One size fits none in international higher education: A UK-based case study on how to foster inclusive participation and active engagement in the classroom

Abstract

This study analyses the challenges surrounding the promotion of inclusive participation and active engagement within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in an international context such as that of UK Universities. Starting from an analysis of the current UK Higher Education (HE) scenario (Organization of Economic and Cultural Development, 2019; Higher Education Statistics Authority, 2020), and giving an overview of the meaning of participation and engagement therein (Gibbs, 2014; Kubota, 2001; Ryan & Louie, 2007), this paper outlines the issues that may arise in HEIs. In line with research on participation and engagement in non-UK-based, albeit also international, institutions in Australia (Marlina, 2009), this paper presents evidence from student interviews on the same issues within the UK HE context during the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., June 2021). Similarly to the students in Marlina’s (2009) study, five undergraduate and postgraduate students from different fields at the University of Edinburgh report a preference to participate in classes where instructors create a welcoming and safe environment. Importantly, a ‘language barrier’ (Lomer, 2017) is attested even among students fluent in English, therefore showing that a high level of proficiency in a second language does not guarantee inclusion when participating and engaging in university settings. Consequently, this highlights the centrality of the ‘small culture’ (Holliday, 1999) co-created by teachers and learners in the classroom - that is, a safe space for students of all cultural, linguistic and socio-economic backgrounds, which facilitates comfortable participation and engagement within HE settings. Ultimately, this study offers some pedagogical reflections and recommendations on how to foster inclusive participation and active engagement for all HE instructors, and particularly for graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) given the specific teaching settings in which they operate and their unique role within HE.