not enough time, not enough resources, not enough literature review, not enough data gathered, not enough different research methods used. Arghhh!!!!

Right, what am I focusing on. What can I do to make a head start? Looking at the McNiff and Whitehead (2009) action research cycle diagram, I will focus on Step 1 and 2, up to a point. With not enough literature research and data gathered, my findings might be skewed. But let’s crack on and see where I get to.

References

• Image 1 – https://imgflip.com/i/e5a88

• Image 2 – based on McNiff and Whitehead (2009)

The most useful piece of writing I came across throughout my research project was an online blog, Facilitating Community-based research – Starting with ourselves. Tips from Prof. Lesley Wood (Sage, 2023). ‘We need to first start with ourselves and ensure we are not living contradictions of what we profess. We have to be skilled in facilitation, which requires active listening (focussing on person as a whole, body language, feelings etc. and not just words); ability to handle conflict and tension; keeping people focussed but allowing for creative thinking; not being afraid of dealing with feelings etc. These skills are best learnt through experiential learning.’ (Sage, 2023). Equipped with such tools and tips, now I feel like I can start.

Social Justice part of my goal of ensuring that students with learning difficulties have an equal opportunity to succeed in education, has been tackled with this project. It is not just giving them access to education but creating a system, a structure that removes barriers to learning and allows them to thrive based on their strengths. Here I’m interviewing a pool of students with an ISA given to them because of their learning difficulties. These can range from dyslexia (reading), dyscalculia (math), dysgraphia (writing), ADHD (attention). So, potentially, for every student , the educational need could be different and could possibly require an individual plan for educational success. But there must be some commonalties. I have my inclinations but I’m eager to start and discover.

Furthermore, I never thought that ethics would be so important, but going though this process, the consequence of not having a solid stance on disclosure, anonymity and the ability to withdraw consent is enormous. It was equally important to communicate with clarity to the participants what the project is all about and what they are consenting to. This has put the interviewees at ease and allowed for a very open discussion.

Through interviewing selected students, I have noticed how much this has empowered them to advocate for themselves and participate in decisions related to their education. By making some simple but also some more complicated changes we can enable students with learning difficulties to reach their full potential. But this is ongoing process that needs regular intervention and collaboration between students, educators, parents and policymakers (Sage Research Methods, 2023).

Recruitment of students. Obviously, the students recruited are students that hold an active ISA. The list was given to me by our course administrators. But how do I chose from the list? By doing my own subtle selection process over the course of this academic year, I noticed that I was inclined to approach students that I already had a connection with. We had a relationship. This would eliminate or at least reduce this notion of me being a researcher, in a position of relative power. I’m not hiding that I’m a researcher and interested in the inquiry, but I start with having a coffee and a chat. If they are interested, then I pursue, if not we part ways. Basing it on real life, getting to know people, seeing if our interests align, and moving forward – or choosing not to. (Sage Research Methods, 2024). I selected my students, scheduled calls and gathered data.

Now that I gathered data, I have to analyse it. My tutor suggested Braun & Clarke’s (2021) Thematic Analysis. Their 6 step approach was very helpful and slightly less daunting process for someone who has never done this before.

The interviews went very well, much better then I expected. The students wanted to talk. They really wanted to talk and tell me all their worries and also ideas. The interviews were planned for 20-25 minutes but all took nearly an hour. I spent the first 10 minutes just chit chatting about them, life, course, everything and anything, which put them at ease. The information I got from them was wast, sometimes overwhelming, but most importantly to the point and actionable.

The key findings and results from the interviews can be summarised in groups below.

• STRUCTURE AND TIMETABLING of course delivery. This includes lectures, seminars and workshops.
• TUTORIALS – the way they are structured and delivered.
• ASSESSMENTS – extra time allocated to ISA students.

Structure and timetabling

All the interviewees had an issue with how the delivery is structured. All the units are scheduled as 1 hour lecture, followed by a 2 hour seminar, followed by a 2 hour workshop. All in one day with short breaks in between. My attention span is very short and all the interviewees who have ADHD, same as me and found it very hard to keep focus. All said, that after the 1st hour of the seminar their focus is lost and no more information is retained. Very similar to me. Suggestion were given in the shape of timetabling the delivery differently and having lecture and seminar in one day with a long break in between, at least 30 min. And then having a workshop on another day. This way, the information will be absorbed and retained better.

