Striving Toward Social Justice: Promoting Equity and Inclusion in Higher Education Through Pedagogical Partnership

A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760). This special issue belongs to the section "Social Stratification and Inequality".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2024) | Viewed by 10256

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Education Department, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, USA
Interests: student-faculty pedagogical partnership; student voice; equity and justice in higher education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

You are invited to submit an Abstract for consideration for inclusion in “Striving toward Social Justice: Promoting Equity and Inclusion in Higher Education through Pedagogical Partnership”, a Special Issue of Social Sciences. I have detailed guidelines for submission below.

Most efforts to promote equity and inclusion in higher education are guided by shared underlying premises, such as conceptualizing differences as resources, considering the particular strengths and needs students bring, and designing learning environments and approaches that support all students so that they can succeed and thrive. They are also necessarily shaped by context-specific challenges and possibilities, including cultural norms, political agendas, institutional values, and individual commitments. Pedagogical partnership, co-creation, and students-as-partners work—similar but not synonymous terms—hold promise, but not necessarily a guarantee, of promoting equity and inclusion in higher education (Cook-Sather, 2020; de Bie et al., 2021).

For this Special Issue, I am calling for articles and reviews focused on pedagogical partnership understood as “a collaborative, reciprocal process through which all participants have the opportunity to contribute equally, although not necessarily in the same ways, to curricular or pedagogical conceptualization, decision making, implementation, investigation, or analysis” (Cook-Sather, Bovill, & Felten, 2014, pp. 6–7). Such partnership, as Gravett et al. (2019) note, is an ethos: “a dialogic and values-based approach to learning and teaching that has the potential to be transformative, developmental and fun” (p. 2586). Co-creation, as such work is also sometimes called, involves “shared decision-making, shared responsibility and negotiation of learning and teaching” (Bovill, 2020, p. 2), and it “disrupts the reductive teacher-student power hierarchy by granting agency and power to both sides to shape the classroom experience while also being cognisant of the different functional roles that each person inhabits” (student partner Jiayi Loh in Cook-Sather & Loh, 2023).

Abstracts should make clear and explicit how the full article or review will address the question of how pedagogical partnership can promote equity and inclusion in higher education, thereby striving toward social justice.

References

  • Bovill, C. (2020). Co-creation in learning and teaching: The case for a whole-class approach in higher education. Higher Education, 79, 1023-1037. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-019-00453-w.
  • Cook-Sather, A., Bovill, C., & Felten, P. (2014). Engaging Students as Partners in Learning & Teaching: A Guide for Faculty. Jossey-Bass.
  • Cook-Sather, A., & Loh, J. (2023). Embracing student agentic engagement and enacting equity in higher education through co-creating learning and teaching. In T. Lowe (Ed). Advancing Student Engagement in Higher Education: Reflection, Critique and Challenge.
  • de Bie, A., Marquis, E., Cook-Sather, A., & Luqueño, L. P. (2021). Promoting Equity and Justice through Pedagogical Partnership. Stylus Publishers. https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/books/promoting-equity-and-justice-through-pedagogical-partnership.
  • Gravett, K., Kinchin, I. M., & Winstone, N. E. (2019). ‘More than customers’: Conceptions of students as partners held by students, staff, and institutional leaders. Studies in Higher Education, 45(12), 2,574-2,587. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1623769

Dr. Alison Cook-Sather
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • student voice
  • equity and justice in higher education
  • social inclusion
  • student–faculty pedagogical partnership

