First Contact

Returned from the first three-day residential session I am awash with a mix of emotions. Firstly, the people (faculty and students) are without question, the nicest, most diverse, enthusiastic bunch you could gather in one room.

From the off, Faculty tried to make us feel at home, relaxed and confident in a safe space. Yes, there were discussions of assignments, learning outcomes and expectations but mostly there were conversations about life and learning. The diversity of the student mix was obvious from the start, a sample of the proposed projects ranging from hospice board governance, empowering teenagers in their studies and the role of men in breastfeeding.

The core of the module was what you might call a voyage of self-discovery. Concepts were discussed to help us identify our professional identity and our researcher positionality with the various 'ology’s' (Epistemology, Ontology, Methodology).

What was most interesting was the approach taken with the group discussing their project and positioning themselves in relation to each other along a ‘clothes line’ on a continuum of pure positivism to Interpretivist Paradigm. While I placed myself towards the Interpretivist extreme claiming sociocultural beliefs with one or two others, and a handful self-positioned on the extreme positivist extreme, the bulk clustered around the centre claiming mix methods and methodologies.

It was very interesting to chat with all of these students and discuss their projects and perspectives and indeed by challenged by them on my views and perspectives.

Dark clouds or shining light: this photo taken on the flight reminds me of the continual need to understand and negotiate identity

Flying home over the clouds I left with a renewed sense to refresh the 'Ology’s' I need to try to embed them within my thinking so I don’t have to stop and think or even look up which one I’m referring to. Getting this and importantly my understanding of what my true beliefs and how these impact on my understanding, my research and learning is key. The first assignment will no doubt help on this front.............

Discussions of professional identity and the role of reflection on same was insightful. I started this journey with a grave concern, namely that I was researching a topic within an organisation I am a voluntary board member and as such I am doing part time research on a part time position. All I had read to date stress the importance of aligning research to your working life to ensure DProf success. However, leaving Sunderland I was ‘somewhat’ reassured that it is at least doable. I came away with a promise to self to view the research and the professional identity I was using to research in the broadest sense.