Despite the large number of Nigerians studying overseas, very little literature explores their experiences in higher education (HE). Given the importance of the curriculum decolonisation movement in HE in recent years, this is a surprising gap in the literature. Many UK universities publish their decolonisation strategies but few mention decolonising assessment practices. Research focusing on incorporating African epistemology into western assessment strategies is warranted and indeed should be welcomed in an effort to democratise the university classroom, to be fully inclusive and transformational for all students. This research explores African epistemology, specifically Nigerian, as anecdotal evidence suggests Nigerian students feel marginalised in terms of assessment as their prior experiences do not align to practices in the UK. This epistemic injustice suggests the time is right to look at alternative ways of knowledge production and assessing that knowledge in the academy. This paper reports on an empirical study conducted on a postgraduate taught Masters in Education course in one English HEI. A participatory approach was taken through interviews with Nigerian students around their experiences of assessment in Nigeria versus the UK. A postgraduate Nigerian researcher was recruited to inform the research design, conduct interviews with 10 students, transcribe the data and support with thematically analysing it through a World Systems lens. From a World System’s perspective, the research potentially indicates an epistemic hierarchy, where hegemonic discourses in HE function to inculcate overseas students with capitalist core knowledge to serve westerns interests.

Authors:
Jennifer Marshall, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Jack Bryne Stothard, University of Derby, United Kingdom

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Jennifer Marshall is currently the Programme Leader for the MA Education at the University of Derby. Her current research interests center on the internationalisation of higher education and inclusive programme design.
Dr Jack Bryne Stothard is Senior Lecturer in Postgraduate Studies in the Institute of Education at the University of Derby. He is the Assistant Programme Leader for the Doctor of Education and leads the Teacher Education, Research and Innovation Cluster.

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