A SELF STUDY OF A HIGHER EDUCATION TUTOR: HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY PRACTICE?

Abstract of PhD Submission to the University of Bath, 2004
Mary Hartog

This thesis is a self-study of a tutor in higher education committed to practice improvement. It is presented as a study of singularity and an example of first person education action research. It is epistemologically and methodologically distinct in that it is based on my values as an educator and ideas about what constitutes loving and life-affirming educational practice.

The aim of this thesis is to present a storied account of my inquiry, in which I explore what it means to live my values in practice. Through descriptions and explanations of my practice, this thesis unveils a process of action and reflection, punctuated by moments when I deny or fail to live my values fully in practice, prompting the iterative question 'How do I improve my practice?'; the reflective process enabling me to better understand my practice and test out that understanding with others in the public domain.

My claim to originality is embodied in the aesthetics of my teaching and learning relationships, as I respond to the sources of humanity and educative needs of my students, as I listen to their stories and find an ethic of care in my teaching and learning relationships that contain them in good company and that returns them to their stories as more complete human beings.

Evidence is drawn from life-story work, narrative accounting, student assignments, audio and video taped sessions of teaching and learning situations, the latter of which include edited CD-R files. These clips offer a glimpse of my embodied claims to know what the creation of loving and life-affirming educative relations involves.

CONTENTS

You can download the PhD in Parts in PDF format

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Abstract, Standards of Judgement, Contents, Acknowledgements, Prefacepages 1-22

PART ONE: INTRODUCTIONpages 23 - 131

CHAPTER THREE OF PART ONE - WOMEN'S WAYS OF KNOWING: A REVIEW AND CRITIQUE - for those who want to download this chapter on its ownpages 102 - 131

PART TWO: THE STORIESpages 132 - 276

PART THREE: TOWARD A HUMANE AND CRITICAL SCHOLARSHIP OF PRACTICEpages 275-331

Endpiece, Appendix 1, Appendix 2, Instructions for use of the CD-Rpages 332-363

References and Bibligraphy page 364-379

THE CD-ROMS IN THE APPENDIX ARE IN THE ORIGINAL COPY OF THE THESIS AND CAN BE ACCESSED FROM THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF BATH AFTER 15 JULY 2004

Full Table of Contents

Abstract 2
Standards of Judgment 3
Acknowledgements 8
Preface 9

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION 23

CHAPTER ONE: CREATING A LIVING THEORY ACCOUNT OF MY INQUIRY 24

Introduction 24
Context, Purpose and Position 25
My Practice Context 26
Introducing My Purposes 27
Linking My Position 30
Context and Position 36
Context, Position and Purpose 38

CHAPTER TWO: APPROACH AND METHOD 41
Introduction 41
Defining Action Research 43
What is Emancipatory or Critical Action Research? 45
The Growth of Reflective Practice 49
A Human Conception of Educational Action Research 52
Learning to Understand the World From my Own Point of View 54
I Am The Subject and Object of my Research: A Dialectical
Engagement With the World 59
Introduction 59
A Dialectical Engagement With the World 59
Alienation in Research 60
The Research Cycle 64
Rowan’s Cycle: A Dialectical Account of my Inquiry 71
Validity in ‘Educational’ Action Research 80
Method and Process Issues in Theory – Writing and ‘Data’ in This Inquiry 84
Introduction 84
The Role of Theory and Literature in an Action Research Account 85
Writing as Inquiry 88
Recording Data: Using Audio and Videotapes to Gather Data 93
Reconnecting With the Data 94
Embodied Knowledge: Values in Action 96
Focusing and Drawing Out Meaning From the Data 97
Summary 99

CHAPTER THREE: WOMEN’S WAYS OF KNOWING: A REVIEW AND CRITIQUE 102
Introduction 103
Voice: a Metaphor for Growth and Development 107
A More detailed Understanding of the Five Perspectives 109
Contrasting the Two Procedures 119
Criticisms of Women’s Ways of Knowing 122
Valuing Diversity or Concealing its Complexity? 123
Silence: a Negative or Positive experience? 124
‘Ideal Speech’ and ‘Really Talking’: a Different Perspective 126
Standpoint Theory: an Advantage or Disadvantage? 127
Conclusions 129

