Case Studies

The pedagogic value of cultural inclusion: Co-creating Inclusive Support for International Students

Dr Lei Zeng is a lecturer in Fashion and Business Technology. Lei has lived experience studying in the UK as an international student and in supporting international students in her role as a lecturer. Lei spoke to Teaching College about taking a culturally inclusive pedagogical approach to supporting international students.  A culturally responsive pedagogical can validate students experiences, bridge cultures and promote a sense of belonging.  Lei’s work also involved a co-creative pedagogical approach.  Co-creation involves working with student partners, recognising student voice and experience and engaging them as active participants in their own journey. 

What did you do and why?

Recurring patterns had been identified across departments: many international students experienced challenges related to unfamiliar academic conventions, assessment expectations, independent learning norms, communication styles, and social integration.  

Rather than framing these experiences as student deficits I wanted to implement positive changes. As International Student Support Project Lead, a cross-disciplinary initiative funded through the Better World scheme was developed to strengthen international students’ transition into UK higher education.

The project reconceptualised transition as a structural and cultural adjustment process requiring an inclusive, systemic response.

The Project aims were to:

  • ease academic and social transition
  • embed Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) principles into everyday teaching practice
  • amplify international student voice through authentic partnership
  • strengthen culturally responsive pedagogy across departments.

A core principle of the project was co-creation. A six-month partnership with an international student ensured that lived experience informed design, delivery, and dissemination. The intention was not only to provide targeted support but also to influence institutional culture, promote belonging, and contribute to sustainable change aligned with the university’s inclusive education ambitions.

How did you do it?

A multi-layered approach was adopted, combining student partnership, direct engagement, staff development, and institutional influence.

Co-creation: developing practical guidance

First, a co-creation model was implemented. A student partner worked collaboratively to develop practical guidance resources for international students. These addressed academic culture, communication norms, wellbeing, and belonging. Decision-making was shared, and the student partner co-presented and co-authored outputs, ensuring authentic redistribution of voice and agency.

Welcome week and Year manager sessions

Second, direct student engagement was prioritised. The guidance co-created with students was subsequently shared with all students during Welcome Week and reinforced in Year Manager sessions to ensure early engagement, which has reached over 350 postgraduate and 150 undergraduate students each year. It was also uploaded to the Year Manager Canvas space, providing ongoing access to the resources for all students.

Feedback from Welcome Week indicated that while the large-group sessions were effective in normalising transition challenges, the format did not always allow space for personalised discussion. Participants valued the reassurance that their experiences were shared and structurally shaped, and reported that greater clarity around academic expectations and culture reduced anxiety and increased confidence in navigating UK higher education systems. However, some students expressed a desire for more interactive and individualised support.

Interactive Workshops

In response to the feedback from Welcome week sessions, smaller, workshop-based spaces were created to provide deeper engagement. Four interactive workshops held across the Faculty of Science and Engineering engaged 40 students in reflective dialogue around identity, belonging, and confidence. These sessions enabled dialogue, reflection, and peer exchange around belonging, identity, and academic confidence. The more personalised format allowed students to explore their own experiences in context, ask nuanced questions, and build relational connections. Workshop participants described growth not only in academic self-efficacy but also in personal confidence and identity development.

As one student reflected, the experience offered “a new perspective” and supported growth “not just professionally, but personally.”

Podcast

In addition, one Episode of the Global Threads podcast (“Moving to and Living in the UK”) was co-created with PGT programme co-ordinators, Lindsay Pressdee and Amy Benstead, as part of a wider podcast series designed to support students prior to arrival. Given that a large proportion of our PGT cohort are international students who may be unfamiliar with UK higher education, academic culture, and language expectations, the podcast aimed to address common concerns and provide accessible pre-arrival guidance. It was disseminated via YouTube and Spotify to extend reach beyond campus.

Staff development

Third, longer-term impact was supported through a staff development workshop (22 colleagues, including senior leaders) and contributions to institutional discussions within the Student Experience Directorate. The workshop aimed to raise awareness of international student experiences and provide colleagues with practical strategies they could apply within their own teaching contexts. It also generated meaningful discussion and reflection among participants. Building on this momentum, the workshop will be delivered again to incorporate emerging international student voices, and a student partner is currently co-creating additional guidance to support staff practice.

What did students think?

Student feedback highlighted increased confidence, belonging, and empowerment.

The co-creation model was particularly impactful. The partnership approach enabled the student partner to move from being a recipient of support to an active agent of change. This shift in positioning strengthened ownership, confidence, and professional development.

Students also valued the accessibility of the workshops, noting that it extended support beyond formal teaching spaces and created a sense of shared experience.

Overall, the project promoted reassurance, strengthened belonging, and created spaces where international identities were recognised as assets rather than barriers.

What’s next?

The next phase centers on expansion through wider collaboration and shared ownership. Building on the initial project, a broader cross-departmental partnership is now developing, with colleagues from other disciplines joining to extend reach and embed inclusive transition support more widely across the institution.

Building networks and community

An International Student Peer-Mentoring Group is also being established, co-led with Wennie Subramonian, to create structured, student-led support beyond formal teaching spaces. A second student partner has joined the initiative, strengthening the co-creation model and ensuring diverse international perspectives inform future development. This expansion marks a shift from a single funded project to a growing community of practice involving students and staff working collaboratively.

Staff interested in getting involved with the network can email Lei Zeng or email co-lead Wennie Subramonian for further information.

Inclusive approach and continuing development

The peer-mentoring model aims to promote belonging, leadership development, and mutual support, positioning international students not only as recipients of guidance but as active contributors to institutional culture. Alongside this, resources and workshops will continue to be refined and scaled across departments.

Overall, the work is evolving from a targeted intervention into a sustainable, collaborative framework for inclusive transition support, with increasing institutional engagement and shared responsibility for long-term impact.

Resources