Disrupting the third space through playfulness, mattering, and unbounded perspectives
This paper explores the evolving landscape of higher education in the UK, emphasising the diversity of the student population and the ensuing challenges for traditional university frameworks. It is framed through the concept of ‘third space’ professionals – individuals who operate beyond the conven...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE)
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education |
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| Online Access: | https://journal.aldinhe.ac.uk/index.php/jldhe/article/view/1249 |
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| author | Ian Fellows Gill Gilbert Leoarna Mathias Sarah Parkes |
| author_facet | Ian Fellows Gill Gilbert Leoarna Mathias Sarah Parkes |
| author_sort | Ian Fellows |
| collection | DOAJ |
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This paper explores the evolving landscape of higher education in the UK, emphasising the diversity of the student population and the ensuing challenges for traditional university frameworks. It is framed through the concept of ‘third space’ professionals – individuals who operate beyond the conventional academic and administrative divides – to address these challenges (Whitchurch, 2013). The authors use reflective narratives that are diffracted through each other to shed light on the complexity of functioning in this innovative space. Their experiences of working-class origins, transitions from other sectors, and mature student pathways, illustrate how diversity enriches their engagement with students and their contribution to the university environment. The narrative showcases how third space professionals are pivotal in enhancing student success and promoting a more inclusive and student-focused university culture. They challenge existing academic hierarchies and bureaucratic norms, fostering a more adaptable and responsive educational setting. The paper highlights four third space practitioners’ creative and strategic approaches to navigating and reforming university structures whilst facing institutional resistance and systemic hurdles. Through principles of disruption, ethical practice, playfulness, and boundary-crossing, third space professionals are depicted as agents of cultural change, advocating for broader recognition and expansion of their roles in the academic ecosystem. In conclusion, the authors argue for the vital importance of the third space in higher education innovation, where the unique backgrounds of professionals significantly impact university transformation.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9461d1e1bd694330af2985c7728b17a8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1759-667X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-9461d1e1bd694330af2985c7728b17a82025-01-31T07:56:37ZengAssociation for Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE)Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education1759-667X2025-01-013310.47408/jldhe.vi33.1249Disrupting the third space through playfulness, mattering, and unbounded perspectivesIan Fellows0Gill Gilbert1https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4389-6921Leoarna Mathias2Sarah Parkes3Birmingham Newman UniversityBirmingham Newman UniversityBirmingham Newman UniversityBirmingham Newman University This paper explores the evolving landscape of higher education in the UK, emphasising the diversity of the student population and the ensuing challenges for traditional university frameworks. It is framed through the concept of ‘third space’ professionals – individuals who operate beyond the conventional academic and administrative divides – to address these challenges (Whitchurch, 2013). The authors use reflective narratives that are diffracted through each other to shed light on the complexity of functioning in this innovative space. Their experiences of working-class origins, transitions from other sectors, and mature student pathways, illustrate how diversity enriches their engagement with students and their contribution to the university environment. The narrative showcases how third space professionals are pivotal in enhancing student success and promoting a more inclusive and student-focused university culture. They challenge existing academic hierarchies and bureaucratic norms, fostering a more adaptable and responsive educational setting. The paper highlights four third space practitioners’ creative and strategic approaches to navigating and reforming university structures whilst facing institutional resistance and systemic hurdles. Through principles of disruption, ethical practice, playfulness, and boundary-crossing, third space professionals are depicted as agents of cultural change, advocating for broader recognition and expansion of their roles in the academic ecosystem. In conclusion, the authors argue for the vital importance of the third space in higher education innovation, where the unique backgrounds of professionals significantly impact university transformation. https://journal.aldinhe.ac.uk/index.php/jldhe/article/view/1249third spaceplayfulnessmatteringunbounded perspectives |
| spellingShingle | Ian Fellows Gill Gilbert Leoarna Mathias Sarah Parkes Disrupting the third space through playfulness, mattering, and unbounded perspectives Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education third space playfulness mattering unbounded perspectives |
| title | Disrupting the third space through playfulness, mattering, and unbounded perspectives |
| title_full | Disrupting the third space through playfulness, mattering, and unbounded perspectives |
| title_fullStr | Disrupting the third space through playfulness, mattering, and unbounded perspectives |
| title_full_unstemmed | Disrupting the third space through playfulness, mattering, and unbounded perspectives |
| title_short | Disrupting the third space through playfulness, mattering, and unbounded perspectives |
| title_sort | disrupting the third space through playfulness mattering and unbounded perspectives |
| topic | third space playfulness mattering unbounded perspectives |
| url | https://journal.aldinhe.ac.uk/index.php/jldhe/article/view/1249 |
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