PART TWO: THE STORIES 132

CHAPTER FOUR: MAPPING THE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SELF -CHOICES AND SELF DETERMINATION 133

Introduction 133
Background 134
Story 1 135
Story 2 139
What Did I Learn From These Experiences? 143
How Literature Informs My Understanding of These Stories 144
Autobiography as a Vehicle For Inquiry 149
Conclusion 150

CHAPTER FIVE: FINDING VOICE IN THE ACADEMY:
TOWARDS A POLITICS OF ARTICULATION, CONTESTING
POWER IN THE ACADEMY FROM AN OPPOSITIONAL SITE 153
Introduction 153
The Gendered Nature of University Organisations 155
The Demands of the New Universities 156
The Historical Context of my Journey in Academia 159
The Historical Context of my Journey in Academia – Continued 163
Homeplaces 169
Working With Autobiography: Going Home 171
Conclusion 173

CHAPTER SIX: MAPOD – THE EARLY DAYS (1995-1998):
A REFLECTIVE REVIEW 174
Introduction 174
Background 174
Goals for Learning on MAPOD 176
Story 1: The First MAPOD Block Week 177
Story 2: The Second Time Around 188
Story 3: Who is Spartacus? 193
How do I Understand my Practice? 198
Conclusions 206

CHAPTER SEVEN: WORKING WITH MARGARET: HOW DOES MY ‘LIVING THEORY’ CONSTITUTE A DISCIPLINE OF EDUCATIONAL ACTION RESEARCH? 208
Introduction 208
Background to Working with Margaret and the MAPOD Context 211
Assignment One 214
How Do I Respond? (February 1999) 219
Margaret’s Self Assessment Statement (10 March 1999) 223
Assignment Two 225
The Dissertation 233
How Does My Living Theory Constitute a Discipline of Educational
Action Research? 241
Conclusion 247

CHAPTER EIGHT: MATERNAL THINKING – A TRANSFORMATIVE DISCOURSE FOR EDUCATIVE RELATIONS 251
Introduction: Maternal Thinking 251
What Evidence Can I Offer of What Maternal Thinking Means to
Me in My Practice? 255
Background to the Second Meeting: My First Encounter With the Set
in December 257
The Second Meeting (February) 259
The Assessment 266
Conclusion 272

PART THREE: TOWARD A HUMANE AND CRITICAL SCHOLARSHIP OF PRACTICE 275

CHAPTER NINE: DEVELOPING A CONNOISSEUR’S EYE:
EXPLORING THE AESTHETICS OF MY TEACHING AND
LEARNING RELATIONSHIPS ON MAPOD 276
Introduction 278
In the Context of MAPOD 280
Working with Louise 289
Working with Margaret 292
Working with Marcia 294
Conclusions 297

CHAPTER TEN: EDUCATING THE SOCIAL FORMATION: REFLECTING ON THE INFLUENCE OF MY LIVING THEORY INQUIRY 300
Introduction 300
For Me: How Has My Living Theory Influenced and Changed My
Practice? 300
To Sum Up: ‘For Me’ 309
For Us: Making a Difference 311
Organising Reflection as a Critique to Practice 313
To Sum Up: For ‘Us’ Making a Difference 319
For Them: How Can we Create a Good Social Order in Higher Education? 320
A Unified Approach to Teaching, Learning and Research 327
To Sum Up: ‘For Them’ Where to From Here? 330
Conclusion 331END PIECE 332
Introduction 333
Key Themes of This Thesis 333
Finding Voice 334
Women’s Ways of Knowing and the Maternal Voice 335
Listening: The Other Side of Silence 336
Community Building: Learning in Good Company 336
Making a Difference 336

APPENDIX 1: PAPER PRESENTED 1 JUNE 2001 AT EBEN-UK CONFERENCE – DRAFT WORKING PAPER IN
PREPARATION FOR FUTURE PUBLICATION 339

APPENDIX 2: INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE OF THE CD-R 363

REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY 365