Tutorials

Most of our tutorials are done online and each student is given 10min individual slots. When analysing the data given by the interviewees, it was evident that they do not work. They are attended poorly and students with ISAs don’t find them useful. When prompting with more questions as to a reason why, the following were given. Intimidation from 1:1 environment and the power imbalance, the fear that they would not be able to log in properly, as well as having only 10 minutes to discuss the topic and sometimes all they want you to do is to look over their work and review if they are on the right path. Suggestions were made by all interviewees for in-person drop ins/ tutorials were possible. Where a tutor would sit in the classroom for a few hours and students would drop in with their work to share with a tutor and other present students. This type of tutorial was trialled by me in the autumn 2024 term and it worked very well. In terms of attendance and the follow up feedback from the students in the unit feedback forms. Proposal would be to introduce these type of drop ins instead of 10 minute online tutorials. This would not only benefit ISA students but the rest of teh student population.

Assessments

There was a lot pf prise the way the assessments were planned and delivered. The extra time given to ISA students works very well, it gives them time to plan and organise themselves properly, gives them time to focus more but also time to go over their work and identify and rectify the mistakes. No further suggestions were made here.

Next steps

Following up on these ideas and suggestions from the students and myself are the next steps. What’s important is to tackle this gently and pick the most relevant and beneficial proposal to push with the management and scheduling. The first thing is to introduce drop in tutorials for the next academic year. This proposal was suggested to my course leader and has been approved. Great result!

The next on the agenda is the more tricky timetabling which affects stuff on our course but also the timetabling on other units/courses. This has been proposed and is in the discussions with the programme director. Nothing can be done for the next academic year, but fingers crossed the discussions continue and we can move in the right direction for the academic year 25/26.

Limitations

• only 3 students were interviewed, all from the same year and course
• All the interviews were conducted in the same of 1 week
• No additional research method was used to validate, humanise the data gathered
• my own positionality could have influenced the students responses

References

• Sage Research Method Community (2023) ‘What is “Critical Participatory Inquiry”?’. Available at: https://researchmethodscommunity.sagepub.com/blog/critical-participatory-inquiry (accessed 24 June 2024)

• Sage Research Method Community (2023) ‘Facilitating Community-based research – Starting with ourselves. Tips from Prof. Lesley Wood’. Available at: https://researchmethodscommunity.sagepub.com/blog/facilitating-community-based-research-starting-with-ourselves-tips-from-dr-lesley-wood (accessed 25 June 2024)

• Abubakar, A. Douglas, S & Sani, Z (2018). Qualitative data collection, analysis and interpretation in research paradigms: The case of library and information science research. Applied Scientific Research. 6 (5): 211-215
• Baker, S.E. and Edwards, R. (2012). How many qualitative interviews is enough? National Centre for Research Methods Review Paper. [online] Available at: https://eprints.ncrm.ac.uk/id/eprint/2273/4/how_many_interviews.pdf. (accessed 16th June 2024)
• Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic Analysis: A Practical Guide. London: Sage Publications.
• British Educational Research Association (2018). Ethical guidelines for educational research. 4th ed. [online] London: British Educational Research Association. Available at: https://www.bera.ac.uk/publication/ethical-guidelines-for-educational-research-2018-online (accessed 16th June 2024)
• Freire, P. (2006). Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 30th anniversary ed. New York: Continuum.
• Hanington, B, & Martin, B (2012), Universal Methods of Design : 100 Ways to Research Complex Problems, Develop Innovative Ideas, and Design Effective Solutions, Quarto Publishing Group USA, Osceola.
• Sage Research Method Community (2023) ‘What is “Critical Participatory Inquiry”?’. Available at: https://researchmethodscommunity.sagepub.com/blog/critical-participatory-inquiry (accessed 24 June 2024)
• Sage Research Method Community (2023) ‘Facilitating Community-based research – Starting with ourselves. Tips from Prof. Lesley Wood’. Available at: https://researchmethodscommunity.sagepub.com/blog/facilitating-community-based-research-starting-with-ourselves-tips-from-dr-lesley-wood (accessed 25 June 2024)

I have never studied research methods and I find it very hard when my students ask me direct questions related to research. I should be the one they can turn for advice, but I just point them in the direction of other lecturers who have studied it and are now teaching it. But for this project I need to talk to students, I need to research the right methods to gather data and interpret it. I better get reading and finding out what context is the most suitable for my topic.

