September Report examines barriers to inclusion experienced by undergrads

Researchers at University of Galway have revealed some of the lived experiences of undergraduate students before and during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The report examines barriers to inclusion experienced by different student groups, including international students, those from an ethnic minority, students with disabilities and LGBT+ students.

All students were undergraduate students in the College of Business, Public Policy and Law at the University of Galway.

The report addresses undergraduate student experiences both before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, with data gathered from 2018 to 2021 through online surveys, individual interviews and focus groups. In total, 1391 students contributed to the research.

Dean of Students, Professor Ciara Meehan, launched the report, and said: “The young people who went through education during the pandemic demonstrated enormous achievements and resilience. Every one of them should recognise this and remember that it will stand to them in time. As a University, it is important for us to engage with our students, to hear their voice and to respond appropriately. The pandemic was a unique challenge for us all and we are grateful to our research team of Dr Shivaun Qunilivan and Lucy Ann Buckley for working to record the experiences of our students and offer learnings.”

Dr Shivaun Quinlivan, joint lead of the Inclusive Learning at University of Galway project and co-author of the report, said: “In order to improve inclusion, we first have to understand the barriers to inclusion and participation experienced by students at the University of Galway.  We felt it was really important to engage with our students, and hear their voice – this will enable us to take steps to address the issues they face. We hope the lasting legacy of this research will be to improve the learning experience for all our students.”

Key findings:

• A significant majority of students surveyed prior to the pandemic considered their learning environment to be inclusive. In many cases, staff were praised for their commitment and support, and students emphasised that staff were approachable and helpful.
• Students had different views on the impact of the pandemic, but a significant majority identified negative effects on their learning, including social isolation, decreased motivation, greater anxiety, difficulties accessing learning resources and increased workload.
• In one survey with second year students, conducted during the pandemic, nearly three quarters of respondents considered that Covid-19 had made their learning environment less inclusive.
• Racism was not identified as a major difficulty, though some students had negative experiences.
• Many international students, and also students in large classes, emphasised how difficult it could be to get to know other students, leading to loneliness and isolation.
• Some international students also highlighted instances of culture shock, leading both to social and learning difficulties.
• Students who were carers identified the need for greater flexibility in relation to course deadlines and participation, the need to schedule classes and events at accessible times, and difficulties related to childcare that impacted their learning.
• Students with disabilities raised a range of issues regarding accessibility, including issues relating to physical infrastructure and learning materials. However, they also identified significant positive supports in their learning environment, particularly from the University’s Disability Support Service. Students with disabilities were also more likely to feel excluded at social events.
• LGBT+ students identified issues related to inclusive language, visibility and representation. Multiple students highlighted the importance of teaching staff using correct pronouns or inviting students to indicate their pronouns in teaching contexts.
• Some students identified ways in which the learning environment could exclude those who were socially or economically disadvantaged. This included a failure to appreciate the financial strain some students were under, scheduling classes after 5pm (when students needed to work), and in some cases stereotypical assumptions and statements.

The report was prepared by the Inclusive Learning in the College of Business, Public Policy and Law project team, led by Dr Shivaun Quinlivan and Professor Lucy-Ann Buckley, with research by Dr Dinali Wijeratne.

Recommendations:

The report made a range of recommendations for the University, some of which are already acted upon, including the development of an anti-racism policy; reasonable accommodation policy; training on issues related to equality, diversity and inclusion.

The report also urged measures to promote accessibility; regular student culture surveys; reduction in class sizes where possible; social events to encourage inclusion and address student isolation; additional resourcing for key support services; and enhanced data gathering and monitoring.

Ends