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Partnerships for Learning and Belonging in Tertiary Education: A Social Capital Analysis

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Transformations in Tertiary Education

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Abstract

Social capital refers to the benefits that accrue from social connections and networks. Most frequently linked with the work of Bourdieu and Putnam, the concept has found expression in the disciplines of sociology, political science and economics. In this chapter, we explore the application of social capital to tertiary education practices. Specifically, we examine the ways in which bonding, bridging and linking social capital can be applied to the common academic practices of student peer mentoring and staff peer observation of teaching. Findings from a range of studies show that the explicit development of trust, reciprocity, information sharing and cooperation in student and staff networks can improve learning experiences and enhance belonging. A social capital analysis of these partnerships suggests that investing in these types of partnerships amongst students and staff offers scalable, sustainable and cost-effective opportunities to strengthen tertiary education.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia

    Andrea Chester, Alexandra Johnston & Angela Clarke

Authors
  1. Andrea Chester
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  2. Alexandra Johnston
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  3. Angela Clarke
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrea Chester .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Belinda Tynan

  2. RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Tricia McLaughlin

  3. RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Andrea Chester

  4. RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Catherine Hall-van den Elsen

  5. RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Belinda Kennedy

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Chester, A., Johnston, A., Clarke, A. (2019). Partnerships for Learning and Belonging in Tertiary Education: A Social Capital Analysis. In: Tynan, B., McLaughlin, T., Chester, A., Hall-van den Elsen, C., Kennedy, B. (eds) Transformations in Tertiary Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9957-2_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9957-2_2

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  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-9957-2

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