Exploring staff–student partnership in curriculum design

Boyle, F. A., Buchanan, F. M., Ritchie, D. and Gamage, K. A. A. (2024) Exploring staff–student partnership in curriculum design. Education Sciences, 14(1), 61. (doi: 10.3390/educsci14010061)

Abstract

Collaboration between staff and students for improved curriculum design is presented as highly beneficial in many contexts. In particular, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is seen as facilitating co-design and collaboration. However, students tend not to be actively involved in curriculum change, especially in whole programme design or review. Furthermore, few studies consider partnership with students in the context of ESD inclusion, which was the focus for this collaboration. The aim of this study was to explore staff and student perceptions of participating in a collaborative approach to the review and development of the undergraduate law curriculum in a university in the UK. A developmental evaluation using mixed methods was used to study the expectations and experiences of students and staff through a process of curriculum review and change to incorporate ESD. Our findings demonstrate the rewards of a collaborative process incorporating diverse perspectives. However, they also highlight barriers for students and staff, including perceptions of risk associated with student involvement in the process, and we offer reflections on navigating these potential risks.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Gamage, Professor Kelum

Creator Roles

Gamage, K.: Writing – original draft, Writing – review and editing

• Authors: Boyle, F. A., Buchanan, F. M., Ritchie, D., and Gamage, K. A. A.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Systems Power and Energy
• Journal Name: Education Sciences
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2227-7102
• ISSN (Online): 2227-7102
• Published Online: 04 January 2024
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2024 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Education Sciences 14(1):61
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons license