Gratitude: its role within the student experience.

Conference: Media Education Summit, 2015.

Dates: 20-21 November 2015

Abstract:

Gratitude is important but largely overlooked within education. Instead notions of entitlement, considered by Howells (2012) as reflective of a self-interested, transactional approach to learning, have been promoted. This research proposes that gratitude drives students’ engagement with their studies and positive conversations amongst peers and strong ties.

This research is part of a journey in which a relational lens is brought to the analysis of HE. Whilst authors (e.g. Bowden 2013) have developed empirically tested frameworks for HE which draw from a relational paradigm, none refers to gratitude. Howells (2012) draws from hermeneutic inquiry to develop thinking about how gratitude can play an important role within today’s learning context. The research presented here draws together Howells’ (2012) ideas, with work from relational scholars within the consumer context (e.g. Dewani and Sinha, 2012; Palmatier et al. 2009; Raggio, et al. 2014) to develop thinking about how gratitude might be developed into a robust, measurable construct ready for inclusion within empirical research examining the relationship between gratitude, engagement and word-of-mouth communication.

This research seeks to define a place for this potentially important aspect of creative and media students’ HE experience and in doing so, to facilitate strategies for quality enhancement.

Source: Manual