‘Being at the university is a retreat!’ : a Black female student teacher’s views on the role of the university

Abstract

This article sets out to understand what the views of Ruvimbo, a Black female student teacher, are on the role of the university, and how and why these views emerged. The social philosophy of higher education of Ronald Barnett was used as a theoretical framework, and arts-informed methods such as drawings and photovoice, were used for data construction. The student teacher recognised the university–knowledge relationship but foregrounded her appreciation of having a safe and pleasant environment, developing cultural tolerance, and developing herself as a human being. Her view contradicts the predominant concern about the transformation and decolonisation of the curriculum in South Africa as a way of attaining epistemic justice, and claim for a more ecological approach to university education.