Humanising research through research: The inclusion of student voice in curriculum renewal

Abstract

This study engages with student voice as a way of practising a university's transformative ideal of embracing humanising pedagogies. The study explicates the prototyping of a particular process of curriculum experimentation in the BEd Honours curriculum renewal journey in the Education Faculty 15 of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. The project, through the innovative redesign of a module, sought to teach the theories and practice of research, thereby creating valued spaces within which students were authorised to speak to the rigorously researched 'data' of their own and others' experiences, knowledges, analyses and reflections related to the BEd Honours programme offered at this university. Within this research project, a partnership with students was created in which 20 curriculum renewal was explored and practised as a joint responsibility. A qualitative research design was employed and six major themes linked to student voice emerged from an analysis of multiple data sources. The six themes show how a collaborative effort that created opportunities for students to empower themselves through their research enabled a more authentic inclusion of student voice in this context. 25

The basic trends of honors education in universities worldwide

“…The enriched learning experience provided by these programs is focused on broadening and creating new knowledge with special attention for more generic competences. The honors programs meet the needs of talented students 'to go beyond the beaten tracks' [35] and offer possibilities to students to distinguish themselves [2].…”

Powering Up Students to Challenge Their Own Deficit Views

“…Several factors that support engagement, raise motivation, and engender positive attributional styles have been reported in the literature. Programs that make connections to students' lives (Adam, Zinn, Kemp, & Pieterse, 2014) and offer variety, adventure, and fun (Brown, Reumann-Moore, & Hugh, 2009) help students challenge maladaptive thoughts and attributional styles. Furthermore, when teachers create positive relationships (Chadbourne & Pendergast, 2010) and address uneven classroom power dynamics, they help disrupt the cycle of failure.…”

Returning to the source: Reflexivity and transformation in understanding a humanising pedagogy

“…Key writings and readings also helped identify basic tenets such as critical consciousness (Bartolomé, 1994;Freire, 2003;Giroux, 2010;Salazar, 2013), the importance of emotions, care, and compassion (Noddings, 2005;Nussbaum, 2010), issues of mutual vulnerability and social justice (Keet et al, 2009), as well as issues of voice (Adam et al, 2014;Zinn & Rodgers, 2012) as important components of a humanising pedagogy. As part of our curriculum renewal journey, faculty members were exposed to these ideas during various engagements (workshops, seminars, meeting discussions, etc.…”

“…Denise Zinn had engaged in research and advocacy related to humanising pedagogies from a transformative perspective as part of her portfolio as Dean of the Faculty of Education at both the University of Fort Hare and NMMU. She has coauthored articles on the subject (Adam, Zinn, Kemp, & Pieterse, 2014;Keet et al, 2009;Zinn & Rodgers, 2012). Denise had been actively promoting the discourse in curriculum renewal frameworks as a leader of the NMMU's Institutional Research Theme on Humanising Pedagogies.…”