Hero, survivor or stuck: a narrative analysis of student constructions of persistence after failure

ABSTRACT

Academic failure is commonplace in higher education. Some students persist and go on to complete their courses. However, some do not, and this can create problems for themselves and the institutions in which they are enrolled. If we could understand students’ lived experiences of academic failure and persistence, it may be possible to design strategies that assist others to more effectively navigate the demands of higher education. A narrative inquiry was undertaken with students who failed and persisted with their course to understand how identities and agency influenced persistence following failure. Using figured worlds theory and narrative analysis, three patterns of persistence were identified characterised as a hero’s journey, surviving failure and stuck in the system. The positions students adopted in relation to other actors within their narratives ranged from active to passive, highlighting different agentic responses of students. Implications for supporting students to recover from failure are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Failure
• persistence
• undergraduate
• agency
• identity

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to acknowledge the contribution of Professor Sue Bennett and Associate Professor Nadine Zacharias in the design of the programme of research encompassing this study and for their valuable feedback on a previous draft. We would also wish to thank REDI for the funding and especially the students who participated in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Research for Educational Impact (REDI), Deakin University