Call for Book Chapters: Dismantling the “Good Student” Myth in Higher Education
Academics and researchers are invited to contribute to a forthcoming Routledge volume that challenges traditional assumptions about student engagement, participation and success in higher education.
Co-edited by Dr Pratibha Ram (King’s College London) and Professor Sin-Wang Chong (University of St Andrews), Dismantling the “Good Student” Myth: Rethinking Engagement, Inclusion, and Success in Higher Education will form part of the Routledge Research in Higher Education series.
The edited collection seeks to critically examine the enduring concept of the “good student”, a widely held but often unspoken ideal that values confidence, visibility, participation and performance as markers of academic success. The editors argue that such expectations are neither neutral nor universally accessible and can privilege particular ways of learning and engaging while marginalising others.
For institutions committed to responsible management education, equity and inclusion, the volume raises important questions about how higher education defines engagement, capability and achievement, and whether existing systems inadvertently reward conformity over diversity.
Exploring Participation, Inclusion and Success
The book will bring together conceptual and empirical contributions that examine how the “good student” archetype is constructed, performed and accessed across higher education settings. Authors are encouraged to critically explore the implications of institutional cultures, assessment practices, hidden curricula and structural inequalities on student experiences.
Particular attention will be given to the experiences of students who may not fit conventional expectations, including those from under-represented backgrounds, first-generation learners, international students, disabled and neurodivergent students, and those experiencing mental health challenges.
The editors welcome proposals aligned to four broad themes:
1. Constructing the “Good Student”
Examining how participation, confidence, visibility and professionalism become embedded as indicators of engagement and success.
2. Performing the “Good Student”
Exploring the role of assessment, employability agendas, curriculum design and institutional performance cultures in reproducing dominant expectations.
3. Accessing the “Good Student”
Investigating how social class, race, culture, disability, neurodiversity, gender and other intersecting identities influence access to institutionally recognised forms of success.
4. Dismantling the “Good Student” Myth
Focusing on inclusive pedagogies, curriculum redesign, assessment reform, institutional transformation and alternative approaches to understanding student success.
Submission Details
The editors invite chapter proposals of 500 to 750 words that clearly outline:
The purpose or central argument of the chapter
Methodology (where applicable)
Expected contribution to scholarship and/or practice
How the chapter interrogates or helps dismantle the “good student” myth
Proposals should also include:
Chapter title
Author name(s), affiliation(s) and contact details
Selected theme
Five to eight keywords
A short author biography (approximately 100 words)
Successful contributors will be invited to submit full chapters of 5,000 to 8,000 words, including references, using APA 7th edition referencing guidelines.
Key Dates
Chapter proposal submission: 1 December 2026
Proposal decisions and feedback: 28 February 2027
Draft chapter submission: 30 May 2027
Feedback on draft chapters: 30 August 2027
Revised chapter submission: 30 October 2027
Manuscript submitted to production: Spring 2028
Why This Matters
The themes explored in this volume resonate strongly with the values of responsible management education and the PRME community. As business schools and higher education institutions continue to advance inclusion, belonging and student-centred learning, there is growing recognition that success should not be measured against a single model of participation or achievement.
By challenging deficit-based assumptions and reimagining more equitable systems of learning and recognition, this volume aims to contribute to a more inclusive and socially responsible future for higher education.
For further information, contact Dr Pratibha Ram at pratibha.ram@kcl.ac.uk with the subject line “Routledge Research in Higher Education”.
