Educators' conceptions of student diversity in their classes

Sue Gordon*, Anna Reid, Peter Petocz

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    34 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    This article reports on an international study investigating university educators' ideas about the diversity of their students, carried out by using semi-structured email interviews. The information obtained from participants was analysed using a phenomenographic approach to obtain an outcome space, in which the narrowest conception ignored any differences between students, the broader conceptions made allowance for such differences, while the most expansive conceptions utilised diversity as an essential pedagogical resource. Educators' ideas are illustrated by quotes from their interview records, and the analysis is situated in the broader debate about the nature and role of difference and diversity in higher education and beyond.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)961-974
    Number of pages14
    JournalStudies in Higher Education
    Volume35
    Issue number8
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Dec 2010

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