the case for epistemological access: supporting the
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The case for epistemological access: supporting the learning of
a diverse student body in South African higher education
Background
• South Africa • Johannesburg • UJ
Current National developments
• White Paper (2014) • Flexible Curriculum proposal (2013) • National cohort studies • National Development Plan
National Context (2006 cohort)
Graduated in 5 years (%) Estimated % that will never graduate
3 - Year degrees 53 41
4 - Year degrees 49 41
All 3 and 4 Year degrees 52 41
3 Year diplomas 42 50
All 3 and 4 year qualifications
48 45
Data sources
• Student Profile Questionnaire • Initial Student Experience Survey (ISES)
50.3
62.3
73.9 65.6
77.7 82.2 79.9
86.1 84
40.4
26.6 17.3
23.8 14.3 11.2 12
7 7.6
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Population group
African
White
42 36.7 37.3 40.5 39.2
45.5 43.4 46.1 46.1
58 63.3 62.7 59.5 60.8
54.5 56.6 53.9 53.9
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Gender
Male
Female
Theoretical framework
Epistemology: the theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope, and the distinction between justified belief and opinion.
http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/epistemology
“There are many dimensions to the kinds of deprivation suffered under Apartheid, but one stands out in this context. Apartheid Education generated and perpetuated cycles of epistemological deprivation, that is, it deprived many learners in our country of a fair opportunity to gain access to the kind of knowledge that is supposed to be distributed in formal schooling” Morrow 2007
Formal access vs epistemological access
• It is obvious that mere formal access to the institutions that distribute knowledge is different from, and not a sufficient condition for, epistemological access. To register as a student at a university is not yet to have gained access to the knowledge that the university distributes.
• Morrow, W. (1994)
• Epistemological access is not a product that could be bought or sold…
• But teaching cannot be successful unless learners see teaching as a co-operative task and have the appropriate self-understanding of themselves in relation to the practice in which they are trying to become participants
• Morrow, W. (1994)
Levels at which initiatives take place
• National • Institutional • Faculty • Department • Individual classrooms
3 UJ Case studies
• Faculty of Science • Faculty of Law • Faculty of Education
The Faculty of Science
• Particularly challenging environment • Poor school preparation • Particularly challenging subjects • Overconfidence and under-preparedness
54.4 54.3 49.2
63.1
51.9
61.8 63.4 61.1 62.9 66
46.5 45.7 50.7
35.1
42.8 38.2 36.6 38.9 37.1
34
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
%
First Generation status
First gen
Non-first gen
27.8 33.3 33.8
45.4
31.6
45.2 42.8 44.8 42.5
51
19 25.7 33.1 18.8 19.5 19.2 17
20.4 16 15.5
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
%
Datail on parental Edu
First in fam
Many people to Uni
49.7 41
32.4
23.8
33.6 40.2
32.6 30.1 32.4 37
50.3
59 59.9
76.2
66.4 59.8
67.4 69.9 67.6 59.5
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
%
Self rated English level
First lang
Non-first lang
Books in house
2013 2014 2015 Ten or fewer 41.4 42.9 44 More than 20 58.5 57.2 55.9
Books read
2013 2014 2015
None 16.5 12 16
Fewer than 5 46.2 47.3 41.5
Fewer than 10 21.6 24 23.5
More than 10 15.8 16.7 19
Do you have food problems?
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Yes 105 100 53 77 110 30.3% 29.2% 32.3% 32.1% 34.3%
No 241 242 111 163 211 69.7% 70.8% 67.7% 67.9% 65.7%
22.9
32.4 38.2
50
45.6
60.9 61.7 61.6 66.5
60.5
77.1
67.6 61.8
48.9
54.4
39.1 38.3 38.4 33.5
39.5
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
%
Are you worried that a lack of money will force you to abandon your studies
Yes
No
Some initiatives
• Intensive and integrated First Year Seminar (credit bearing) • Early content • Integrated literacies • Early lab experiences
• Mentoring • Interviews every term • Food • Mathematics classes every • Mathematics Learning Centre
The Faculty of Law
• Professional identity • No direct relation to school curriculum • Many students don’t know the field at all
58.5
41 40.4 40.5
51.9 56.2
48.4
58.1 62.7
41.4
59.1 59.3 51.2
48 43.8
51.6
41.9 37.4
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
First gen
First gen
Non first gen
39.6
27.7
34.8
25.9
37.7
42.3
34.8
45.3 40.7
26.3 29.9
32.6
31.7 28.7
19.7
27.7
22.1
13.6
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
First gen graded
First in fam
Many fam
42.1 22.7
52.2 50 51.9
49.5
51.9
46.2 44.2
37.3
57.9
77.3
47.7
50
48.1
50.5
48.1
53.8 55.8 62.7
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
English rating
First lang
Non first lang
Books in house
2013 2014 2015
Ten or fewer 24.4 37.3 37.3
More than 20 75.6 62.8 62.6
Books read
2013 2014 2015
None 7.1 12.8 10.2
Fewer than 5 38 40.7 47.5
Fewer than 10 29.9 25.6 18.6
More than 10 25 20.9 23.7
Do you have food problems?
