Creating belonging and transformation through the adoption of flexible pedagogies in masters level international business management students

Flexible pedagogies [Ryan and Tilbury 2013. Flexible Pedagogies: New Pedagogical Ideas. York: Higher Education Academy] place learner empowerment at the centre of curriculum development. Learner empowerment requires students to feel that they belong and are active in the learning process. This paper illuminates how, through the adoption of flexible pedagogies, belonging and trust were created in a cohort of 52 international postgraduate students, and the impact that this had on student learning. A qualitative interpretative approach captures students’ perceptions of aspects of curriculum design and delivery that aided their transition, promoted belonging, and empowered them as learners, leading to transformational change. This paper uses Ryan and Tilbury’s Flexible Pedagogies Framework [2013. Flexible Pedagogies: New Pedagogical Ideas. York: Higher Education Academy] to exemplify practice and discuss principles for curriculum design. Themes include; learner empowerment, future-facing education, decolonising education, crossing boundaries, transformational capabilities, and social learning. Recommendations highlight the need to challenge institutional constraints, employ creative teaching practices, embed assessment that promotes reflective practice, and create belonging through social learning.