Getting started with my project

A write-up of the notes that I have been making to get started with my research project.

Topic

The topic, or research interest, for my project was established earlier this year. The original articulation of this, in my portfolio for the Teaching and Learning module, was along the lines of:

“For my self-initiated project, I want to examine and understand to what extent archival biases are communicated to students in my teaching, what my practice does to challenge this, and what more I can do to unpack these biases and support social justice through object-based learning”

Using McNiff’s guidance on action research, I identified the “area of practice to be investigated” (2021) as how using archives in my teaching may be perpetuating the structural biases of UAL’s collections.

I chose this topic because it:

• Aligns with my professional practice and interest in critical archive theory
• Is relevant to my academic practice in inclusive teaching and learning
• Supports UAL’s social justice action plan

Purpose

Prompted by Bell’s advice to consider “why you want to carry out this research” (2010, p. 30), and using Denscombe’s guidance on types of question, I identified that the purpose of my enquiry as “developing good practice” (2009, p.12).

Noting down ideas around this purpose, I fleshed out potential ‘good practice’ outcomes:

• Develop methods to address archival bias and structural bias of UAL
• Develop tools for social justice using object-based learning

Question

Considering Punch’s advice of “putting questions before methods” (2016, p.47) and “narrowing the focus of the proposed research” (p. 49) I embarked on a process of trying to narrow down my research focus to a specific question.

This exercise resulted in the production of a series of draft questions:

• How can I use archives and collection objects in my teaching to challenge archival bias?
• How can I use object-based learning to challenge archival bias?
• How can object-based learning be used as a tool for social justice?
• How does the use of archive objects in teaching convey biases?
• Do objects need to be removed from their archival/collection context to be unbiased and used in teaching?
• How can I use archive objects in my teaching to challenge the structural biases of UAL’s collections?
• Are the structural biases of UAL’s archives and collections transmitted in my teaching by using object-based learning?

From these, I came to my current focus and draft question:

How can I use object-based learning in my teaching without enacting the structural biases of UAL’s archives and collections?

Method

I identified that my colleagues at UAL and students who participated in my teaching could provide me with information to help answer my question.

From my colleagues, I considered gathering data on their:

• Professional views and experiences of this topic
• Potential professional practice in addressing this (something akin to a review of the work already going on)
• Opinions of what else is needed or could be done

From students, I considered gathering data on their:

• Experience of being taught using archive objects
• Opinion on whether they felt represented in the archives of UAL
• Thoughts on whether the archives at UAL challenged or supported institutional values that they identified with

Data gathered from this research would inform the design of my intervention.

Due to the nature of my question, my research would be qualitative. Researching and considering different methods for this, I suggested:

1. A focus group (or group interview) would be the most appropriate method for gathering data from colleagues on my topic, as this method suits “the exploration of more complex and subtle phenomena” (Denscombe 2010, 173). Vaughn, Schumm and Sinagub (2013) outline some further the advantages of the focus group:

• Enables direct contact with participants, so “the researcher can elicit substantive information about participants thoughts and feelings on the topic of interest in relatively little time” (p.4)
• Encourages dynamic and interactive discussion, where “focus group interviews encourage interaction […] between the participants themselves” (p. 5)
• In a group setting participants are more likely to express their opinions than in individual interviews, as “the group format offers support for individual participants and encourages greater openness in their responses” (p. 6)
• The group exchange of ideas allows “individuals to form opinions about the designated topic through interaction with others” (p. 6)

2. An anonymous online questionnaire would be the most appropriate method for gathering data from students.

• As I don’t have regular access to a specific cohort of students, this would be a practical way of gathering data as they are “relatively easy to arrange” (Denscombe 2010, p. 169).
• “Questionnaires are economical” (Denscombe 2010, p. 169). I anticipated that a low participation rate may be challenge in my research, so this method would enable me to send a high volume of requests.
• An online survey gives participants an undefined amount of time to consider their answers, which may elicit more reflective responses (than other methods, such as interview).
• Anonymity encourages honest and open responses, without the hesitancy of feeling the need to say what is expected.

Action plan

Using the methods I had identified, I produced an initial draft outline of my project:

• Conduct a focus group with colleagues
• Design intervention based on data gathered from colleagues (toolkit or set of guidance for staff, or workshop design)
• Deliver this intervention
• Gather feedback from students who participated
• Evaluate feedback and develop the intervention

However, I realised that the scope of this was too large for my project – the timeframe was unrealistic.

So, I refined this outline down to a second draft, which I presented to my tutor and peers in a tutorial:

• Conduct online focus group with colleagues
• Gather feedback from students (who have previously participated in sessions I delivered) via an online survey
• Design an intervention based on data gathered (toolkit or set of guidance for staff, or workshop design)

See next blog for feedback from my tutorial, reflections on this and development of my action plan.

References

Bell, J. (2010) Doing your research project: A guide for first-time researchers in education, health and social science. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Denscombe, M. (2009) Ground Rules for Social Research: Guidelines for Good Practice. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Denscombe, M. (2010) The Good Research Guide: For small-scale social research projects. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

McNiff, J. (2021) Booklet. Available at: https://www.jeanmcniff.com/ar-booklet.asp (accessed 25 October 2021)

Punch, K. (2016) Developing Effective Research Proposals. London: Sage Publications Ltd.

Vaughn, S., Schumm, J.S. and Sinagub, J. (2013) Why Use Focus Group Interviews in Educational and Psychological Research? Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc.