Beyond compliance: Transformative co-design for gender-based violence prevention in higher education
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
This study examines how university staff and students experience transformative learning through voluntary participation in a gender-based violence (GBV) prevention programme that transcended compliance-oriented approaches. While universities increasingly rely on mandatory modules that fail to create sustainable change, this research investigates whether self-nominated participation and co-design pedagogy can foster genuine transformation and voice development among participants from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. A qualitative multi-method design examined eight university students (aged 18–24) at an Australian university through pre-post focus groups, observational field notes, and artefact analysis. Participants voluntarily engaged in workshops co-designing peer-focused social media prevention messaging. Inductive thematic analysis identified patterns across experiential, behavioural, and creative data sources. Participants demonstrated profound transformations across four domains: knowledge (from surface recognition to systemic understanding), attitudes (from neutrality to active responsibility), confidence (from hesitation to strategic communication), and professional integration. The co-design process enabled critical consciousness development through authentic project-based learning, diverse peer collaboration, and critical reflection that compliance training cannot achieve. This research provides empirical evidence that transformative, participatory approaches to GBV education can catalyse meaningful personal and professional transformation. The findings inform institutional strategies prioritising cultural change over compliance, offering a replicable model for developing prevention agents rather than passive recipients of mandatory training.
Keywords
co-design, community partnerships, Gender, gender-based violence, prevention, students
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
E-ISSN
17475104
ISSN
14681366
Publication Title
Pedagogy, Culture & Society
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
School of Education / School of Medical and Health Sciences
RAS ID
100620
Funding Information
The work was supported by the Department of Communities, Government of Western Australia.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Lemon, N., Gray, C., Goopy, J., Holmes, L., Ball, B., Perry, M., & Fear, E. (2026). Beyond compliance: Transformative co-design for gender-based violence prevention in higher education. Pedagogy, Culture & Society. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2026.2721675