Author: Carol Azumah Dennis (Editor)

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Academia through the lens of a secondary school teacher

Students working on a professional doctorate such as an EdD usually have to juggle work, family and study. It is not an easy task because, as practitioners, research is a whole new area, and we have less time to come to terms with it than our PhD peers. On the other hand, we have the knowledge and expertise of our practices that no one outside of them could have. Of course, in principle, combining theory and practice would be ideal for research, but in reality, combining the two presents a myriad of problems.

My transition into academia was challenging because of a long career in teaching in secondary schools. Having completed my EdD, I can now see that Action Research (AR) has been critical in my EdD journey as a researcher, guiding me in the correct direction for each mistake I made (and there were many).

The two reasons that AR helped me were:

  • AR follows a spiral of iterative steps encouraging the researcher to reflect upon the research process and observe it from an outsider’s point of view;
  • The research questions arise directly from practice rather than from the literature, as with more theoretical studies and allows for change, modification and progress in all areas, including the research questions.

Although there are many kinds of AR, my research focused upon two collaborative methods:

  • Participatory Action Research (PAR) is a large-scale study aiming at emancipation and change within organisations or communities (Cresswell, 2003).
  • Collaborative AR is when the researcher and a group of like-minded colleagues work together, often (and in my case) as research participants.

For example, I used Burns’s (1999) eleven-phase spiral framework when I needed a detailed analysis, and Altrichter, Kemmis, McTaggart and Zuber-Skerritt’s (2002) four-phase one when I needed a more comprehensive summary of what was happening

Using the AR methodology to organise notes and findings regularly throughout my research clarified what was happening and the best course of action. Measures included changing research questions, discarding unnecessary data and even changing the method of data analysis from a case study to a multiple case study towards the end of the study.

In conclusion, combining research and work has not been easy, but the most challenging thing was to perceive my practice through the eyes of an academic and not a teacher. In my experience, together with my excellent supervisors, AR was the solution. What challenges have other practitioners come across in their quest to combine work and research?

We would be grateful if you could let us know by sending a blog post to: WELS-Prof-Docs@open.ac.uk, please put BLOG as your subject.

by Dr. Lesley June Fearn @lesleyfearn

I achieved my EdD in 2021 regarding learning and teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) using online community projects in secondary schools. This interest stems from more than thirty years of experience teaching English (as a Foreign Language) and English literature in state schools in the south of Italy. During this time, I have continually experimented with new approaches and techniques, especially with technology, to motivate students in their schooling. Other areas of interest include Fine Art and English literature that I studied as a BA and MA. As far as research is concerned, I am particularly interested in Action Research and sociocultural paradigms.
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Congratulations: Dr Stafford

Celebrating Dr Mary Stafford’s successful completion of her doctoral thesis.

Doctoral researchers abroad: negotiating language and identity in a multilingual context

colourful balloons and ribbon to say well done
Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash

Abstract

This research explores how language and identity are negotiated by study abroad doctoral researchers originally from China, Brazil, Iran and Ukraine whilst studying in France. The research questions investigated the language choices made in the contexts encountered by the SA doctoral researchers, how these choices were negotiated and the potential impacts of the use of both French and English on their identities.

To address the three research questions posed in this study I have used a case study framework to explore the SA doctoral researchers’ use of language, their possibilities of negotiation of language choice as well as how these experiences impact their identities using both emic and etic perspectives. A framework was developed from the literature review, using Bourdieu’s concepts of social and linguistic capital as well as habitus. Byram’s work on intercultural awareness was also of relevance, as was Lave and Wenger’s legitimate peripheral participation. For identity the Block, Norton and Ting-Toomey’s work provided a framework. A series of three semi-structured interviews were undertaken with SA doctoral researchers on an individual basis as the main research method, research with further individual interviews with supervisors to explore the questions from another
perspective. Other methods included questionnaires and observations of language use in context.

The findings show the uses and potential linguistic capital for both English and French often vary depending on the community, affecting access, even with the same members participating and impacting on identities. This can influence the investment of the participants in both languages and ultimately their experience in France. To improve participation SA doctoral researchers should learn a minimum of the local language prior to undertaking three years of study in a non-English speaking country. Investment in social English for local and study abroad doctoral researchers could contribute to better understanding through third space and communication.

You can read Dr Stafford’s Thesis here: EdD mary stafford.pdf (open.ac.uk)

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Congratulations to Dr Gill Ferguson

Photo by katy hardman on Unsplash

Congratulations to Dr Gill Ferguson for the successful completion of her EdD Thesis

“When David Bowie created
Ziggy Stardust”
The lived experiences of social
workers learning through work

 

 

 

Abstract

The findings from this qualitative study sit at the intersection of knowledge about
workplace and professional learning, offering new insights into how social workers
learn through work. The study explored the unique lived experiences of social
workers’ learning through an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study
(Smith et al., 2009).

IPA was selected to focus on the nature of the social workers’ lifeworld and their
lived experiences of learning in the workplace. In-depth individual interviews
gathered rich descriptions from sixteen social workers. The double-hermeneutic
cycle, a feature of IPA, explored the meaning that the social workers drew from
their experiences and the researcher making sense of the participants’ sensemaking. Individual and unique experiences of the participants were explored,
generating themes for the social workers through an immersive process of
analysis for each case in turn.

Superordinate themes were then identified across the group that revealed the
complexity of social workers’ learning experiences. These were, Journey of the
self; Navigating landscape and place; Navigating tasks; Learning through the
body; Learning through others; Practices and conceptions of learning; and,
Learning by chance. These aspects of the social workers’ lived experiences weave
together in a complex and enmeshed web, each thread connected to the others as
part of the learning process. Striking metaphors were used by social workers to
convey the meaning they associated with their learning in the workplace.
The thesis shows the nature and complexity of individual social workers’
experiences and how understanding these can help design more effective
workplace continuing professional learning opportunities. Drawing on rich
theoretical ideas from phenomenology and workplace learning, the thesis offers a
hybrid conceptual web model for social work professional development. This model acknowledges the unique experience of social workers within a complex
context involving navigation of task, place and embodied learning.

You can read Gillian’s thesis here: Gillian Ferguson theses.pdf (open.ac.uk)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr Gillian Ferguson @learnventurer

I’ve worked in diverse settings as social worker, community learning worker and various other roles in practice, HE and learning/development. Keen to be inspired and inspire others to learn. My doctoral research explored lived experiences of social workers learning through work.

@learnventurer

Linkedin

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Hats!

Photo by Paolo Nicolello on Unsplash

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 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