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 236 KiB  
Article
Towards an Education Through and For Social Justice: Humanizing a Life Sciences Curriculum Through Co-Creation, Critical Thinking and Anti-Racist Pedagogy
by Amy Maclatchy, Lan Nguyen, Olorunlogbon Olulanke, Lara Pownall and Moonisah Usman
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(3), 136; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14030136 - 24 Feb 2025
Viewed by 353
Abstract
Degree awarding gaps highlight the inequitable outcomes of higher education (HE) for racially minoritized students in the UK. This ongoing issue has been described as a “wicked problem”, directly related to structural racism, or policies and practices that continually disadvantage racialized students. Movements [...] Read more.
Degree awarding gaps highlight the inequitable outcomes of higher education (HE) for racially minoritized students in the UK. This ongoing issue has been described as a “wicked problem”, directly related to structural racism, or policies and practices that continually disadvantage racialized students. Movements to decolonize the curriculum bring hope and the tools to rebuild more socially-just institutions and societies. However, it is sometimes questioned whether the field of science, with its guise of objectivity, needs decolonizing, or what that process involves. We argue that student partnerships are central to building decolonized science curricula that are critical, anti-racist and will evoke social change. In this study, conducted with life sciences students in a UK HE institution, we share critical reflections captured through a mixed methods approach to address how we create an education that is through and for social justice. Education through social justice aims to create equitable learning environments by addressing how structures and curricula invite, engage and support racially minoritized students to be partners in the learning journey. Whereas education for social justice is about co-creating curricula, teaching practices and principles that lead to change makers and fostering more socially-just societies. Our research indicates that an education that is both through and for social justice requires co-creation where traditional power hierarchies are dismantled, and mattering is emphasized. Partnerships and curricula must be centered in anti-racist practices, with a structured and intentional approach to developing critical thinking skills for continual reflection, self-development and actions to promote inclusion and equity in life sciences and society. Full article
20 pages, 248 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Interplay Among Student Identity Development, University Resources, and Social Inclusion in Higher Education: Analyzing Students as Partners Project in a Hong Kong University
by Peter Lau and Jiahui Zheng
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(3), 119; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14030119 - 20 Feb 2025
Viewed by 585
Abstract
Social inclusion is vital in teaching and learning, particularly within collaborative educational frameworks like the Students as Partners (SaP) initiative. This article delves into selected SaP projects regarding social inclusion in a Hong Kong university, focusing on understanding the complex interplay among student [...] Read more.
Social inclusion is vital in teaching and learning, particularly within collaborative educational frameworks like the Students as Partners (SaP) initiative. This article delves into selected SaP projects regarding social inclusion in a Hong Kong university, focusing on understanding the complex interplay among student identity development, university resources, and social inclusion. To achieve this, the study employs a qualitative research methodology, which allows for an in-depth exploration of the experiences and perspectives of students involved in the scheme. By analyzing student interview data, this article delineates the identity development process in SaP projects. Additionally, it explores aspects related to the university resources that support student partners throughout the social inclusion project implementation in the Hong Kong context. The results indicate that students are generally aware of social inclusion. Some of them developed a new identity to sustain a positive influence on social inclusion through SaP projects, along with the necessary university resources. Full article
13 pages, 215 KiB  
Article
Aiming to Improve Social Inclusion in Physician Assistant Students’ Classroom Experience Through Partnership
by Haili Dunbar, Rayne Loder, Hope Coleman-Plourde and Heather Dwyer
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(2), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14020115 - 19 Feb 2025
Viewed by 501
Abstract
Pedagogical partnership programs often facilitate collaborations between students and faculty to bolster inclusive instructional methodologies and equitable opportunities for classroom engagement. Improving equitable learning experiences for students is of particular importance within physician assistant (PA) education given the efforts toward increasing diversity within [...] Read more.
Pedagogical partnership programs often facilitate collaborations between students and faculty to bolster inclusive instructional methodologies and equitable opportunities for classroom engagement. Improving equitable learning experiences for students is of particular importance within physician assistant (PA) education given the efforts toward increasing diversity within the profession. We began to explore ways to increase social equity and inclusion in a PA program by incorporating a student–faculty partnership, which was established between an undergraduate student and a graduate PA program faculty member. The partnership included classroom observations, syllabus/lecture review, and mid-semester feedback from the student partner, as well as weekly meetings between the student partner and faculty member to iteratively revise approaches to course instruction and student engagement. At the end of the course, we gathered survey data on the partnership’s impact on PA students’ perceptions of classroom climate and the PA program in general. Student responses indicate that students experienced a sense of improved classroom climate, open communication, trust, and support because of the partnership. Full article
16 pages, 606 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Pedagogical Partnership on Students’ Professional Skills and Lives
by Nessren Ourdyl, Carie Cardamone and Heather Dwyer
