Listening to the student voice: using BNIM to explore the first year university student experience

1. Listening to the student voice: using biographic
narrative interpretative method to explore the
first year student experience
Debbie Holley
Anglia Ruskin University
1

2. Background to Project
 Sense of Belonging at:
– Queen Mary University
– London Metropolitan University
– University of Westminster
 One aspect of the social context of special relevance to
education is students’ sense of belonging or psychological
membership
 Developing a Sense of Belonging is a particular challenge for
inner city universities with their diverse student body (Stuart,
Lido & Morgan 2009)
2

3. Session Today:
 An introduction to our
project & BNIM
 Exercise
 Extract from one interview
‘The Boxer’
 Project website
http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/lmbs/research/ceber/research-projects/students-s
heavenawaits.wordpress.com

4.  “The Fighter” I would love to go against anything
“…a rebellious person but
anyone says.”
 “Anyone can argue me down, I will argue down, I won’t stop, I will
never give up. And that’s what I love…I was there as well in the
front row, I never back down, trust me.”
 “…so I proved them wrong…”; “...I’ve proved everyone wrong and
that’s what I loved, that’s it.”
 “Like when I’m with my family I don’t feel like I belong there
because everyone’s just screaming and they’re crazy…there are
people who are against you and they’re really rebellious, I don’t
feel like I’m accepted there as well.”
 “...it’s different for me” and “it really felt like yes, social class is
showing here big time.”
 “It’s like they give me an active role and they welcome me warmly
and they don’t make me feel like I’m an outsider.”
4

5. Research shows that among undergraduate
students, Sense of Belonging leads to...
Linked to lecturers caring
Greater involvement in campus organisation
Lower level of depression/loneliness among African
American and Caucasian students
Less racial climate among Latino students
Students at a disadvantage may benefit more
from a sense of belonging than other groups
(Anderman & Freeman 2004, Hurtado & Carter 1997, Mounts 2004)
5

6. Research Methodology
(a mixed methods study)
 Psychological Sense of School
Membership (PSSM)
(Goodenow 1993)
Questionnaire to 1,300 first-year, first-
semester students
 Selected interviews qualitative
tradition of ‘cultural stories’ (cf
Miller & Glassner 1997)
BNIM interviews – several undertaken,
three per institution comprise case
studies
 Areas of interest: students’
narration of their experiences
of belonging
6

7. Alternative terms for the main research
paradigms
 Positivistic paradigm  Phenomenological
 Quantitative paradigm
 Objectivist  Qualitative
 Scientific /  Humanistic
Experimentalist  Subjectivist
 Traditionalist  Interpretivist*
Figure 3.1 (Collis & Hussey 2003:47)
Positivistic Interpretivist

8. Gestalt theory
Max Werth
 Traditional psychology of time, both US & eimer
(1880-1943
German – to do with structure of mind and move )
towards analysis of contents of consciousness
(eg mosiac of tiny patches of colour, put these
together to make up scene we observe)
 Wertheimer challenged this view - we see a
scene as a meaningful whole – applied to
learning – parts are dynamically interrelated in
such a way the whole cannot be inferred from
the parts taken separately
 Most important contribution of gestalt theory to
understanding of learning is to the study of
insight (cf ‘Threshold concepts)
Other theorists: Koffka;Kohler;
 For Contrast - see work of Guthrie
 Critique – remains European viewpoint, not
popular with US as various forms of
behaviourism dominant

9. BNIM is not a clinical, scientific approach
For interviewing:
‘adopting an interview strategy that minimises (for as long as
possible) the interviewer’s concerns (systems of values and
significance) to allow the fullest possible expression of the
concerns, the systems of value and significance , the life-world
of the interviewee” (Wengraf, 2001:69)
This process helps to minimise power relationships and brings to
the forefront areas of the interview where ‘issue’ occur

10. Exercise:
 In pairs – one is interviewer (A) other is
interviewee (B)
Interviewer – please do not interrupt!
 (A) to ask (B) reason why they are here in
class today (2 minutes)
 Then swap – (B) now interviewer – ask (A)
same question 2 minutes
 How does it feel to be (a) or (b)?

11. SQUIN (Single Question aimed at
Inducing Narrative)
“I am interested in your reasons for coming to
this event. What made you decide to come here
today?
Start wherever you like….etc. I will just listen. I
won’t interrupt…”
11

12. Coding the interview: (Wengraf)
D= Description – timeless, no events taking place
A= Argumentation – develop argument, theorising,
position taking…usually with person’s “self”
R= Reporting – objective events of a life – first I did
this…then I did that…
N= Narrative – telling of a story
E= Evaluation – the moral of my story…and so you
see….xyz came about…
Data analysis
12

13. ‘The Boxer’
Biopic
‘The Boxer’ is a young Asian man who self selected for interview.
He has an sharp and combative narrative style that frequently
draws upon the gym as a analogy.
Narrative pattern/style:
Reporting - Detailing experiences using an evaluatory style
(delivers a punch-line with repeated ‘fighting’ analogy) which is
consistently applied UNTIL he narrates a life-changing event which
changes the dynamic of the discourse (disclosure) – reverts to
short period of reporting which becomes externally-positioned
(them, not me) - justification

14. “The Fighter”
 “…a rebellious person but I would love to go against anything
anyone says.”
 “Anyone can argue me down, I will argue down, I won’t stop, I
will never give up. And that’s what I love…I was there as well
in the front row, I never back down, trust me.”
 “…so I proved them wrong…”; “...I’ve proved everyone wrong
and that’s what I loved, that’s it.”
 “Like when I’m with my family I don’t feel like I belong there
because everyone’s just screaming and they’re crazy…there
are people who are against you and they’re really rebellious, I
don’t feel like I’m accepted there as well.”
 “...it’s different for me” and “it really felt like yes, social class is
showing here big time.”
 “It’s like they give me an active role and they welcome me
warmly and they don’t make me feel like I’m an outsider.”
14