Universal Methods of Design, 100 Ways to Research Complex Problems, Develop Innovative Ideas, and Design Effective Solutions was so helpful to familiarize myself with all the different methods but also to help me focus. I had numerous conversation with my course leader and my programme director and some students about my research project, which ultimately emphasised the importance of understanding users/students throughout the design process to create effective solutions. Also, being flexible and able to adapt my research approach is crucial in the success of this project (Hanington & Martin, 2012).

Focus group were eliminated at the start. Who would want to share some delicate information about the way their learning difficulties have impacted their studies. But focus groups would enable me to speak to a larger groups of students at the same time, get their isight rather than doing them one by one. ‘Focus groups are used to gather opinions.’ (Krueger & Casey, 2014). This is what I need but I don’t think I will get the best insight in the group environment.

Another option is interviews. When doing my own 1:1 tutorials I found that students were more willing to share information and opinions, much more than in group tutorials. I’m going to be asking delicate questions and sometimes they might feel like they are talking against the university and they will shy away from the information I’m trying to get out of them. It seems right to be conducting interviews for my research topic, but to gather deep insight and data into this topic, I would have to conduct multiple interviews, plan them, schedule them, do them, transcribe them and then analyse them. I better roll my sleeves up, this is going to take a while. So how many should I do? Researching into ‘how many’ is ‘it depends’ (Baker et al. 2012) on the focus and objectives of the analysis and the time available to conduct the research. I don’t have long! Adler and Adler in the same paper (p.10) comment on students conducting research and their small window for gathering data and ‘suggest that they should aim for a sample of 12’. In my short space of time, this cannot happen but also I do not know, well enough, 12 students with an ISA. It’s been decided, I’m going for a sample of 3.

Another dilemma I’m contemplating, are the interviews enough to gather data and insight, or do I need to do questionnaires alongside? Interviews are often one component of a research strategy and complimentary methods of questionnaire or observations, are used to verify and humanize data collected.’ (Hanington & Martin 2012). This would be great to have, but this will have to be one of the limitation of my research. Let’s get cracking!

References

• Baker, S.E. and Edwards, R. (2012). How many qualitative interviews is enough? National Centre for Research Methods Review Paper. [online] Available at: https://eprints.ncrm.ac.uk/id/eprint/2273/4/how_many_interviews.pdf.
• Hanington, B, & Martin, B (2012), Universal Methods of Design : 100 Ways to Research Complex Problems, Develop Innovative Ideas, and Design Effective Solutions, Quarto Publishing Group USA, Osceola.

To help me keep focus during this delayed action research project, I have created this list of activities I need to complete. This list what scribbled in my notepad and is attached below. But I’m sure it’s easier to read it from the list below.

• Revisit all the workshops and cross-programme events. Watch any recordings and read the content provided.
• Schedule and attend any extra tutorials provided for def/ref students.
• Start the blog, and keep working on it.
• Draft, review and sign the Ethics Forms.
• Draft the interview questions and get feedback.
• Schedule the interviews and conduct them.
• Transcript the interview responses.
• Analyse the data.
• Write up project key findings.
• Prepare the slides and deliver the presentation.
• Easy!

How to make students with learning difficulties feel more supported within their course and whose responsibility is it to deliver the support.

If you are interested why I chose this question please read more on the rationale behind it and my positionality HERE.

It has ben suggested to link back to our first ever blogpost on the PgCert that outlined our Academic Practice to give this Action Research Project context, and looking back at it I’ve noticed that I didn’t outline my job very well and my positionality.

So her we go, again. I’m a newish lecturer on undergraduate BA(Hons)Fashion Buying and Merchandising, at LCF. I teach buying and merchandising but my expertise is in merchandising. My teaching is mainly focusing on YR1 and YR2 students but I also supervise YR3 students. In addition, I help teach on Enterprise units across LCF.

I’m dyslexic and have ADHD. I have bene formally diagnosed in January 2023. I’m 47 years old and have gone though the whole education system up to Masters levels without any learning difficulties support.

There we are, I hope this paints the picture well and contextualises both my teaching practice and my intentions for this unit.

Why am I interested in researching this topic, what is my connection to ISA students and learning difficulties? For context I’m further developing the work I’ve started on the IP unit and focusing on learning difficulties. Learning difficulties such as Dyslexia (reading), dyscalculia (math), dysgraphia (writing), ADHD (attention). With proper support and strategies, people with learning difficulties can often improve their skills and achieve academic success.

