EQUITABLE LEARNING COMMUNITY: INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS (IPA) OF A MUSLIM IN THE B40 SEGMENT DURING COVID-19

Abstract

This paper explores the lived experiences of a female Muslim adult learner from the Bottom 40 household income segment (known as the B40 group) who completed a hybrid leadership program in the Klang Valley during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), the paper identifies self-regulated learning skills, social presence, and the leverage of instrumental social capital as factors that contributed to the informant's achievement of a diploma despite significant challenges. Promoting an equitable learning community in higher education driven by digital technological changes among the B40 group is still inadequate, especially when the world is rapidly moving toward globalisation. The informant's experience demonstrates that with initiative, goal setting, self-regulation, and persistence, supported by a social network, it is possible to overcome economic and social barriers and achieve academic success. The achievement was significant, despite the challenges over an extended period of uncertainty through which the informant made exceptional efforts to succeed. The informant would remain in the low social class position without these determinants. The paper's findings are significant for curriculum designers, training providers and educators, emphasizing the importance of fostering these determinants. By focusing on these success factors, educators can better support learners from the B40 group and promote a more equitable learning environment.