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Yes 42 92 79 92 108
15.2% 20.8% 20.7% 21.1% 24.4%
No 235 326 303 344 335
84.8% 79.2% 79.3% 78.9% 75.6%
32.1 37.5
30
38.5 43.4
53.4
44
61.6 59.3
67.9 62.5
70
61.5 56.6
46.6
56
38.4 40.7
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Money worries
Yes
No
First Year Seminar (Orientation)
• Specialised first year seminar linked to professional identity
• Learning communities and a student awareness approach
• First year student committee • Tutors (role models, academic support, role play) • Court visits and practical experiences • Moot court
25
Mentor & Tutors 2014
26
Court visit
27
The Faculty of Education
• Bursaries available • Tough circumstances in schools
63.3 57.4
70.8 69.6
59.2
76.8 78.3 74.6
81 78.8
36.6 42.7
29.2 26.6 34.4 23.3 21.6
25.3 19.1 21.1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
First gen
First gen
Non first gen
39.4 42.6
53.3 58.2
48.3
64.1 64.7 60.7
65.3 64
19.7 23
16 11.4
19.9
9.4 8 11.7
7.5 7.2
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
First gen graded
First in fam
Many fam
26.8
31.1
22.1 20.3 28.2
34.5 30.4 31.8
19.4 26.7
73.2 68.9
77.9 79.7 71.8
64.2 69.6 68.2
80.6
69.1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
English rating
First lang
Non first lang
Books house
2013 2014 2015 Ten or fewer 52.3 54.9 52.5 More than 20 47.8 45.1 47.5
Books read
2013 2014 2015
None 17.2 9.3 10.6
Fewer than 5 45 48.5 50.8
Fewer than 10 20.1 25 18.6
More than 10 17.7 17.2 19.9
Do you have food problems?
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Yes 50 168 259 303 271
34.5% 39.3% 48.3% 40.6% 43.7%
No 95 259 277 444 349
65.5% 60.7% 51.7% 59.4% 56.3%
32.4 31.7
40.1 46.8
52.5
74 71 72.4 75 75
67.6 68.3
59.9
48.1
47.5
26 29 27.6 25 25
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Money worries
Yes
No
Initiatives
• Specialised FYS • Video recorded teaching practicals • School visits and school practicals • First year support • Student representation and involvement • Excursion • Fundsa Lushaka school
Are we making a difference?
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014(1)UG Total 77.7% 74.9% 78.3% 79.4% 82.1% 83.3% 84.5%Degrees 77.3% 74.8% 78.8% 78.4% 82.4% 82.8% 84.3%Diplomas 78.3% 75.1% 77.5% 80.9% 81.6% 84.1% 84.8%
74.0%
76.0%
78.0%
80.0%
82.0%
84.0%
86.0%
Undergraduate success rate
2014 Provisional
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014UG Degree Total 77.3% 74.8% 78.8% 78.4% 82.4% 83.0% 84.3%African 74.1% 71.7% 77.1% 76.7% 81.4% 82.0% 83.7%Coloured 73.1% 71.2% 76.7% 77.9% 80.9% 82.4% 83.4%Indian 77.0% 75.8% 79.2% 78.8% 84.2% 84.0% 86.9%White 83.5% 83.0% 84.0% 85.1% 87.2% 88.2% 87.9%
70.0%
72.0%
74.0%
76.0%
78.0%
80.0%
82.0%
84.0%
86.0%
88.0%
90.0%
UG degree success rate per population group
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014(1)UG Diploma Total 78.3% 75.1% 77.5% 80.9% 81.6% 84.1% 84.8%African 77.5% 74.3% 76.8% 80.5% 81.3% 83.9% 84.7%Coloured 77.3% 72.0% 77.2% 78.3% 78.6% 82.9% 82.4%Indian 80.7% 75.4% 76.0% 81.8% 81.6% 81.0% 87.9%White 86.6% 85.6% 87.3% 86.5% 87.2% 88.3% 87.2%
70.0%
72.0%
74.0%
76.0%
78.0%
80.0%
82.0%
84.0%
86.0%
88.0%
90.0%
UG diploma success rates per population group
Principles for facilitation Epistemological access • Know your students • Know your institution and your course • Meet your students where they are • Making the implicit explicit • Developmental time • Intentionality • Theoretical grounding and practical usefulness • Taking staff and students along • Changing the core and the surface
www.sanrc.co.za
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