Nwanze et al (895-907)

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A reflection on dimensions of trust and epistemic agency in a blended learning project team

Ikechukwu Nwanze

Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4519-8159

Nokuthula Vilakati

Centre for Academic Technologies, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2601-0525

Janet Small

Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2498-5380

Abstract

This article explores the interplay of trust and collaboration in an educational development project to enhance inclusivity and digital accessibility of blended learning at a South African university by integrating Universal Design for Learning principles. Using a collaborative autoethnographic approach, this reflection study aims to surface dimensions of trust in fostering shared agency that influences project team members’ capacity to contribute. Using the experiences of three educational developers involved in the project, we identify common themes and differences in our perceptions, assumptions and biases which can affect the development of trust. The findings focus on four themes: conflicting expectations; collaborative processes; knowledge co-creation; and nuances of trusting relationships. The article examines trustworthiness through several dimensions of cognitive authority, and how this contributed to creating a shared epistemic agency in a collaborative project implemented in a higher education institutional context. The article contributes to emerging research which suggests that even though trust dynamics are contested in educational development, paying attention to factors which build trust is crucial for productive collaboration between educational developers and academics when promoting inclusive education practices.

Keywords: Agency, collaboration, educational development, epistemic, equity, trust

How to cite this article: Nwanze, I., Vilakati, N., & Small, J. (2025). A reflection on dimensions of trust and epistemic agency in a blended learning project team. African Perspectives of Research in Teaching and Learning, 9(6), 895-907.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.70875/v9i6article17