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(2), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14020114 - 18 Feb 2025
Viewed by 532
Abstract
Pedagogical partnership experiences have been found to support students in developing professional skills, but there is little documentation on whether and how those skills are exercised later in the professional roles they might pursue. We were interested in this question, particularly given the [...] Read more.
Pedagogical partnership experiences have been found to support students in developing professional skills, but there is little documentation on whether and how those skills are exercised later in the professional roles they might pursue. We were interested in this question, particularly given the potential for pedagogical partnership to contribute to social equity by prompting the development and eventual application of skills that are critical for professional success yet often not explicitly taught. At an R1 university, one-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with alumni of a pedagogical partnership program to prompt reflection on skills they developed in their time in the program and how they might relate to their post-undergraduate endeavors, including academic and professional career contexts. Participants’ reflections suggested that involvement in pedagogical partnerships impacted their development and application of professional skills, such as relationship building, communication, ability to navigate power imbalances, pedagogical knowledge, and equity-related skills. It also contributed to the development of personal attributes such as self-confidence, resilience, and flexibility. Through this research, we uncovered ways in which pedagogical partnership programs can provide an opportunity for student partners, who often hold marginalized identities, to develop some of the tacit knowledge and skills necessary to become successful in their careers post-graduation. Full article
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21 pages, 281 KiB  
Article
Developing an Inclusive, Student-Led Approach to Scaling Up the Benefits of Pedagogical Partnership for Social Justice in Higher Education
by Alison Cook-Sather, Abhirami Suresh and Edmund Dante Nguyen
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(2), 79; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14020079 - 31 Jan 2025
Viewed by 667
Abstract
(1) Background: Uneven access to the experience of extra-classroom, student–faculty pedagogical partnerships, as well as the relatively small number of students who can participate in this work, raise equity concerns. Calls to scale up such partnership opportunities often focus on expanding the number [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Uneven access to the experience of extra-classroom, student–faculty pedagogical partnerships, as well as the relatively small number of students who can participate in this work, raise equity concerns. Calls to scale up such partnership opportunities often focus on expanding the number and kind of existing partnership projects in a given context, which requires resources and infrastructure that many institutions do not have. (2) Method: We took a students-as-co-researchers approach to a three-phase action-research project to test our hypothesis that (a) assessing the benefits of pedagogical partnership, (b) conceptualizing a new approach to fostering those benefits, and (c) piloting that approach could inform efforts at our own and other institutions to pursue social-justice goals in higher education. (3) Findings: Both our review of the wider literature and our analysis of our own partnership program’s student and faculty participant perspectives affirmed that participating in extra-classroom, student–faculty pedagogical partnerships fosters in students personal learning-related capacities, deepens understanding of other learners and of teachers, and builds career-ready competencies. The new scaling-up approach to fostering these benefits that we conceptualized and have begun to pilot has the potential to be more inclusive, equitable, and feasible than replicating existing extra-classroom pedagogical partnership models. (4) Conclusions: Creating such opportunities for students to develop educational, interpersonal, and professional capacities and competencies can contribute to equity and social justice in higher education. Full article
21 pages, 313 KiB  
Article
Partnership in the Classroom: Engaging Students Through Inclusive Student-Teacher Relationships to Advance Social Justice
by Tanya Lubicz-Nawrocka and Xiuxiu Bao
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(2), 75; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14020075 - 30 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1274
Abstract
Student-teacher relationships matter in creating inclusive student engagement opportunities in higher education. Student engagement is a wide-ranging topic, and much of the existing literature discusses student course representation (where student leaders gather feedback and work with staff to enhance the quality of courses) [...] Read more.
Student-teacher relationships matter in creating inclusive student engagement opportunities in higher education. Student engagement is a wide-ranging topic, and much of the existing literature discusses student course representation (where student leaders gather feedback and work with staff to enhance the quality of courses) and curriculum co-creation (where students and teachers partner in decision-making regarding aspects of a course) as two distinct approaches. However, there is a notable paucity of prior empirical research comparing the ways that student representation and curriculum co-creation can lead to different forms of relationship-building. Therefore, this qualitative study first examined student course representatives’ and co-creators’ perceptions of effective student-teacher relationships in courses, followed by an analysis of the differences in those relationships between teachers and (a) course representatives and (b) curriculum co-creators. We identified five elements of effective student-teacher relationships within the classroom context that help students feel included, connected, respected, valued, and inspired. We found that different communication structures inherent in course representation and curriculum co-creation yielded distinct contributions and risks in building inclusive student-teacher relationships. To deepen understanding of inclusive student engagement, we explore opportunities to enhance these relationships and work towards meaningful partnerships between students and teachers that can advance social justice. Full article
