Research shows that students lacking a sense of belonging within higher education is one of the main reasons students drop out (Thomas, 2012, Shannon et al., 2019, UCL BAME toolkit, 2020) and that the impact of the campus climate (Hurtado and Carter, 1997) and of campus learning spaces (Gravatt et al. 2021) has also been shown to be an influencing factor on students鈥� connectedness to their institution, staff and other students (Thomas, 2012).听
This project will explore the City South general campus space and how learning and teaching spaces impact BCU primary ITE students鈥� feelings of belonging by capturing photographic images, drawings听and听feelings as students walk around the campus. The students will use these images and notes to cocreate a collage of their feelings and experiences and capture their experiences of learning and belonging at 探花直播. This research will use creative participatory methods to illuminate how space and materiality impact students鈥� sense of belonging.听
This research explores how our students experience the physical spaces, places听and听environment听in which听they are learning to become teachers.听听
Particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic learning and teaching in BCU and听in听higher education in general听has听seen a significant shift in the way听in听teaching is delivered, students learn听and听how students and their peers and students and their tutors connect and come together (McDougall, 2021). This project will help to illuminate some of the complexities involved in creating a sense of belonging post-pandemic. Gravett, Taylor听and听Fairchild (2021) suggest that current framings of staff-student relationships do not consider how much human relationships are entangled with the spaces, places听and听environment in which they occur.听
Improving NSS data is also a key priority area identified听on听the BA primary education course action plan. The aim is to increase student voice听particularly听around aspects of the student experience. Listening to year 1 students鈥� experiences will not only give the students a voice but will help the department and the university to improve the student experience and overall sense of belonging for all听students
The project enabled us to find out what really mattered to our students with听regards听the听physical spaces and how physical features support a sense of belonging. Aspects such as lighting, d茅cor听and听colour听were extremely important as well as social spaces where students can relax and eat together with their peers.听
The students also wanted to have specialist rooms, a library听and听dedicated student support on site.听
The project findings were presented to the senior leadership team during the refurbishment of the new education campus building, allowing the findings to feed into the design of the new building. The students were invited to co-present the research to the CSPACE community at the summer conference听2024.
Project Team:
- Louise Wheatcroft听
- Liz Lawrence
- Dominique Simpson
- Mary Bennett
- Rachel Jones
- Wes Till
- Emma Bloor