All of us have different identities or wear different hats throughout our personal and professional lives and may include partner, parent, friend, child, educator……………
October 2020, I began an Education Doctorate (EdD) feeling excited, terrified, overwhelmed and added a new hat. How we see ourselves and how others see us will impact the journey towards a professional doctorate as we move between professional practice, research and back again (Mercer 2007). Reflecting on my journey to date and suggesting some useful tips whilst acquiring and the wearing of hats is the theme.
Utilizing a professional development framework for research provided structure to pause and consider where I am and where I need to get to using the following themes:
- Working as a researcher
- Developing ways of thinking
- Moving on with my research (Lindsay and Alan, 2019)
Working as a researcher is worlds apart from my professional world as a healthcare simulation facilitator. I identified that this was the initial focus as the foundation of the journey and the research that I was proposing to undertake. With assistance from my supervisor and the graduate school community, fellow students and friends, advice and help were readily given. Initially, I was haphazard in my literature search terms, kept reading and reading and put myself under undue pressure in case I missed something as multiple folders were created in Mendeley filled with references. The first draft of the context of my proposed research in November was poor and reflected my hit and miss approach.
Structure and systematics were needed, and my supervisor suggested using a matrix with key things to look for and a column for my thoughts related to my subject area. I chose a new hat and started again- within days; I began to see themes, where papers overlapped and conclusions that did not always follow the results. I also started to record how I searched– this was spoken about at the induction weekend and covered again after Christmas, but looking back, I just did not listen. I think I was overawed and overloaded.
Revisiting the first module, the suggestions were there, and I had not taken the time to think; I was just trying to do what was required, which is a symptom from my professional life of doing as opposed to pause, think, reflect and act. In the second half of the year, improvement was seen, and although the hats of critical reading and thinking are not yet fitting properly, they are getting easier to wear. The writing is where I am focusing and why I volunteered to join a team to write blogs. Moving into the second year, I will pick up more hats, but I have learnt, give yourself time, keep linking with the graduate community, professional colleagues and your supervision team as everyone is there to help.
So, my ask is, how many hats do you wear? As a doctoral researcher, how well do you fit your hats?
by Amanda Wilford
Amanda ( Mandy ) Wilford is currently a part – time post graduate research student as part of the Professional Doctorate in Education at The Open University. Her research is centred around unfolding healthcare simulations and how learning is supported from both the learner and facilitator’s perspective . Mandy is currently a Senior Lecturer in Patient Safety and Simulation at The School of Health and Social Care, Staffordshire University. Mandy has worked in healthcare simulation within commercial and NHS settings . As a Registered Nurse her specialism is Cardiac Nursing . Mandy is a keen walker and narrowboater and can often be found with her husband on their own boat ‘Dreadnought ‘navigating the Kennet and Avon Canal.
@AmandaWilford