18 pages, 877 KiB  
Article
Social Justice Work in the University: Understanding Student and Staff Perceptions and Aspirations for Decolonising the Curriculum from a University-Wide Survey
by Kyra Araneta, Kelsea Costin, Jennifer Fraser, Fatima Maatwk, Özge Süvari and Esra Tahir
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(1), 37; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14010037 - 14 Jan 2025
Viewed by 903
Abstract
In recent years, we have seen social movement-based calls for social justice and decolonisation in universities around the world. Some of these have been in response to specific events such as the murder of George Floyd in 2020, while others are rooted in [...] Read more.
In recent years, we have seen social movement-based calls for social justice and decolonisation in universities around the world. Some of these have been in response to specific events such as the murder of George Floyd in 2020, while others are rooted in longer standing social movements such as Rhodes Must Fall. These movements have served as catalysts for universities to rethink their commitments to social justice. This article presents the preliminary findings of a university-wide research initiative focused on understanding student and staff perceptions of decolonisation and their aspirations for decolonial work within a post-1992 institution in the United Kingdom. Positioned within the university’s broader commitments to anti-racism and as part of a student–staff partnership project focused on interrogating contemporary coloniality, this research investigates how participants understand and experience decolonial initiatives as well as the perceived impact of these efforts on curriculum, relationships, and institutional culture. By conducting a survey, we sought to unravel the complexities surrounding how students and staff conceptualise decolonisation, articulate their aspirations for decolonial initiatives, and envision the potential of student–staff partnerships as catalysts for transformative social justice work within the university. This study aims to enrich the discourse on social justice work in higher education by offering a critical lens on decolonial efforts and highlighting opportunities for collective action to rethink knowledge production and pedagogical practices. Grounded in the belief that decolonial research partnerships between students and staff are essential, the survey and article were developed by six researchers—three staff members and three students. Full article
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13 pages, 237 KiB  
Article
Elevating Student Voice and Levelling Traditional Power Hierarchies Through Open Textbook Co-Creation: What Do Students Say?
by Bianca Masuku, Glenda Cox and Michelle Willmers
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14010006 - 27 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 966
Abstract
There are calls for the democratisation of higher education in line with the principles of social justice. Collaboration with students offers the potential for creating a more inclusive higher education environment, and open textbook development initiatives can be a vehicle for change. This [...] Read more.
There are calls for the democratisation of higher education in line with the principles of social justice. Collaboration with students offers the potential for creating a more inclusive higher education environment, and open textbook development initiatives can be a vehicle for change. This paper focuses on the experiences of students as co-creators in open textbook initiatives at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Drawing on interviews with 11 open textbook collaborators, this paper utilises Nancy Fraser’s social justice framework to explore students’ perspectives on injustices, challenges of collaboration and co-creation, and power dynamics in student–staff partnerships. The study shows that students experience and navigate various injustices in their classroom contexts related to economic maldistribution, cultural misrecognition and political misrepresentation. It reveals a complex interrelationship between student voice, power dynamics in the classroom, and the power of student–staff partnerships to build confidence and flatten hierarchies in open textbook co-creation. The student views presented here provide powerful evidence of a range of benefits they experience when the traditional hierarchies between student and lecturer are levelled through collaborative open textbook development processes. Results indicate that co-creation activities enabled them to have a voice through the power of publication and own their academic journeys. Full article
20 pages, 333 KiB  
Article
Safe Spaces to Discuss Wicked Problems: A Staff and Student Co-Creation Project on Addressing the Awarding Gap
by Syra Shakir
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(12), 653; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13120653 - 30 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1187
Abstract
This article discusses the impact of a staff and student co-creation project embedded within a core module, which worked to both explore and seek ways to address the awarding gap. The project established safe spaces for students to share difficult lived experiences at [...] Read more.
This article discusses the impact of a staff and student co-creation project embedded within a core module, which worked to both explore and seek ways to address the awarding gap. The project established safe spaces for students to share difficult lived experiences at the university, spanning an academic year, and included students in their final year of undergraduate study from a range of disciplines. Student experiences were gathered to inform policy and, with staff, co-created resources were developed and delivered for universities (at both our institution and two external universities) to address the awarding gap, adopting a decolonised and anti-racist approach. The project was vast and, therefore, this article presents only one part of the conducted research, which explored the project’s impact on co-creation students through a participatory evaluation approach known as the world café. The findings highlighted the positive effect of co-creation on students’ sense of belonging, friendships, and connection with faculty, and for the co-creation project to be embedded in the curriculum at all levels of study. Additionally, the students provided clear actionable recommendations for universities to improve student outcomes and address the wickedness of the awarding gap. Full article

