The Role of First-hand Experience in the Development Education of University Students
This paper reports on a study visit to rural Zambia undertaken by groups of undergraduates studying education at a small university in the UK. The research conducted around the visit sought to answer the question: 'does first-hand experience of a developing country's education system chal...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
UCL Press
2009-04-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Development Education and Global Learning |
| Online Access: | https://uclpress.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.18546/IJDEGL.02.2.04 |
| _version_ | 1797896231585841152 |
|---|---|
| author | Daniel Davies Elaine Lam |
| author_facet | Daniel Davies Elaine Lam |
| author_sort | Daniel Davies |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper reports on a study visit to rural Zambia undertaken by groups of undergraduates studying education at a small university in the UK. The research conducted around the visit sought to answer the question: 'does first-hand experience of a developing country's education system
challenge British students' preconceptions of 'the South' and help them to understand development issues?' In order to answer this question we employed a case-study methodology. Selected participants' written reflections upon the Zambian visit were analysed, comparing the insights gained with
the group's preconceptions at the beginning of the module. These case-study students were also interviewed to probe issues arising from their written accounts. Initial findings suggest that the first-hand experience of education in a sub-Saharan African country had substantially augmented
their learning from the taught module, deepening understanding and expanding the affective and skills dimensions. Each of the case study students had brought different preconceptions to the experience and these were challenged or – in some cases – reinforced. This paper reports
findings from the case studies and discusses implications for the design of similar study visits. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T07:39:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f07e8d3e722a46c7ab42dc6f3df216d8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-5278 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T07:39:29Z |
| publishDate | 2009-04-01 |
| publisher | UCL Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Development Education and Global Learning |
| spelling | doaj.art-f07e8d3e722a46c7ab42dc6f3df216d82023-02-23T12:14:20ZengUCL PressInternational Journal of Development Education and Global Learning1756-52782009-04-012355210.18546/IJDEGL.02.2.04The Role of First-hand Experience in the Development Education of University StudentsDaniel DaviesElaine LamThis paper reports on a study visit to rural Zambia undertaken by groups of undergraduates studying education at a small university in the UK. The research conducted around the visit sought to answer the question: 'does first-hand experience of a developing country's education system challenge British students' preconceptions of 'the South' and help them to understand development issues?' In order to answer this question we employed a case-study methodology. Selected participants' written reflections upon the Zambian visit were analysed, comparing the insights gained with the group's preconceptions at the beginning of the module. These case-study students were also interviewed to probe issues arising from their written accounts. Initial findings suggest that the first-hand experience of education in a sub-Saharan African country had substantially augmented their learning from the taught module, deepening understanding and expanding the affective and skills dimensions. Each of the case study students had brought different preconceptions to the experience and these were challenged or – in some cases – reinforced. This paper reports findings from the case studies and discusses implications for the design of similar study visits.https://uclpress.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.18546/IJDEGL.02.2.04 |
| spellingShingle | Daniel Davies Elaine Lam The Role of First-hand Experience in the Development Education of University Students International Journal of Development Education and Global Learning |
| title | The Role of First-hand Experience in the Development Education of University Students |
| title_full | The Role of First-hand Experience in the Development Education of University Students |
| title_fullStr | The Role of First-hand Experience in the Development Education of University Students |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Role of First-hand Experience in the Development Education of University Students |
| title_short | The Role of First-hand Experience in the Development Education of University Students |
| title_sort | role of first hand experience in the development education of university students |
| url | https://uclpress.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.18546/IJDEGL.02.2.04 |
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