Initiative

Mind the attainment gap: Changing the dominant discourse for Black students

Nottingham Trent University (2022)

In a multicultural higher education context, active learning pedagogy infuses a discourse around designing quality student experiences which help to narrow the attainment gap. Whilst literature on dominant university discourses are vast, less is known about how transformational person-centred design can help to guide a shift in the university’s paradigm.

This presentation aims to look at teaching and learning practice and the impact this has had on its students. It will explore the statistical data about the higher education attainment gap and its impact. It will examine dominant discourse theory and how this has shaped attitudes, opinions and beliefs, and how those beliefs appear natural and common in terms of supported teaching and learning practice. The paper concludes by challenging the traditional mindset of how teaching and learning pedagogic practice can be delivered, by introducing innovative person-centred design to help reduce the attainment differences.