In this series, we seek to focus on the unique voices of students with caring responsibilities, to highlight their successes, struggles and conundrums as well as share best practices for supporting them. Indeed, behind lecture halls, study spaces, research labs, pending assignments and timelines, there exists a hidden narrative of individuals who aren’t just students but also parents and/ or caregivers. For the span of this series – Being student parents/carers↗️, Teaching Matters makes its platform available to those students with such a unique learning experience.
Who are student parents/carers?
A student parent↗️ is any student who is either pregnant or taking care of a child alongside their studies. A student carer↗️ is any student who gives emotional or practical care to someone who would not be able to look after themself otherwise. To every parent who has juggled textbooks and bedtime stories, whose bookmark is a child’s drawing, and every carer who rushes back home to care for their loved one will hopefully find resonance in the testimonies in this series.
“As I sit down to write this intro post, I am reminded of a recent writing retreat, when I received a text from my husband just before school closing time that he was caught up in an emergency errand and couldn’t make it on time to pick up our son from school. I found myself walking frantically across the foyer, panicking and seeing if I could find one of my friends to pick up my son from school. After a couple of calls here and there, thank God, I could find someone to help me that day. I came back to my desk thinking where I had left and had lost my train of thought. I couldn’t write a word, until I got a text from my husband that my son is back home” – Sylvia (student parent).
How many times have we juggled multiple roles, trying to meet the demands of academia while managing the intricacies of personal life? It’s a journey familiar to many of us – balancing academic pursuits with the rest of our world. Discussing how being a mother and a doctoral researcher enhances and strains either identities, Shannon Mason, Melissa Bond & Susan Ledger (2023)↗️ share:
“…. doctoral research impacts the motherhood experience as much as the other way around, and that the impacts extend beyond the individual to programmes and institutions, as well as to families and the broader community…PhD mums can and do make excellent doctoral researchers”.
The series is set to feature blog posts that shed light on:
- the unique challenges student parents and carers face in balancing academic and caring responsibilities.
- how these responsibilities intersect with academic pursuits, like study schedules, participation in extracurricular activities, etc.
- the associated stigmas or stereotypes – how it affects students’ university experience
- the role of educators and institutional policies in creating an inclusive learning environment
- the support systems available and how to improve them
The aim of this series is to illuminate the often-overlooked narratives of student-parents and carers within the university community as provide insights into the diversity of our student community. Additionally, the series aims to highlight the crucial role educators and institutional policies play in creating an inclusive learning environment for such students. By shedding light on available support systems across the university, the series aims to identify areas for improvement and advocate for enhanced support mechanisms to empower these students in their academic journey.
Happy reading!
Reference
Shannon Mason, Melissa Bond & Susan Ledger (2023) How motherhood enhances and strains doctoral research/ers, Journal of Further and Higher Education, 47:8, 1087-1105, DOI: 10.1080/0309877X.2023.2218274↗️
Sylvia Joshua Western
Sylvia is currently doing her PhD in Clinical Education at The University of Edinburgh and has a Master’s degree in Clinical Education. Her PhD research explores test-wise behaviours in Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) context. Coming from a dental background, she enjoys learning about and researching clinical assessments. She works part-time as a PhD intern at Teaching Matters, the University’s largest blog and podcast platform through Employ.ed scheme at the Institute of Academic Development.
Joséphine Foucher
Joséphine completed her PhD in Sociology at The University of Edinburgh. Her research seeks to engage phenomenologically with artworks and the aesthetic experience which she argues provides a different epistemic access into the political and moral intentions of contested artists in contemporary Cuba. She supports Jenny Scoles as the Teaching Matters Co-Editor and Student Engagement Officer through the PhD Intern scheme at the Institute for Academic Development.
Elana Munasinghe
Elana is currently a third-year painting student at the Edinburgh College of Art. In spare time, Elana works with multiple mediums outside of painting such as: sculpture, illustration, and animation. Elana aims for my practice to reach a wider audience by exhibiting art on various platforms and exhibitions outside of my degree programme. Instagram: @elanasingha↗️