15. University Life
 “Sir Man!” Interesting use of address which implies a combination of
respect (sir) and comfort (man) - vernacular
 Expresses tensions in fitting in among a diverse range of ethnic
backgrounds and considers this a shared experience by other
students.
 Continuous awareness of class distinctions/boundaries…”it’s different
for me” – works at mediating this by joining certain societies (political
party, debating) he considers exclusive and elitist, but experiences
acceptance which is self-validating although he expresses that this is
not achieved without ‘a fight’. Attempts to create ‘spheres of
influence’.
 He relates parts of the physical environment to cultural zones; the
Zone is where African people chill, the Quad is literally Pakistan. He
sees an exclusive territorial behaviour, which is not replicated in his
view of the world.

16. Links to literature
‘The Boxer’ places emphasis on the nature of the teaching he
receives, suggests that his experience of teaching in the
university environment exceeds that of his prior expectations.
He holds the academic staff in high regard. Such affiliation of
students towards faculty members has been reported to
enhance student sense of belonging (Hamilton, McFarland,
Mirchandani 2000). Additionally, Kember, Ho, Hong (2010)
emphasis the importance of teachers as; ‘available, friendly
and helpful’.
These were the factors, which underlined the building of close
student-staff relationships. In an American study of black
students, Rice and Alford (1989) also posit the importance of
student access to teaching staff as relevant.

17. Links to literature
 ‘The Boxer’ places high value on the teaching he
has received at university and his perception of
increasing his own knowledge and understanding,
appears to have provided ‘psychological energy’
(Braxton et al 2000, Berger & Milem 1999) which is
required for increased socialisation on campus.

18. Fitting in
 ‘The Boxer’, in relating his perception of some
university areas as places for other races, suggests
that he perceives himself to be in an environment of
other races. The perception of not fitting-in has been
related to students who are not part of the majority,
in terms of race, and as such, may lack self-esteem
(de Beer, Smith & Jansen 2009). Hurtado et al
(2007) state the importance of ‘cross-racial
interactions’ for higher sense of belonging on
campus.

19. Literature Themes
1. Culture & Self-Perception Chow & Healy (2008)
de Beer, Smith & Jansen (2009)
Kember, Ho, Hong (2010)
2. University Branding and Dixon & Durrhiem (2004)
the Physical Environment Haussmann et al (2009)
3. Induction & Transition Braxton, Milem & Shaw-Sullivan
(2000)
Edward (2003)
Vinson et al (2010)
4. Teaching and (Group) Hamilton, McFarland & Mirchandani
Belonging (2000)
Levett-Jones & Lathlean (2008)
Meeuwisse, Severiens &Born (2010)
5. Career focus Edward (2003)

20. Team members
I am working as part of a wider project team:
Queen Mary University:
Guglielmo Volpe (leading on Quantitative Research)
Westminster University:
Helen Pokorny David Chalcraft, Debbi Husbands
London Metropolitan University:
Linda Johnson, Suzanne Kane, Myrtle Emanuel, Ronke Shoderu
20

21. References
Berry, J. & Loke, G. (2011). Improving the degree attainment of black minority ethnic students. Higher Education
Academy, Equality Challenge Unit.
Chinwe, U.L., McMahon, H., Furlow, G.H. & Carolyn, F. (2008). School belonging, educational aspirations, and
academic self-efficacy among African American male high school students: implications for school counselors.
Professional School Counselling.
Coker, A. (2003). African American Female Adult Learners: Motivations, Challenges and Coping Strategies.
Journal of Black Studies. 33(5), 654-674.
Craig, S., Hall, J. & Peat, J. Final Report - Journeys to Success – an investigation of the factors which impact
positively on the academic attainment of Black and minority ethnic students at Roehampton University.
Edwards, N.S. (2003). First impressions last: An innovative approach to induction. Active Learning in Higher
Education, 4(3), 226-242.
Erling, E.J. (2009). An investigation into the relationship between the use of academic language and attainment
– with a focus on students from ethnic minorities. An OU publication.
Fee, H., Greenan, K. & Wall, A. (2010). An investigation into secondary school exit standards: Implications for
university lecturers. The International Journal of Management Education, 8(2).
Goodenow, C. (1993). The psychological sense of school membership among adolescents: Scale development
and educational correlates. Psychology in the Schools, 30, 79-90.
21

22. References
Hassanien, A. & Barber, A. (2007). An evaluation of student induction in Higher Education. International
Journal of Management Education, 6(3), 35-43.
Hamilton, D., McFarland, D. & Mirchandani, D. (2000). A decision model for integration across the business
curriculum in the 21st century. Journal of Management Education, 24(1), 102-126.
Hausmann, L.R.M., Ye, F., Schofield, J.W. & Woods, R.L. (2009). Sense of belonging and persistence in White
and African-American first-year students. Research in Higher Education, 50, 649-669.
Holley, D. Biographical Narrative
Hurtado, S., & Carter, D.F. (1997). Effects of college transition and perceptions of the campus racial climate on
Latino college students’ sense of belonging. Sociology of Education, 70, 324-345.
Wengraf, T. (2001). Qualitative Research Interviewing. London: Sage Publishing.
Wolfe, K., Potts, H.W.W. & McManus, I.C. (2011). Ethnicity and academic performance in UK trained doctors
and medical students: systematic review and meta-analysis, British Medical Journal (available online).
Zepke, L. & Leach. L. (2010). Improving student engagement: ten proposals for action. Active Learning in
Higher Education, 11(3), 167-177.
22