take control of their learning journey and develop into self-directed learners.

Supporting the Biomedical Science UG Project Research Journey Through Staff-Student Partnerships.

Introduction: Developing research skills enhances graduate attributes and student employability. The UG research project is coined the pedagogy of the 21st century but the diversity of supervisory styles is a source of student perceived inequality of experience. The goal of this study was to provide structure and support to undergraduate (UG) biomedical science research students and supervisors by co-creating research informed resources that are accessible, engaging and student centred. We asked 1) How do UG students experience research supervision? 2) What approaches do supervisors use to support UG project students? 3) How do students as partners benefit from being involved in pedagogical research? Materials and Methods: In Stage One, 3 UG student research partners co-developed questionnaires and followed these up with semi-structured interviews. Fifty two UG project students took part in an interactive poll and 14 supervisors answered a questionnaire. Seven students and 4 supervisors were interviewed. These were analysed by thematic analysis. In Stage Two, the questions were asked of UG project students (n = 79) via an interactive poll and the resource developed in Stage One was trialled with students (n = 68) and supervisors (n = 37). Results: The global theme identified was that students feel strongly that the student-supervisor relationship influences their experience, satisfaction and success. In all polls, >90% of students but <60% of supervisors agree that a good student/supervisor partnership has an effect on the success of the final project. A smaller percentage of students felt strongly that they were able to develop a successful partnership with their supervisor. We co-created a visual model and a list of discussion points of how the student-supervisor partnership can be developed, aimed at making supervision more effective whilst being non-prescriptive. Discussion: The resource can be easily adapted. Students believe it helped them to develop a staff-student partnership and supervisors commented that it helps to clarify roles and manage student expectations. This scalable project will support the practice of future UG biomedical science project research students and supervisors. Working with students as partners enabled the development of richer ideas whilst supporting their employability.

A view through the looking glass: co-creation and innovation for student voice and wellbeing in distance education

This paper showcases innovative co-creation practice undertaken by a Student Voice and Wellbeing Group (SVWG) created in the School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport, Open University (OU). Ways of doing, seeing, being and believing student voice are discussed alongside the inception of the SVWG, sharing the whys and how's of its strategic approach and the depth and breadth of its student members′ participation. Underpinning this work is the concept that student voice and wellbeing are inextricably connected and are everyone's responsibility (Mander, 2021). The impactful student-staff partnership established through this model illustrates an authentic and dialogic practice that centres students as the drivers, rather than the passengers, for enacting change. As an artefact of innovative practice, the authors showcase a newly published bilingual digital student wellbeing handbook. This example is of interest to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) seeking innovative models for promoting marginalised voices through co-production. The authors′ reflections and recommendations invite policymakers to re-evaluate existing student voice and wellbeing strategies and practices.

Enhancing Student Feedback Efficacy: A Critical Analysis of University's Module Evaluation Questionnaires

This report discusses a British university Module Evaluation Questionnaires (MEQ) which was produced as a part of university-wide interdisciplinary MEQ project at a British University. Purpose: The aim of this report is to investigate the purpose of university MEQ and to review aims and weakness of the current Sussex University MEQ seven questions/statements. Methods: The method is quantitative and critical review and analysis was conducted. Data was collected at University of Sussex, UK. The participants were three members of the MEQ project team. The focus of analysis is to identify the aim and weakens of the current University MEQ questions/statements. Results: MEQ has three stakeholders, students, university and staff. Each stakeholder’s purpose of MEQ are different. University has institutional and teaching staff have teaching and academic promotional purposes. It is suggested to MEQ designers to take consideration of students whose mother tongue is not English and to write questions as simple and clear language as possible. Implications: The primary recommendation of this report is to undertake a staff-student partnership to agree the purpose of the MEQs and co-design a revised instrument that meets the stated purpose.

