After running the Fashion Break Intervention twice this week with two of my cohorts in Y2 BA Fashion Design Technology Womenswear at LCF, I gathered valuable insights from my research that informed the next steps and allowed me to reflect on incorporating meaningful change into my teaching practice.
Guided by the research question:
How can a “Fashion Break” intervention embody generous pedagogy to foster inclusivity and social justice in the PPD unit of the BA WW course by alleviating unnecessary stress, addressing power dynamics, and creating an equitable, supportive environment that encourages open collaboration and reflection during the final preparations for project submission?
Some findings highlighted challenges with self-confidence, particularly among students from minority groups or those who perceive themselves as lower achieving. This observation ties directly to my focus on social justice, inclusivity, and a generous pedagogy approach. In alignment with this philosophy, I have devoted significant time—beyond the scope of my contracted hours and often drawn from my personal study time—to developing practical solutions. These solutions are designed to be effective and adaptable for tutors, integrating seamlessly into both one-on-one tutorials and broader sessions or lesson plans.
The aim is to create opportunities for students to catch up earlier, fostering a more equitable and supportive learning environment. This lack of confidence, often rooted in comparisons with peers, reveals systemic barriers and contributes to feelings of inadequacy. Consequently, these students may struggle with attendance, consistency, communication, collaboration, knowledge development, and community building.
The cohort I teach is highly diverse, encompassing a wide range of engagement levels, attendance rates, skills, and interests. This diversity poses challenges in balancing the delivery of complex content that demands deeper study with the need for accessibility and equitable achievement. Furthermore, we face a persistent awarding gap in Year 2 of the course. For context, one of my primary objectives as unit leader is to reduce the number of fails and non-submissions. Last year, 103 students were enrolled in the cohort, of which 21 (20.4%) either failed or did not submit their work (graded E, F, or NS). This year, we aim to lower that number by ensuring fewer than 17 students fall into these categories.
In response to these challenges and the findings from the intervention pilot, my reflections led to the creation of two key outputs from this intervention plan, which have become the intervention’s primary products:
- A Toolkit with Modular Design Checklists: This toolkit breaks down the design checklist into individual pages or cards. These modular elements help students better understand expectations by allowing them to approach their work in manageable fragments rather than becoming overwhelmed by the larger submission. By emphasizing milestones, the toolkit fosters a more structured and achievable progression.
- Enhanced Worksheets for Template Development and Visual Communication: By analysing past submissions from both passing and failing students, I identified areas where students struggle—many of which are beyond the teaching staff’s direct control. To address this, I will develop worksheets to support template creation and improve visual communication. These resources aim to help students quickly visualize their work positively, thus increasing confidence and engagement. Ultimately, this should reduce the likelihood of deferrals or referrals and improve overall pass rates.
These interventions are currently in testing. I have started working directly with at-risk students in personal tutorials and will soon collect evidence to validate these approaches. With final submissions due in mid-December, I expect to gather visual samples, grades, and additional reflections to assess the intervention’s impact.
This approach is currently being tested at the unit level, but I envision its potential to expand and become a resource available across the course, program, and eventually the wider university. By scaling this initiative, it can serve as a tool to enhance students’ positive learning experiences, directly addressing key areas such as inclusivity, engagement, and academic success. Furthermore, it aligns with the university’s broader objectives, including improving outcomes in national surveys such as the National Student Survey (NSS) and achieving institutional targets related to student satisfaction, retention, and success.
As the resource evolves, it has the potential to support not only individual units but also contribute to a more cohesive and impactful approach to teaching and learning. Its implementation could provide measurable benefits across diverse metrics, strengthening the university’s reputation and commitment to delivering high-quality education that meets the needs of its diverse student body. Further updates will follow, and supporting evidence, including documents used in sessions, is available below and/or in the Presentations post.