Jones, David J., Ed. TITLE Research: Reflecting Practice. Papers
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DOCUMENT RESUME ED 361 594 CE 064 620 AUTHOR Miller, Nod, Ed.; Jones, David J.,Ed. TITLE Research: Reflecting Practice. Papers fromthe SCUTREA Annual Conference (23rd, Manchester,England, July 6-8, 1993). INSTITUTION Standing Conference on Univ. Teaching andResearch in the Education of Adults. REPORT NO ISBN-0-9521918-0-6 PUB DATE Jul 93 NOTE 174p. AVAILABLE FROMSCUTREA, c/o Education Business Centre, 336Philip Lane, London N15 4AB, England, United Kingdom (15 pounds sterling). PUB TYPE Collected Works Conference Proceedings (021) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Accountability; *Adult Education; Autobiographies; *Educational Research; Epistemology; *Researchand Development; *Research Methodology; ResearchNeeds; Research Problems; *Theory Practice Relationship IDENTIFIERS *Teacher Researchers ABSTRACT The following papers are included: "Social Classification of Women's Work" (Benn, Burton);"Developing Models of Learning from Experience" (Boud, Walker); "'ResearchReflecting Practice?'" (Edwards, Usher); "Metaphorsand Their Implications for Research and Practice in Adult and Community Education"(Hunt); "'Common-Sense' Approach to Reflection" (lusson);"Generating Knowledv in Practice" (Sisto, Hillier); "Takingthe Epistemology" (Steele); "Feminist Issues in Adult EducationResearch" (Zukas); "Group Based Research" (Anderson); "AdultEducation as History" (Chase); "Researching the Use and Evaluationof Experiential Teaching Methods in University-Based Adult and ContinuingEducation" (Cherrington, van Ments); "Is History Different?" (Coles); "Discussion Groups and Researcher Bias" (Dawson);"A Becoming of Gatekeepers" (Duke); "The Lone Adult-EducationResearcher" (Greenland); "Reflecting Research Practice" (Newton);"Hero(in)es of Labour'" (Payne); "Analysing the Effectivenessof Distance Learning Methods with 'Disadvantaged' Groups in ContinuingEducation" (Withnall); "The Multiple Self in theUnity of Adult Learning" (Daggett); "Becoming More Reflexiveas a Researcher" (Johnston); "Collecting Data and Recollecting in Tranquility" (Jones);"Doing Adult Education Research through Autobiography" (Miller);"Changing Places" (O'Rouke); "'Speaking Personally" (Stuart);"Adult Learning and Life HisLories" (Thomson); "On Keepinga Diary" (West, Alexopoulou); "Issues in Researchinga Common Practice" (Anderson, Boud, Sampson); "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" (Bryant); "Practitioner-based Enquiry" (Davis); "PractitionerResearch as Continuing Self-Education" (Hampton, Hampton); "Practitionersas Researchers" (Thorpe); "Adult Educators' Reflectionson M.Ed. Projects which They Had Undertaken" (Watson); "Keepingthe Customer Satisfied" (Armstrong); "Researching Educationaland Training Guidance Needs of Bilingual Women" (Brah, Kaye);"Collaborative Research Practices and the Wider Community" (Forrester);"Student Research and LEA (Local Education Agency) Adult and Continuing Education" (Jones); "Negotiating the Minefield" (Malcolm);"Research and Development Issues for Vocational Educationand Training" (McDonald et al.); "University-Based Adult Educationand the Field of Practice" (Millar); "Politics of Research" (Patel); "Whenthe Chips Are Down" (Winterton); "Access Course Feedback" (Day, Highton); "On the Relationship between Researcher and Researched" (Edwards); "Evaluation and Accountability in the Research Process" (Lawrence); and "Working Collaboratively on Research into Collaborative Working" (Shuttleworth). Some papers contain substantial bibliographies. (MN) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Orkce or Educanonal Research and Improvement "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY CENTER (ERIC) Ms document has been reotoduced recewed from the person or cooemzehoe onginanng 0 Mmor cnanoes hey* been made to Imptou reoroductIon oualdy Pants cd v3ev, or ouvons stated In thedocw ment do not necemordy represent offscml TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESO CES OERI posthon or ukcy INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." STANDING CONFERENCE ON UNIVERSITY TEACHING AND RESEARCH IN THE EDUCATION OF ADULTS RESEARCH: REFLECTING PRACTICE EDITED BY NOD MILLER & DAVID J. JONES PAPERS FROM THE 23RD ANNUAL CONFERENCE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER,6-8 JULY 1993 003 4 RESEARH: REFLECTING PRACTICE Published by the Standing Conference on University Teaching and Research in the Education of Adults, Pilgrim College, Fydell House, South Square, Boston, Lincolnshire PE21 611u, United Kingdom Printed by Ruskins of Boston Typeset in II on I3pt Adobe Garamond by THL Typesetting, London Nw6 IAA Design and layout by Rod Allen Copyright © 1993 SCUTREA All rights reserved The authors of the papers in this book have asserted their moral rights in accordance with section 77 of the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 A or card for this publication is available from the British Library ISBN 0 9521918 0 6 Further copies of this publication are available from David Jones, Pilgrim College, Fydell House, South Square, Boston, Lincs PE2I6HU, price f15.00, us$2.4.5o or A.