Critical hope in South African higher education: using a theory of change approach for mid-project reflection on a student-staff partnership programme

Abstract

This paper represents a mid-project reflection on the process of engaging in a student-staff partnership (SSP) established in response to South African student protests calling for decolonisation in higher education. Framed by the concept of critical hope, which acknowledges systemic injustices while believing in the possibility of change, we explore the development of context-sensitive, African-centred principles for SSPs that recognise legacies of historical trauma. In September 2024, our cross-institutional team reflected on the process while a pplying a Theory of Change (ToC) methodology across a three-day workshop. Five partnership principles emerged from an analysis of these reflections: (1) fostering relational trust and generosity; (2) making power relationships visible; (3) accessibility and shared ownership; (4) relational accountability and conflict transformation; and (5) embracing complexity and balance. These principles, aligned with Rendón’s sentipensante pedagogy, represent a departure from traditional academic arrangements toward wholeness, participation, and diverse ways of knowing. The challenges encountered in our partnership mirror broader struggles of decolonising higher education in South Africa, revealing SSPs as potential sites of decolonial practice while engaging in what Freire terms ‘praxis’-the cycle of action and reflection that enables meaningful change.