What does it mean to be 'disadvantaged student' in the research arena?

In a country like South Africa, often words will take on specific meanings, due to our contextual history of Apartheid.  In particular, the word 'disadvantaged' often is linked to being 'Black'.  Well, the dictionary defines disadvantage as "something that puts one in an unfavourable position or condition".  Once we use the word disadvantaged, it describes it as a situation that is "marked by deprivation especially of the necessities of life or healthful environmental influences".

The definition that I want to take on in this argument is more the deliberate creation of two different 'worlds' where the one group of people have no choice but to over from their world in order to benefit from the other, especially the research world.  So, the academic disadvantaged student I am talking about has one or more of the following characteristics: (1) poor or inadequate preparation during schooling years, (2) recipient of benefits and 'handouts' from others, (3) living in a situation that reflects a constant survival mode, (4) has English at a second or foreign language level, (5) has a cultural heritage that is not represented in the mainstream curriculum, (6) gained 'success' through examination writing and memorisation of facts, (7) has no appetite for reading, (8) has a limited or no critical 'eye' when engaging in debates, (9) does not have or believe in the importance of his/her own voice, (10) lack the discipline of working consistently and independently, (11) lacks the habit of engaging in writing on a regular basis, (12) lacks the self-esteem and will to eradicate 'petty excuses', (13) has a tendency to 'feel sorry for him/herself', etc.

Looking at Maslow's hierarchy of needs, we are not talking about the first three levels (physiological, safety and social needs), but rather the last two levels.  Reflecting on the definitions at the beginning of this article, most referred to the first three levels.  Most traditionally defined 'disadvantaged students' would have developed strategies and approaches to overcome these initial levels.  But it becomes more difficult when they enter the research world, where the last two levels play an important role.  It is often assumed by supervisors that research students should be at the last two levels.  Supervisors of disadvantaged students should therefore assist them in BRIDGING THE GAP, or assist them in GETTING OVER THE HURDLE from the first three levels, to the last two levels.  If these 'esteem', and 'self-actualisation' needs are not managed, most disadvantaged learners will struggle to complete their theses, let alone doing on time.

The intention of 'supervising with a difference'

I grew up in a rural town, where the main and my own mother-tongue language was Afrikaans.  I have spent all of my teenage years within this environment where English was only spoken in the 'English class' at school - it was limited to that specific period in a day during which I just needed to survive.  This surviving tactic often meant being lucky not to be asked to participate in the activity of the class, whether it was the need to read in front of other students, or going to the front and writing and/or explaining things in English on the blackboard.  Going to the English class was a real challenge since that was the place where I was not comfortable.  It was a 'world' other than myself - who I really was.  It was a space and atmosphere 'foreign' to me, and therefore my constant yearning to be returned back to 'normality' as soon as possible.

Since I was regarded as a top student at school, I needed to find a way out of this challenge.  Well, I was actually assisted by the system, because most of the assessment of the language was based on things one should and could memorise (I was lucky that I had a fairly good photographic brain).  I therefore got fairly acceptable marks in English despite me having serious challenges with engaging, conversing, expressing myself in the language.  And when I had to converse in English, I prepared myself well in advance, or had to think carefully about the construction of the sentence before uttering it.

What was the real problem?  Well, with the convenience of 'hindsight', it was a situation where the gap between 'my world' and the 'world of English' was huge.  English was taught as a Second Language, while it was more of a Foreign Language to me.  The difference between the two, for me, is that a SL you hear quite often but don't speak it, while a FL you almost never hear most of the time.  So, for a student living in a rural town, I never heard English, as I say, other than in English class.  This was before the time of television, but during the time of radio.  But even if some of the channels were in English whether on radio or television, it was never turned on the English stations in our community.

This personal story of me and the language of English, was none different when I entered university where the main language of instruction was English.  I quickly realised that the 'trick' (survival tactics) of primary and secondary school would not work, and therefore I had to change strategy, and forced myself to get the hang of English (until today I am still not sure whether I managed in the change strategy).  I am however at this point not 'surviving' in the language of English - I am fairly comfortable that I can hold my own during a conversation.

This blog will therefore focus on the assumed worlds we live in by choice, or not by choice, and how we manage to overcome the challenges of these worlds, from a research point of view.  So often, those who are located within the 'required world' would be unaware of the challenges and difficulties others need to go through when they have to move from 'their own world' to the 'required world', and what they often need to give up in order to fit into the required world.  What I intend to share in this blog are things I have experienced as a research student and a supervisor of research students, and also what a group of students, whom I am currently mentoring, are going through in their quest of completing their research projects.

I will attempt to share in the blog, in chronological order, what students need to go through when they start off with their research journey.  I will not repeat the normal research support seminar content and processes, but rather focus on 'what is not covered during these seminars', and especially focusing on the gaps with which 'disadvantaged student' will enter this process, and often leave it none wiser.  The discussions will not be about 'what is done wrong' in current supervision processes.  It will rather focus on the assumed misperceptions of some supervisors about their students and their contextual/ historical/ social realities, or sometimes informed decisions not to want to perceive them the way they are (denying their current identity), otherwise supervisors will have to spend time bridging the gap between what they want the student to be, and what they are at this point in time.  This conversation will not only be about 'bridging the gap', but also adding on developmental support (these are often very small things) at the beginning, middle and/or end, that will ensure the success of their students.

The conversation will also engage in the difference between ensuring that my students are graduating (getting their degree) and ensuring that my students are research scholars (even at a beginner level) when they graduate.  How do I supervise them so that they feel excited to take on the next research project after graduation, rather than feeling so relieved that they never want to engage in a research project again?  This last point is particularly important in the context of so many university lecturers in South Africa, not doing any or enough research during their academic tenure.  How is it possible that lecturers are supervising their research students, but are not engaging in research themselves?  Well, what we will do during this section when engaging in this topic, is to challenge all the ready made excuses of 'not enough time', 'too overloaded with administrative work', etc.  With this, I don't mean that these are not valid, but rather whether the eradication of these excuses will lead to more research output among those who are not currently publishing.

Finally, I need to acknowledge that this topic is not my area of research specialisation, and therefore I am hoping to receive from you as much or even more than I am hoping to give during this conversation.  Most of my contribution will be reflection on my own journey, and the need to find alternative pathways that will benefit my students, especially disadvantaged students.