LEAD - Learning Enhancement and Academic Development

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/handle/20.500.12289/14083

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Age and Nationality: Identity Tensions in Kuwait
(2024-03-26) Almnaies, Shahd; Donaghue, Helen; Tajeddin, Zia; Yazan, Bedrettin
This chapter examines identity tensions experienced by in-service female Kuwaiti English language teachers. Using a multimodal narrative approach, this chapter analyzes stories in the forms of written narratives and multimodal texts and images produced by Kuwaiti teachers to find out which identities and identity tensions are relevant to them in their working lives. In reading and responding to each other’s stories and sharing similar experiences, the participants came to an understanding that their identity struggles were due to the underlying tensions between younger and older teachers and Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti teachers. A significant contextual influencer was a political agenda (Kuwaitization) dividing local and non-local teachers. This chapter provides a language teacher identity perspective from Kuwait and the Middle East which is rarely heard. This study contributes a further understanding of two identity tensions: age (specifically, being young in the profession) and nationality. © 2024 selection and editorial matter, Zia Tajeddin and Bedrettin Yazan; individual chapters, the contributors.
Analysing Discourses in Teacher Observation Feedback Conferences
(Routledge, 2021-06-08) Copland, Fiona; Donaghue, Helen
This volume focuses on the post-observation feedback conference, a common feature of teacher education programs, and highlights the importance of such talk in the development and evaluation of teachers and other professionals.　　 The book adopts a linguistic ethnographic approach, which provides a framework for examining the contextual nature of the talk and how it is embedded within wider social contexts and structures, such as evaluation regimes. Drawing on data from a range of settings, including pre-service teacher education, medical education, and teacher appraisal programs, Copland and Donaghue examine the feedback conference from a range of perspectives, including face, identity and genre, and show how a nuanced understanding of discussions can support teacher trainers, supervisors and observers to provide appropriate and useful feedback. A concluding chapter brings together brief vignettes from researchers active in the field to point to future directions for further study. This book will be of particular interest to students and researchers in discourse analysis, language education, linguistic anthropology, and professional communication, as well as pre- and in-service teachers.
Belonging in Online Learning Environments
(University of the Arts London, 2020-07-31) Bunting, Liz; Hill, Vikki; Jethnani, Hansika; Moody, Jess; Riggs, Gemma; Stewart, Dr Bonnie; Strayhorn, Dr. Terrell; Thomas, Liz; White, David; Williams-Baffoe, Jennifer
Following on from the previous of interrogating spaces that explored concepts of belonging in Higher Education, we move to online learning environments. In the context of Covid-19 and the sharp move to online teaching across the globe, we hear practitioners, academics and students reflect on how we can foster and develop a sense of belonging in digital spaces. We hear about the challenges and affordances of online environments, as well as suggestions as to how we might create a sense of presence and help student feel valued.
Belonging through Assessment: Pipelines of Compassion - project report
(University of the Arts London, 2023-02-08) Hill, Vikki; Broadhead, Samantha; Bunting, Liz; da Costa, Laura; Currant, Neil; Greated, Marianne; Hughes, Peter; Mantho, Robert; Salines, Emily; Stevens, Thea
This is the project report from the QAA Collaborative Enhancement Project 'Belonging through assessment: Pipelines of compassion', led by University of the Arts London in partnership with Glasgow School of Art and Leeds Arts University.
Belonging through compassion: Supporting hope through the design of a website for educational development and social justice
(OpenBook Publishers, 2025-07-02) Hill, Vikki; Bunting, Liz; Abegglen, Sandra; Burns, Tom; Heller, Richard; Madhok, Rajan; Neuhaus, Fabian; Sandars, John; Sinfield, Sandra; Singh, Upasana Gitanjali
This chapter advocates for a more compassionate approach to Higher Education as a pathway to achieving social justice. Central to this vision is the cultivation of belonging through relational learning communities that honour interconnectedness, shared humanity, and equitable power dynamics. Through a case study of a digital educational development platform, the authors demonstrate how compassionately designed, co-produced, dialogic, and person-centred resources can support more inclusive and humane pedagogies. They outline practical strategies for embedding an ecology of compassion within institutions and highlight the necessity of systemic, institutional commitment to challenge inequitable policies and practices in Higher Education.
