Integrating Art and Creative Practices into a Programme of Support for Nigerian Students Studying in UK Higher Education Institutions

• Main Author: Elizabeth Achinewhu-Nworgu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bulgarian Comparative Education Society (BCES) 2017-05-01
• Series: BCES Conference Books
• Subjects: painting; creative practices; transition; international students; academic success
• Online Access: http://bces-conference-books.org/onewebmedia/2017.173-180.Elizabeth.Achinewhu.pdf

This scoping paper explores the experiences of overseas students from Nigeria studying in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the United Kingdom. It considers the context for these students and some of the particular pressures and challenges they experience in making the transition from education in Nigeria to achieving academic success and adapting to life as a student in the UK. With reference to the work of Professor Claudio-Rafael Vásquez-Martínez, at the outset of a collaborative project to explore these issues further, this paper considers whether the use of painting and other creative practices could assist these students in managing the transition more effectively and ultimately in succeeding in their academic studies. For the present study, qualitative data was gathered using interviews with Nigerian students who came to study in the UK with the assistance of a London-based organisation, Focus Learning Support Ltd, which assists Nigerian students in their applications to UK HEIs, and which supports them throughout their studies.