Promoting Equity And Justice Through Pedagogical Partnership in Higher Education

In today's society, promoting equity and justice is of utmost importance. In the field of higher education, it becomes even more crucial to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to succeed. This is where the concept of pedagogical partnership comes into play. Pedagogical partnership involves student-staff collaboration in the design, development, and evaluation of learning and teaching. By fostering a collaborative approach, higher education institutions can create an inclusive and just learning environment for all students.

The Need for Equity and Justice in Higher Education

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the systemic inequalities present in higher education. Students from marginalized backgrounds often face barriers that can hinder their academic success. These barriers can include lack of access to resources, cultural biases, and discrimination. It is the responsibility of higher education institutions to address these issues and create an environment that promotes equity and justice.

Promoting Equity and Justice Through Pedagogical Partnership (Higher Education)

by Alison Cook-Sather (Kindle Edition)

4.7 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	4837 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	187 pages

FREE

Promoting equity and justice in higher education goes beyond just providing equal opportunities. It involves acknowledging and challenging the structures and practices that contribute to inequality. By doing so, institutions can create a learning environment that is inclusive and supportive for all students.

What is Pedagogical Partnership?

Pedagogical partnership involves students and staff working together as equal partners in the design, development, and evaluation of learning and teaching. It shifts the traditional power dynamic between students and staff, recognizing that students have valuable insights and perspectives to contribute to their own education.

Through pedagogical partnership, students become co-creators of knowledge, actively involved in shaping their learning experience. This approach empowers students to take ownership of their education and enhances their sense of belonging within the institution.

The Benefits of Pedagogical Partnership

Pedagogical partnership has numerous benefits for both students and staff. For students, it provides a sense of agency and empowerment. They are no longer passive recipients of knowledge but active participants in the learning process. This can lead to increased motivation, engagement, and retention rates among students.

Furthermore, pedagogical partnership can help address the barriers that marginalized students face in higher education. By involving students from diverse backgrounds in decision-making processes, institutions can gain valuable insights into the experiences and needs of these students. This can inform the development of more inclusive and culturally responsive teaching practices.

For staff, pedagogical partnership offers an opportunity for professional development. By engaging in collaborative teaching practices, staff can learn from students and gain new perspectives on their teaching methods. This can lead to enhanced teaching effectiveness and innovation in the classroom.

Implementing Pedagogical Partnership

Implementing pedagogical partnership requires a shift in mindset and institutional culture. It involves recognizing the value of student voice and agency in the learning process. Here are some strategies to promote pedagogical partnership in higher education:

1. Student-staff co-design of curriculum: Involve students in the design and development of the curriculum to ensure it meets their needs and interests.
2. Peer learning and support: Encourage students to learn from each other through collaborative projects and peer mentoring programs.
3. Student representation: Ensure that students have a seat at the table in decision-making processes within the institution.
4. Training and support for staff: Provide training and support for staff to engage in collaborative teaching practices and create an inclusive learning environment.
5. Evaluation and reflection: Regularly evaluate and reflect on the effectiveness of pedagogical partnership initiatives to make improvements and address challenges.

Promoting equity and justice in higher education is a collective responsibility. By embracing pedagogical partnership, higher education institutions can create an inclusive and just learning environment for all students. Pedagogical partnership empowers students, promotes student agency, and addresses the barriers that marginalized students face. It also benefits staff by enhancing their teaching effectiveness and professional development.

Implementing pedagogical partnership requires a shift in mindset and institutional culture, but the benefits far outweigh the challenges. Through collaborative efforts between students and staff, we can work towards a more equitable and just higher education system.

Promoting Equity and Justice Through Pedagogical Partnership (Higher Education)

by Alison Cook-Sather (Kindle Edition)

4.7 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	4837 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	187 pages

FREE

Faculty and staff in higher education are looking for ways to address the deep inequity and systemic racism that pervade our colleges and universities. Pedagogical partnership can be a powerful tool to enhance equity, inclusion, and justice in our classrooms and curricula. These partnerships create opportunities for students from underrepresented and equity-seeking groups to collaborate with faculty and staff to revise and reinvent pedagogies, assessments, and course designs, positioning equity and justice as core educational aims. When students have a seat at the table, previously unheard voices are amplified, and diversity and difference introduce essential perspectives that are too often overlooked.

In particular, the book contributes to the literature on pedagogical partnership and equity in education by integrating theory, synthesizing research, and providing concrete examples of the ways partnership can contribute to more equitable educational systems. At the same time, the authors acknowledge that partnership can only realize its full potential to redress harms and promote equity and justice when thoughtfully enacted. This book is a resource that will inspire and challenge a wide variety of higher education faculty and staff and contribute to advancing both practice and research on the potential of student-faculty pedagogical partnerships.

Presenting a conceptual framework for understanding the various epistemological, affective, and ontological harms that face students from equity-seeking groups in postsecondary education, Promoting Equity and Justice Through Pedagogical Partnership applies this conceptual framework to current literature in partnerships, highlighting the promise of partnership as the way to redress these harms.

The authors ground both the conceptual framework and the literature review by offering two case studies of pedagogical partnership in practice. They then explore the complexities raised by their framework, including the conditions under which partnerships themselves may risk reproducing epistemic, affective, or ontological harms. Applying the framework in this way allows them to propose strategies that make it more likely for these mediations to be successful.

Finally, the authors focus on the future of pedagogical partnership and share their perspectives on new directions for inquiry and practice. After summarizing the overarching themes developed throughout the book, the authors leave the reader with a set of questions and recommendations for further inquiry and discussion.