Jisc Change Agents' Network Conference 2024

The ascension of Students as Partners (SaP) in a myriad of educational domains worldwide has accentuated its evolution into a prominent student-centric pedagogy. Nonetheless, discernible gaps exist in research regarding the clearly defined structures of partnership levels within SaP. The majority of existing studies primarily focus on SaP's inception, with alarmingly few delving into the impact of diverse partnership models on SaP's effectiveness. The present study seeks to highlight the importance of comprehending the distinct roles within SaP in order to maximize its potential in augmenting teaching and learning outcomes.

Based on a systematic review of 70 empirical studies, this paper unveils four key roles enhancing student agency in pedagogical partnerships or student-staff co-creations: co-designer, co-evaluator, co-assessor, and co-teacher. However, a prevailing overemphasis on student voice channels a lack of understanding of SaP's core components and impedes the evaluation of SaP activity quality. Findings reveal that co-teaching and co-evaluation, while integral to SaP, hold constrained significance for its overall growth, particularly in terms of advanced level initiatives.

This study posits that SaP transcends mere student voice collection and encompasses a series of intertwined teaching and learning activities including program design, assessment, and reflection. The underrepresentation of co-assessors in the sample reflects a dearth of advanced-level pedagogical partnerships, such as students participating directly as assessors/markers. This observation exemplifies a significant developmental issue within SaP.

In conclusion, this study emphasizes the necessity for broadened, context-specific investigations in SaP to optimize its potential as an all-inclusive pedagogical approach. This entails an essential transition from SaP exploration to achieving high-quality partnerships — a transition predicated on a deep understanding of SaP's primary elements and a robust evaluation of SaP activities.