Exploring Staff–Student Partnership in Curriculum Design

Collaboration between staff and students for improved curriculum design is presented as highly beneficial in many contexts. In particular, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is seen as facilitating co-design and collaboration. However, students tend not to be actively involved in curriculum change, especially in whole programme design or review. Furthermore, few studies consider partnership with students in the context of ESD inclusion, which was the focus for this collaboration. The aim of this study was to explore staff and student perceptions of participating in a collaborative approach to the review and development of the undergraduate law curriculum in a university in the UK. A developmental evaluation using mixed methods was used to study the expectations and experiences of students and staff through a process of curriculum review and change to incorporate ESD. Our findings demonstrate the rewards of a collaborative process incorporating diverse perspectives. However, they also highlight barriers for students and staff, including perceptions of risk associated with student involvement in the process, and we offer reflections on navigating these potential risks.

Developing Professional Skills for the Workplace: A Student-Staff Partnership to Create University-Wide Learning

Developing Professional Skills for the Workplace: A Student-Staff Partnership to Create University-Wide Learning

Enhancing research on the undergraduate psychology curriculum through student-teacher partnership. Reflections from an undergraduate student co-researcher and academic lecturer co-researcher

This article draws on the perspectives of an undergraduate student co-researcher and a psychology lecturer who worked in partnership on a small qualitative research project. The project explored the experiences of undergraduate students on a second-year psychology research methods module at a university in the United Kingdom. Reflecting on our experience of working in partnership on this research we explore the meaning of student-teacher partnership, drawing on theory and literature around student-teacher partnerships in learning and teaching to contextualise our reflections. We reflect on the ethical and practical implications of staff-student partnership in the process and product of the research and explain how the student-teacher partnership enhanced the study design, interpretation of research findings and dissemination of the research. We explore what we perceived the benefits and challenges of the student-teacher dyad to be through reflective accounts of our own experiences during the project. We will explain how working in collaboration helped generate a more rounded perspective of student experience and provided concrete, meaningful practical implications for the curriculum and a reflective aid for future student co-researchers within the school of Psychology. The article will conclude with consideration of the broader implications of our experiences and how what we learned through this process can be applied in other contexts where educators are considering how to involve students in research which is for and about their learning.

Medical student attitudes to patient involvement in healthcare decision-making and research

ObjectivePatient involvement is used to describe the inclusion of patients as active participants in healthcare decision-making and research. This study aimed to investigate incoming year 1 medical (MBChB) students’ attitudes...

Student-Staff Partnerships, Internally Generated Revenue and Financial Inclusion towards Entrepreneurial Venture in Nigerian Universities: Systematic Review of Literature

This systematic review of the literature includes an assessment of student-staff partnership, internally generated revenue (IGR), and financial inclusion in Nigerian universities with an eye toward entrepreneurial ventures. Financial inclusion promotes the development and entrepreneurial ventures. There have been studies on IGR student-staff partnerships and financial inclusion in Nigerian universities. This study synthesizes and evaluates previous research. During the systematic review, academic databases are searched. Fifty eligible studies were examined. We shed light on the student-staff partnership, financial inclusion, and IGR in Nigerian university entrepreneurial ventures. Financial inclusion in the analysis is defined as financial resources, financial literacy, and student and staff entrepreneurial venturing. It emphasizes IGR as a trustworthy source of funding for university entrepreneurial ventures. Student-staff partnerships as joint research, mentoring, and student-led businesses, according to the review, promote financial inclusion. The synthesis recommends a coordinated approach to evaluating financial inclusion from IGR and student-staff partnerships in Nigerian universities. More research on entrepreneurial venture and financial inclusion strategies, best practices, and policy recommendations is required. This systematic review of the literature summarizes financial inclusion, IGR, student-staff partnerships, and entrepreneurial ventures in Nigerian universities. The findings support the creation of targeted initiatives by policymakers, university leaders, and researchers to improve financial inclusion, empower students and members of staff, and foster a thriving entrepreneurial venture ecosystem in Nigerian universities.

Student-staff partnership in India: A future possibility within contested terrain?

