Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Advanced Research in Education
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Risk Factors Associated with Negative Social Constructs Linked to Indoctrination and Conditioning of Construction Student’s Behaviour in UK Higher Education
David Osborne
ABSTRACT:
Embedded within the United Kingdom’s construction sector are a range of social prejudices that evidence as workplace banter, particularly stereotyping of professional roles. Arguably, such negative ideographic constructs form a barrier for workplace collaboration. Accepting that the construction sector is reliant upon the application of experience from within industry within tutor recruitment, there is an inherent risk of reinforcing such constructs through cyclic pedological practice. This research sought to address two questions: (1) Is there evidence of social stereotyping within the pedological practices for construction? (2) What level of influence does such a factor have upon the student?” Designed as a pilot, the study compared two groups at undergraduate and postgraduate levels within a construction programme studied at a UK university setting. Each group had between 30-40 participants. The study followed a social-constructionist approach and data was collected using closed questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Results evidence exposure to a range of ideographic social-constructs within both groups. Weight is placed upon the interpersonal relationship between the tutor and student, with varying levels of participant critical self-awareness. Additionally, there is evidence that a range of un-conscious factors impact student receptivity. Overall, the results evidenced embedded behaviour linked to operant conditioning and indoctrination qualified as an unintended learning outcome, within both undergraduate and postgraduate study groups.
keywords: construction; indoctrination; conditioning; belief; mimicry