STEPping over the threshold and beyond – supporting diverse learner journeys in a tertiary context

2026-06-02

 

Nearly two years on from the launch of Scotland’s Tertiary Enhancement Programme and our initial Special Issue, we are delighted to launch this Call for Papers in collaboration with Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Scotland and CDN.

 

This is a Call for a Special Issue which is an opportunity to explore the partnership work taking place across our colleges and universities, towards deepening our understanding of both our collective and individual diverse learner journeys and how we can best support them in our tertiary contexts. We are keen to hear from colleagues across the  UK and internationally to give us a much needed overview of what works, where.

 

In alignment with the second STEP Conference, we encourage contributors to share practice, research and ideas that foster belonging across the tertiary sector in Scotland and beyond. We are keen to explore how colleagues foster inclusive learning environments and purposeful student-staff partnerships as well as develop curriculum and assessment innovation or research and evaluation offering new insights into learner experience.

 

We particularly welcome insights into learners’ journeys throughout tertiary education. Students are central to this Special Issue and we strongly encourage submissions focussing on the student community and examples that are explicit about their contributions. Proposals may draw on lived experiences of belonging or exclusion, and may comprise creative or reflective work, research findings, collaborative initiatives, artwork or voicenotes, or innovative ideas for change across the sector.

 

Proposals for submissions could include, but need not be limited to, issues such as:

 

●        Social justice in education

●        Inclusive practices

●        Assessment practices

●        Curriculum design

●        Student partnership and engagement

 

  1. Decide on the format for your paper: original research, a reflective analysis, a review paper, a case study, an 'on the horizon' piece, an opinion piece or a book review. Full guidance on formats is available at https://jpaap.ac.uk/JPAAP/information/authors
  2. Proposals should be up to 300 words and include 5 keywords or terms.
  3. Proposals should be submitted to C.Cunningham@napier.ac.uk by 24th June 2026 using this proposal form.
  4. Please also provide a short bio (of 50 words) for each author.
  5. Authors will be contacted 8th July 2026.
  6. Full papers must be submitted by end of October 2026.

Publication of the Special Issue is expected in May 2027.

Authors will be contacted by 8th July 2026. If your proposal is accepted, your full paper must be submitted by 31st October 2026. The anticipated date of publication for this special issue is May 2027.

Informal queries and questions can be sent to Catriona Cunningham, JPAAP Editorial Team on C.Cunningham@napier.ac.uk

Staff partnership and engagement