From pedagogic prowess to published paper: - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

From pedagogic prowess to published paper:

developing as a pedagogic researcher

Linda EvansKeynote address at University of Liverpool Pedagogic Research Conference18th January 2018Slide2

Some perceptions of pedagogical researchFocused on the teaching, learning or assessment of, or associated with, a subject or fieldCarried out by practitioners involved in the aboveResearchers thus research their own practice

Allows those with strong teacher identities to branch out into researchIs often perceived as lower calibre researchlacking rigourSlide3

Why do pedagogical researchers want to publish?To share and disseminate good practice?To become or feel part of an academic community?

To become well known?To fulfil contractual requirements or expectations that they will do research?To be REF-able?To break into ‘proper’ educational research?Slide4

Schoolteacher professionality: Hoyle 1975‘Restricted’ professionality

Skills derived from experiencePerspective limited to the immediate in time and placeIntrospective with regard to methodsValue placed on autonomy

Infrequent reading of professional literatureTeaching seen as an intuitive activity‘Extended’ professionalitySkills derived from a mediation between experience & theoryPerspective embracing the broader social context of educationMethods compared with those of colleagues and reports of practiceValue placed on professional collaborationRegular reading of professional literatureTeaching seen as a rational activitySlide5

‘Restricted’ and ‘Extended’ ProfessionalsSlide6

The researcher located at the ‘restricted’ extreme of the

professionality

continuum typically: The researcher located at the ‘extended’ extreme of the

professionality continuum typically

:

conducts research that lacks rigour;

conducts highly rigorous research;

draws upon basic research skills;

draws upon basic and advanced research skills;

fails to develop or extend her/his methodological competence;

strives constantly to develop and extend her/his methodological competence;

utilises only established research methods;

adapts established research methods and develops methodology;

fails to develop basic research findings;

generates and develops theory from research findings;

perceives research methods as tools and methodology as a task-directed, utilitarian process;

perceives research methodology as a field of study in itself;

applies low level analysis to research data;

strives constantly to apply deep levels of analysis to research data;

perceives individual research studies as independent and free-standing;

recognises the value of, and utilises, comparative analysis, meta-analysis, synthesis, replication, etc.;

perceives individual research studies as finite and complete;

constantly reflects upon, and frequently revisits and refines, his/her own studies;

struggles to criticise literature and others’ research effectively;

has developed the skill of effective criticism and applies this to the formulation of his/her own arguments;

publishes mainly in ‘lower grade’ academic journals and in professional journals/magazines;

publishes frequently in ‘high ranking’ academic journals;

is associated mainly with research findings that fall into the ‘tips for practitioners’ category of output;

disseminates ground-breaking theoretical issues and contributes to, and takes a lead in developing, discourse on theory;

perceives research activity as separate and detached from wider contexts requiring interpersonal, organisational and cognitive skills.

recognises the applicability to a range of contexts (including, in particular, work contexts) of generic skills developed within and alongside research activity. Slide7

The researcher located at the ‘restricted’ extreme of the

professionality

continuum typically: The researcher located at the ‘extended’ extreme of the

professionality continuum typically

:

conducts research that lacks rigour;

conducts highly rigorous research;

draws upon basic research skills;

draws upon basic and advanced research skills;

fails to develop or extend her/his methodological competence;

strives constantly to develop and extend her/his methodological competence;

utilises only established research methods;

adapts established research methods and develops methodology;

fails to develop basic research findings;

generates and develops theory from research findings;

perceives research methods as tools and methodology as a task-directed, utilitarian process;

perceives research methodology as a field of study in itself;

applies low level analysis to research data;

strives constantly to apply deep levels of analysis to research data;

perceives individual research studies as independent and free-standing;

recognises the value of, and utilises, comparative analysis, meta-analysis, synthesis, replication, etc.;

perceives individual research studies as finite and complete;

constantly reflects upon, and frequently revisits and refines, his/her own studies;

struggles to criticise literature and others’ research effectively;

has developed the skill of effective criticism and applies this to the formulation of his/her own arguments;

publishes mainly in ‘lower grade’ academic journals and in professional journals/magazines;

publishes frequently in ‘high ranking’ academic journals;

is associated mainly with research findings that fall into the ‘tips for practitioners’ category of output;

disseminates ground-breaking theoretical issues and contributes to, and takes a lead in developing, discourse on theory;

perceives research activity as separate and detached from wider contexts requiring interpersonal, organisational and cognitive skills.

