Rethinking 'disadvantage' in higher education

A Paradigmatic Case Study Using Narrative Analysis

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4098728
AutoresDelia Marshall (0000-0003-1799-3478, University of the Western Cape, autor de correspondencia), Jennifer Case (0000-0002-0186-9803, University of Cape Town)
Año2010
Volumen35
Número5
Páginas491-504
Fecha de publicación2010-08-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaStudies in Higher Education (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0307-5079 • E-ISSN: 1470-174X
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/03075070903518386
OpenAlexW1965334140
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas23
Referencias citadas25

This article explores the use of narrative analysis to provide a methodology for student learning research with a sociocultural orientation. The narrative which is the primary focus of this article is drawn from a study in which a series of individual interviews was conducted with a class of senior engineering students. The interview with a particular student emerged as a ‘paradigmatic’ case, in that it represented a rich example of student success against a background of disadvantage. The analysis presented in the article leads to a questioning of some of the commonly held views on disadvantage in higher education. It is argued that the coping strategies developed in a ‘disadvantaged’ social background could form useful resources for succeeding in higher education, and that the construction of identity could be crucial for mobilising these resources. Questions are consequently raised about the extent to which these aspects of personal growth are supported by the formal curriculum and the professional workplace

Curriculum · Disadvantage · Disadvantaged · Higher education · Narrative · Narrative inquiry · Pedagogy · Political science · Qualitative research · Semi-structured interview · Social science · Sociocultural evolution · Sociology · Evaluation of Teaching Practices · Higher Education Learning Practices · Psychology · Reflective Practices in Education · Social Psychology