$35.0c) induding postage by surface mail. Please endose a cheque made payable to scurREA with your order 004 199;SCUTREA CONFERENCE PAPERS Introduction Nod Miller, University of Manchester David Jones, University of Nottingham THE papers in this volume were pre-perspectives on the research process, including pared for the 23rd Annual Confer-practitioners, teachers and others who do not ence of the Standing Conference on primarily define themselves as researchers. University Teaching and Research inWe were extremely gratified by the response to the Education of Adults, held at Allen Hall,our call for papers. Among the contributors are University of Manchester, 6 to 8 July 1993,many established researchers and others at the which takes as its theme 'Research: Reflectingbeginning of their research careers, including Practice'. several postgraduate students. We are particu- The planning of this conference began almostlarly glad to welcome a number of contributors immediately after work on the last volume offrom outside Britain. Conference Proceedings (Miller and West, 1992) The papers are arranged into six strands, each was completed. The critical importance of re-with an introduction by one of the members of search in adult and continuing education was the conference organising group. Papers in the underlined in 1992, with many person-hours first strand, on Epistemology, deal with central being devoted to the completion of returns forquestions about how knowledge is generated the Research Assessment Exercise, and threats to through the research process. As Linden West the continued funding ofresearch by the HEFCs. notes, the multi-faceted nature of theoretical The emphasis on research output in the assess-influences at large in the world of adult education ment of research has brought about a shift in theresearch at present is apparent in the diverse climate of adult and continuing education de-contributions to this section. partments, with what was at one time a relativelyMethodological issues are dealt with in strand 2, relaxed attitude to the production of research the papers here addressing technical, personal, papers giving way to a desperation to publish. Aethical and political issues in relation to methods serie:: of Study Days was organised in 1992 byof gathering and accumulating data. The strand SCUTREA, in conjunction with UCACE, PACE on Practitioner-based research contains studies and SRHE, to discuss and plan a research agenda by teachers, studeats or organisers in adult edu- for the field. One important suggestion whichcation, many of the contributors raising ques- came out of the study days was that there should tions concerning the notion of 'objectivity' in be more systematic training in research method-relation to this type of research. ologies appropriate to the field of adult educa-The strand on Auto/biography contains papers tion. This led to discussions about a conferencewhich describe and analyse asircts oflife history, on research processes and practice, and thus thesome dealing with the autobiographical experi- topic of this con ference was agreed. ence of th.e researcher and some with life stories An earlier version of the conference theme wasof others. The papers in the strand on External The Reflective Researcher', playing on the titles relations and accountability examine the rela- of two influential texts in the field of adult tionship between research activity and the wider learning (Srhön, 1983, 1987). The organisingcontext in which this activity takes place. A group felt that 'Research: Reflecting Practice' theme of several of the papers is the discomfort might attract participants with a wide range ofsometimes arising out of pressure to meet thc 005 6 RESEARCH: REFLECTING PRACTICE demands of research fimders and sponsors. SCUTREA conference have experimented with The final strand deals with issues concerninga variety of forms of conference design, with the Relationships (of researchers) to the researched, intention of maximising the learning opportuni- exploring long-debated questions about whose ties in the conference in keeping with good adult side we (as researchers) are on, and exploring the education practice. One innovative feature this extent to which new research paradigms makeyear is a research hypothetical, an improvised possible more emancipatory relationships orrole-play exercise designed to highlight the poli- more truely participatory research. tics and dynamics of a research project from its There are some perennial themes and debatesconception to publication.