Jisc Change Agents' Network Conference 2024

In view of the 'relational and values-based’ nature of the SaP approach (Liang and Matthews, 2021:29) described as a ‘process of transformation of power dynamics between, and identities of, learners and teachers’, the role of culture in student-staff partnerships is an important consideration in SaP scholarship (Liang and Matthews, 2021:559).

In this session we will present findings of a paper exploring intercultural partnership dynamics through the use of collaborative autoethnography, submitted to the upcoming issue of the Journal of Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change. This exploration is a response to the call for ‘greater and more explicit attention to the role of culture in (re)shaping the power dynamics that unfold in all partnership practices’ issued by Zhang, Matthews and Liu (2022). It also adds to a broader debate and understanding of the inclusivity of SaP practices.

During the session we will discuss three potential practices which may aid students and staff in building authentic intercultural partnerships derived from our experiences and aimed at encouraging further reflection on the topic.