Existing literature on named “students-as-partners” (SaP) practices suggest that these practices are still in their embryonic stage in Southeast Asia. In addition, the literature on SaP that supports it as a global practice has not examined the suitability of student partnership (SP) practices in Indian higher education (HE) yet. It is here that this paper seeks to contribute by examining Indian students with experiences in being a student partner in an Australian university to reflect on the challenges and possibilities in relation to implementing these practices in Indian HE. Adopting a postcolonial theoretical frame, this paper examines empirical evidence from an informal group discussion among six Indian collaborators. The data, analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis suggested by Braun and Clarke (2019), provide four interrelated themes that focus on the suitability of these practices in India intertwined with the inherent challenges. The study argues in favour of context-specific adaptation of the practice. Through the Indian students’ experiences, it adds to the ongoing conversations about knowing and understanding SaP in new ways and about positioning students as knowledgeable individuals, which is at the core of partnership practices. By bringing the voices of Indian students to the fore, this article argues in favour of embodying SaP as culturally relevant or a decolonising practice.

Looking back to move forward: Evaluating an institutional staff-student partnership programme

ABSTRACT As higher education institutions increasingly seek to scale and access the benefits of staff-student partnerships more routinely many have established institutional programmes. Insight into scaling partnership activity across the institution is integral to the success of such programmes. This qualitative study investigates how a new programme at a UK university sought to establish the conditions for successful partnership working. A series of semi-structured interviews offer insights into the early experiences of the programme. By adopting a reflexive thematic analysis we find that partnerships are vulnerable to variable approaches to facilitation and that a greater emphasis on staff preparedness is warranted. The research uncovered tensions between the partnership scheme and other forms of student engagement e.g. student representation. As a result, clarity around the identity of partnership schemes, what partnership working involves and how it interacts with other student opportunities across the institution is critical.

‘How was it for you?’ The impacts of student-staff partnerships in developing online teaching and learning

ABSTRACT The seemingly relentless drive across Higher Education (HE) Institutions to integrate both face-to-face and online forms of delivery to create blended approaches to teaching and learning shows little sign of abating. Yet, as blended forms of delivery become increasingly prevalent, existing literature suggests that the perspectives and experiences of students often remain overlooked. This article adopts the position that students are expertly situated to provide insider perspectives that are not always accessible to, or recognised by, those implementing these developments, with regular, intentional attempts to draw upon students’ views and perspectives remaining under-utilised and infrequent. Alongside similar studies internationally, this article reveals the potential of establishing collaborative partnerships between students and staff through a process of pedagogic consultancy to better-inform improvements to curriculum and programme design. Employing a participatory action research methodology, this article explores and analyses the lived experiences of ten undergraduate students and five academic staff members working in student-staff partnership (SSP) within a UK HE context. Findings largely endorse the use of SSP, indicating positive implications for promoting student empowerment, improvements in understanding and engagement, and the overall student experience. However, questions are raised relating to an apparent disconnect between differing epistemologies of staff and some students, the legitimacy and agency of student-researchers, and how SSP can be introduced as part of programme delivery in an authentic way. The authors advocate establishing SSP as part of provision, with the caveat that there must be broader institutional buy-in and robust infrastructure in place for it to be successful.

“Trusted in Being the Experts of Being a Student”: Participatory Evaluation in Higher Education

This report describes a participatory evaluation of a postgraduate course delivered at the University of Winchester in the UK. The PGCert/MA in Student Engagement in Higher Education utilized sector-leading practices and research to explore student engagement in contemporary higher education. As co-creation, co-design, and staff-student partnerships are integral concepts within student engagement scholarship and practice, a congruent participatory evaluation of the PGCert/MA was conducted. This approach utilized an Advisory Group of current students and graduates to co-construct a Theory of Change, design data-gathering methods, and support the synthesis of findings and associated recommendations. This report provides details of the stages of this evaluation and the participatory activities which were designed and delivered. In addition to providing a robust conclusion on the process, impact, and outcomes of the course, this report discusses the benefits and challenges of participatory evaluation.