recognises the applicability to a range of contexts (including, in particular, work contexts) of generic skills developed within and alongside research activity. Slide8

‘Restricted’ and ‘Extended’ ResearchersSlide9

Pedagogical research that gets published:some key featuresSelect a narrow focus to write aboutzoom in on

one aspect of your practiceAddress the ‘so what?’ question(s)Too much pedagogical research is pedestrianDescribe your research fully, but conciselyUse tables to present information (accompanied by text)Use illustrative quotes or vignettesBut only after you’ve presented your narrative on themes and issues that emergedDiscuss reasons whyIncluding your explanations for atypical casesSlide10

High-ranking peer-reviewed journalsTypically have low acceptance rates (e.g. <18%)Reviews can be scathing and dismissiveSome editors are becoming increasingly ‘strict’Slide11

Dennis Tourish’s rant‘The same sterile preoccupations dominate the literature, in which the identification of ever more mediating processes and moderating factors takes precedence over interrogating fundamental assumptions … . Researchers seem content to ask smaller and smaller questions about fewer and fewer issues of genuine significance, producing statements of the blindingly obvious, the completely irrelevant or the palpably absurd’.

(Tourish, D. (2015) Some announcements, reaffirming the critical ethos of Leadership, and what we look for in submissions. Editorial. Leadership, 11(2) 135–141.)Slide12

The three Rs of publishing prerequisitesReadingRigourRevelationSlide13

RigourRigour happens to be one of the REF assessment criteria.In REF terms, it refers to the:precision, robustness and appropriateness of the concepts, analyses, theories and methodologies deployed integrity, coherence and consistency of arguments and analysis

consideration of ethical issues.Slide14

Injecting rigour into your writing:a few ideasDefine your key term(s)Formulate stipulative definitions

Don’t just describe the conceptJustify your choice of a published definitionAdapt a published definitionCritique ideas and theoretical perspectives that you refer to.Formulate your own theory or theoretical perspectivesGo beyond ‘theory by numbers’

leadership is: human agency that may reasonably be considered to directly or indirectly prompt or have prompted or facilitate or have facilitated an individual’s shift or deviation, without coercion, from one position or direction to what s/he (the individual) perceives as a superior position or direction: a ‘better way’Slide15

Revelation:ensuring your papers present revelationsRevelation – new insight or knowledgeNot re-inventing the wheelNot yesterday’s academic fad or fashion

Academe is a dynamic information landscapeConstantly changing and evolvingIce cracking behind youSome key outmoded perspectives that keep being regurgitated:Reflective practiceDistributed/transformational/charismatic, etc. leadershipLearning stylesLeadership stylesSlide16

Lack of revelation:some key causes of itUnfamiliarity with your chosen fieldFailure to understand the complex relationship between ideas that cross field boundariesMapping intersecting and overlapping fieldsFailure to recognise who are the field’s key players:

And what they contribute to itFailure to spot when a field has moved onAnd how useful is that evolutionUndiscerning evaluation of knowledge claims.Slide17

ReadingRead and read and read!Find the big names of the fieldRead what they’ve writtenRead the key people they cite/refer toThe aim is to develop a mental map of the field’s landscape

how it has evolvedand what it now looks likeSo you can see where your work fits inAnd how it enhances the landscape.Slide18

Getting research fundingThe 3 Rs also make for a good research proposal.Having been published increases your chances of securing research funding

You’re ‘tried and trusted’, to an extentSecuring funding is much more difficult than getting published.Start with small grant applicationsFrom funders that aren’t the most prestigiousBut offer a fascinating, unusual proposal.Slide19

Judgement day‘The academy judges by the theory and scholarship emerging from a particular field and discipline. Can’t be helped, that’s the nature of academic discourse and its self-construction. We stand or fall by the weight others attribute to our scholarship.’

(Chapman, V. L. (2005). Attending to the theoretical landscape in adult education. Adult Education Quarterly, 55(4).)Slide20

Publish!Publish the findings of your pedagogical research!If you’re inexperienced at publishing social science research, start modestly:target lower ranking journalssound out the editor in advancefind a willing mentor

Attend as many conferences as you canRead, read, and read even more!