Review

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13 pages, 221 KiB  
Review
Working for Social Justice: A Review of Students as Leaders in Pedagogical Partner Programs
by Melissa Scheve and Malia Piper
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(3), 155; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14030155 - 3 Mar 2025
Viewed by 484
Abstract
Students as Partners (SaP) programs have centered student voices since their inception. Student–faculty pedagogical partnerships are grounded in the notion that students have the expertise to contribute to faculty in preparing for, reflecting on, and revising teaching and learning practices in ways that [...] Read more.
Students as Partners (SaP) programs have centered student voices since their inception. Student–faculty pedagogical partnerships are grounded in the notion that students have the expertise to contribute to faculty in preparing for, reflecting on, and revising teaching and learning practices in ways that are inclusive and responsive to all learners. This expertise is based in part on their lived experiences—both as students and as members of the student populations that SaP programs were intentionally created to help empower (e.g., first generation, low-income, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of Color) and others marginalized in higher education). These students, in dialogue with faculty, help to expose equity issues across classrooms. As SaP programs have proliferated in colleges and universities across the globe, the student partners’ role as social justice advocates in these programs have expanded too. This review explores the pedagogical partnership literature over the past 20 years, to establish the ways in which undergraduate students and post-bacs have flourished in leadership roles in SaP programs: (a) acting as leaders for social equity on campus, (b) serving as peer mentors to new student partners in existing programs, (c) co-creating new programs, and (d) publishing in the literature. This review reveals opportunities for new directions with peer mentorship in SaP programs through the role of lead student mentors who can help to scale up SaP programs, support the emotional labor involved in partnership work, and create pathways to future social justice leadership opportunities. Full article
42 pages, 397 KiB  
Review
Bringing a Social Justice Lens to Matthews’ Five Propositions for Genuine Students-as-Partners Practice: A Narrative Review
by Ruth L. Healey
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(11), 577; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13110577 - 25 Oct 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1397
Abstract
In 2017, in the second issue of the International Journal for Students as Partners (IJSaP), Matthews presented five propositions for genuine students-as-partners practice. Whilst these propositions did not focus directly on social justice, a social justice ethos (seeking to achieve parity [...] Read more.
In 2017, in the second issue of the International Journal for Students as Partners (IJSaP), Matthews presented five propositions for genuine students-as-partners practice. Whilst these propositions did not focus directly on social justice, a social justice ethos (seeking to achieve parity of participation for all in higher education) was implicit within the discussion. Working with students as partners (SaP) can contribute to social justice, and a social justice perspective can contribute to the practice and conceptualization of students-as-partners work. From this perspective, I present a narrative literature review that brings a social justice lens to Matthews’ five propositions by examining 26 publications (research articles, case studies, reflective essays, and opinion pieces) in IJSaP concerning students-as-partners work. These are identified using the search terms “justice”, “equity”, “inclusion”, and “ethical”. The review provides clear examples of how the practice of working with students as partners can promote equity and inclusion in higher education, thereby striving toward social justice. Full article
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