Enabling pedagogies: a participatory conceptual mapping of practices at the University of Newcastle, Australia

This report provides a summary and discussion of key findings about the ethos, values and practices that constitute enabling pedagogies within the English Language and Foundation Studies Centre (ELFSC) at the University of Newcastle (UON). ELFSC has the oldest and largest enabling programs in Australia. The report documents these pedagogies in relation to their history and development. As an interdisciplinary study of the meta-conceptual approaches across the different disciplines and pedagogies in enabling programs, we explored the underlying pedagogic principles, ethical commitments and practices that have developed since the first enabling program was offered at UON in 1974. This is the first time this kind of research, which also contextualises the pedagogies within wider theory, has been undertaken. While the study is primarily focused on enabling programs, the majority of the educators interviewed also discussed their extensive experience teaching in undergraduate programs, and student participants were interviewed at the end of the last semester in the first year of their degree program. Some of the staff participants had also taught in schools. The report thus contains important principles for developing inclusive transition pedagogies across different programs. It contributes important concepts for fostering enabling pedagogies in the widest sense, within and beyond access courses.