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Contact: [email protected] THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OF ACADEMICS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A SOCIOMATERIAL PERSPECTIVE by Wayne Barry Canterbury Christ Church University Thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Education 2018 DECLARATION I certify that this work has not been accepted in substance for any degree, and is not concurrently being submitted for any degree other than the Doctorate in Education (EdD) being studied at the Canterbury Christ Church University. I also declare that this work is the result of my own investigations except where otherwise identified by references and that I have not plagiarised the work of others. Wayne Barry ii DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my Mother, who lit the touch paper to my own love of learning. You are and always will be my first teacher. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This EdD thesis is intertwined with various people and objects from many spaces, places, and times. I have often compared my doctoral experience to that of a pilgrimage, eschewing the more obvious, but overwrought 'journey' metaphor. Being a resident of Canterbury, I found it irresistible not to compare my experiences to that of Geoffrey Chaucer's most famous work with its suggestion of liminality. A number of "sundry folk" have helped, guided, inspired and walked alongside me in my doctoral pilgrimage. This page is dedicated to those "sundry folk". I should like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisors Dr. Christian Beighton and Professor Andrew Peterson for their warm, positive support, advice and encouragement throughout my research. I would like to thank Dr. Lynn Revell (Chair) for her enthusiasm, interest and support in this project, and for her unwavering commitment and inspiration in creating a challenging, yet immensely rewarding EdD programme (and a big 'thank you' for that too!). I should like to acknowledge the initial guidance provided by Dr. Simon Hayhoe and Dr. Darren Ambrose, which was very helpful in the latter stages of my research. I also like to thank Katy Russ for transcribing the interviews and Jane CoomberSewell and Lynne Burroughs for proof-reading my thesis. Special thanks go to: Mr. Phil Poole who sponsored and supported my application. Dr. Chris Young, Dr. Richard McManus and Dr. Ian Hocking for their invaluable input, encouragement and interest in my research. I like to extend my gratitude and admiration to all of the participants who joined me on my pilgrimage, and the warmth and generosity they bestowed upon me in sharing their own professional learning 'tales' with me. A warm thank you to all of my colleagues, past and present, in Learning and Teaching Enhancement, and in particular my colleagues within the Learning Technology Team who have to put up with me occasionally - a thank you to each and every one of you. This pilgrimage was made possible by the mutual support, understanding and camaraderie of my fellow pilgrims on the EdD Generic Cohort 2 (2013) programme. Our respective paths have taken us deep into the highlands, lowlands and, on occasion, swamplands of doctoral study and research. Thank you for walking alongside me. iv I am indebted to my family and friends for their tireless support and vital encouragement, and for the compromises they had to make in providing me with the necessary space and time to devote to this research. A very special thank you goes to my 10 year-old niece, Freya, who constantly reminds me that learning is a joyous and rewarding activity. Finally, as this is a sociomaterial study, I should like to extend my appreciation to the various technologies, objects, discourses, ideas, and spaces (so often taken for granted) that have facilitated and enabled my research, and in particular, my own professional learning. v ABSTRACT Introduction For academics in UK Higher Education (HE), professional learning (PL) is a complex endeavour involving a multitude of (in)formal learning encounters. However, these PL encounters are at risk as academics prioritised conflicting knowledge domains and negotiate various social and material engagements that can enable or encumber these encounters. This thesis reports on research that attempts to illuminate these sociomaterial entanglements using Actor-Network Theory and Non-Representational Theory as a theoretical framework. Methods A transformative mixed method case study of a single UK university using content analysis, questionnaire, interview and photovoice methods were undertaken. Twelve academic staff, with module leader responsibilities, were selected from the academic staff questionnaire (n:182) to be interviewed and photograph their PL experiences. Unique to sociomaterial investigation was the photovoice method, enabling the participants to become empowered as co-researchers. Results The analysis of the data suggests that academics tend to be strategic in prioritising conflicting knowledge domains. In the case of knowledge not related to their subject discipline, academics will often fast-track information from a "knowledgeable other". Furthermore, academics will construct "surrogate" or "transient" spaces in which to seek refuge from the various disruptions and interruptions generated by their institution. Academics will use these spaces for uninterrupted learning or work and as a means for promoting self-care. Discussion The study identified four interrelated spatial properties (transient, affective, controlled and immersive), which provides an explanation why some spaces were more conducive to PL than other spaces. Furthermore, space is composed of multiple and interconnected spatial configurations that coalesce into a single spatial configuration, which I call coalescent space. The study also proposes a number of future research directions involving the PL of early career academics and academics on sessional contracts. vi Keywords professional learning, sociomateriality, higher education, photovoice, actor-network theory, non-representational theory vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ii Dedication ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... iii Acknowledgements ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... iv Abstract ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... vi Table of Contents ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... viii List of Tables ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... xv List of Figures ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... xv List of Photographs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... xvi Abbreviations ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... xvii Chapter 1: Introduction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 1.1. Introduction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 1.1.1. Prologue: Entrance Point? ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 1.1.2. Section Overview ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 1.2. Purpose of this Research ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 1.3. Context to the Thesis ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 1.4. Aims & Objectives of the Research ... ... ... ... ... ... 4 1.5. Research Questions ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 1.6. Research Design ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 1.7. Contribution to the Thesis ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 1.8. Organisation of the Thesis ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6 1.9. Summary ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 8 Chapter 2: Literature Review ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 9 2.1. Introduction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 2.1.1. Section Overview ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 2.2. Learning: A Cautionary Note ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 2.3. Professional Learning ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12 2.4. Informal Learning ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 14 2.5. Workplace Learning ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 15 viii 2.5.1. Cognitive-Psychology Based Theories of Learning ... ... ... ... 17 2.5.2. Socio-Cultural Theories of Learning ... ... ... ... ... 18 2.5.3. 'Post-Cartesian' Theories of Learning ... ... ... ... ... 19 2.6. Practice-based Approaches ... ... ... ... ... ... 20 2.7. Sociomaterial Approaches ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 22 2.7.1. Complexity Theory ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 24 2.7.2. Cultural-Historical Activity Theory ... ... ... ... ... 25 2.7.3. Actor-Network Theory ... ... ... ... ... ... 25 2.7.4. Spatial Theory ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 26 2.8. The Relationship between Work and Learning ... ... ... ... 27 2.9. Summary ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 28 Chapter 3: Theoretical Framework ... ... ... ... ... ... 29 3.1. Introduction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 30 3.1.1. Section Overview ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 30 3.2. Rationale for the Theoretical Framework ... ... ... ... ... 31 3.3. Sociomateriality ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 32 3.3.1. What is Sociomateriality? ... ... ... ... ... ... 32 3.3.2. Criticisms of Sociomaterial Inquiry ... ... ... ... ... 34 3.4. Aspectuality ... ... ... ... ..