There is a personal connection too. I have been formally diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia only a year ago, but for the last 20 years I knew. Without a formal diagnoses I would not get any extra help or support with my PgCert, so I went for the assessment. The assessment was long and complicated, which made me want to give up half-way through. The support given to me, post the assessment, was again very complicated, long, tedious forms to fill in and complicated structure of 1:1 support. I gave up.

Prior to my assessment and after only teaching for 6 months I started noticing things that were not agreeing me with. The structure of curriculum delivery, they way we offered tutorials to students, the way we assess. I did not work for me, so it must not work for other students with learning difficulties. But is this just me?

I took it upon myself to have conversations with my Course leader and Programme Director to see if there is anything that can be done. Is it just me being weird? How we can give the students with learning difficulties the best chance to learn and thrive at university.

Post the above conversation I realised I haven’t consulted any students, I just made assumptions based on myself. I needed to make this work for them and the future students. I need to get them involved. As Freire emphasises, dialogue is essential for transformation. Through dialogue, students and teachers can learn from each other and develop a shared understanding of the world:

“Leaders who do not act dialogically, but insist on imposing their decisions, do not organize the people–they manipulate them. Freire, 2006

Now I just need to get my skates on and get the interviews in the diary and done before all the students leave for the summer break.

References

• Freire, P. 2006. Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 30th anniversary ed. New York: Continuum

Well, this wasn’t as bad and time consuming as my ethics form, but they still needed some thought and research put into it.

I used the template given to us and I’ve started filling it in after my last amend on the Ethics Form. This made life a lot easier. The actions and methodologies were decided so it was just about filling the form in the right format. The Canva Online Forms and Survey Tools was very helpful in deciding this.

One point I didn’t consider and my tutor pointed it out was ‘What happens to the results of the research project? The key question was how will I use the information gathered in the interviews, just for this projects or will the information be used elsewhere. Further research, dissertation, will I publish it?

The first draft of participant consent form was essentially the example we were provided, just with my question at the top and a few words changed. It was written when the Ethics forms was nearly approved. The feedback was only on my phenomena being quite negative. See the tutor comment below.

By stating inadequate might it encourage bias in terms of (negative) engagement / response? Is it rather what you have stated as your aim(s) in the ethical enquiry form? I’d revisit the aims on the ethical enquiry form to include in the consent form and information sheet. 

I decided to go back to the original title that was open and not suggestive in any way.

References:

Canva Online Forms and Survey Tools. Available at: https://canvas.arts.ac.uk/sites/explore/SitePage/61013/online-forms-and-survey-tools

Ethics Form has been extremely hard to get right. It has taken months and lots of revisits to get to the point where is meets the projects requirements.

My first point of call was doing it blind with not much research. I can do this, I’ve read so many , how hard can this be. Well, brace yourself Silva. This is a ride and a half! I had my project in mind for a while, well ever since I started teaching which is nearly 2 years ago.

I started filling the form and chose green colour-way, my favourite colour. I don’t like forms filling so this was something to encourage me to do it. And I also find it easier to read when it’s something other than black. The red underlining (when the spelling is wrong) doesn’t look so bad against the green. Using the Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research (2018) I tried to figure out what I supposed to do and I thought I was on the right pathway.

Version 1

I received formal written feedback, but the workload and stress of life took over me and I had to take some time out. I read the feedback and felt overwhelmed with amount of work I had to do. Finding space in my brain for it wasn’t possible. I returned to it in the late spring, full of energy and enthusiasm. My tutor recommended a lot of articles to read, which I was grateful for. It has shaped my thinking and focused me more. The next version was in blue. My second favourite colour.

Version 1 with comments

I worked hard on it and received more comments. Detailed below.

Tutor-feedbackDownload

All the written feedbacks and the reading suggestions were invaluable, I wasn’t going deep enough, I wasn’t covering all the angles. The Guidelines by BERA (2018) was very useful, gave me tips of what to do in any uncertainty. Also, gave me tips of what to do to protect myself and students during the process.

I’m nearly there. My last version attached above and it was approved. AMAZING!!! I’m starting to feel really excited about this research project and it’s all down to digging deeper and educating myself of how to do the process well. Cannot wait to get going with interviews.

The Final Version. Signed!!!

References

• British Educational Research Association (2018). Ethical guidelines for educational research. 4th ed. [online] London: British Educational Research Association. Available at: https://www.bera.ac.uk/publication/ethical-guidelines-for-educational-research-2018-online.
• Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2023). Thematic Analysis [online]. Available at: https://study.sagepub.com/thematicanalysis