Developing doctoral researcher identities through tutorial talk [Oral Presentation]
(2021-02-24) Adams, Gill; Donaghue, Helen
Developing Researcher Identity Through the PhD Confirmation
(University of Wollongong Australia, 2023-05-29) Heron, Marion; Yakovchuk, Nadya; Donaghue, Helen
The PhD confirmation, or upgrade stage, is a key requirement and rite of passage for most doctoral students. Yet despite its significance and high-stakes nature, little attention has been paid to students’ experiences of this stage of the PhD journey and how it influences the development of their researcher identity. Through semi-structured interviews with PhD students from a range of disciplines who had recently successfully completed the confirmation stage, we found that for many the confirmation stage was a catalyst for ‘feeling’ like a researcher through external validation, recognition and legitimacy. Students also developed their researcher identity through talking about their research with significant others. We argue for recognising the pivotal role the confirmation stage plays in developing doctoral students’ researcher identity and offer suggestions on how supervisors and researcher developers can support students through this transition.
An embedded genre-based writing pedagogy for early-stage doctoral students
(Emerald, 2025-03-10) Donaghue, Helen; Adams, Gill
Purpose Writing is crucial to doctoral students. Increasing recognition of the importance and difficulty of doctoral writing has prompted a call for doctoral students to be better supported in developing writing skills and confidence, and for writing to be taught within disciplines. This paper adds to this call by presenting and evaluating an embedded genre-based writing pedagogy for doctoral students. It focuses on early-stage doctoral researchers. Despite literature highlighting the importance of integrating doctoral students into scholarly practices from early stages of studies, there is a lack of writing research with these early-stage students. Design/methodology/approach This paper audio-recorded small group tutorials in the early stages of a professional doctorate and supplemented this data set with individual interviews with doctoral students. Data were analysed thematically. Findings In this paper, the authors report on four main findings: how genre pedagogy (1) prompted students to revise their understandings of doctoral writing, (2) inspired students to express voice and stance, (3) helped students develop a conscious awareness of writing and (4) influenced (positively) students’ identity formation and emotions. Originality/value While interest in doctoral writing has increased, there is little research about doctoral writing pedagogies for early-stage doctoral researchers. This paper also extends the literature on doctoral writing pedagogies by showing how a genre-based pedagogy helps early-stage doctoral researchers understand doctoral writing and develop their own writing via analysis of genres within their disciplinary community.
Embedding students’ academic writing development in early-career disciplinary lecturers’ practice
(2023) McGrath, Lisa; Donaghue, Helen; Negretti, Rafaella
This study proposes a theoretically grounded and resource-efficient triadic model with the aim of supporting early-career subject lecturers in learning how to understand discipline-specific academic writing and teach it to their students. The model constitutes a ‘bottom-up’ collaboration process among a subject lecturer, an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) lecturer, and an academic developer. Adopting a case study approach, qualitative data were collected at multiple points in the process and were analysed using both thematic and linguistic analysis. Results indicate that the collaboration's genre-based, dialogic and egalitarian nature enabled the subject lecturer to grow her understanding of students’ writing development. She acquired some metalanguage to conceptualise and articulate her expectations in terms of her students’ assignments and was able to co-create learning tasks. Our study contributes novel insights into debates around where and how students’ academic writing development should be delivered, and, importantly, early-career lecturers’ role in that delivery. Finally, we propose an extension of the EAP lecturers’ remit to encompass working with early-career subject lecturers in a developmental role.
Enacting Compassion during the pandemic: academic staff experiences of a No Detriment Policy on pass/ fail assessment
(Edward Elgar Publishing, 2023-07-21) Hill, Vikki; Carrigan, Mark A.; Moscovitz, Hannah; Martini, Michele; Robertson, Susan L
Exploration of cultural norms and behavioural beliefs about zoo animal behaviour, welfare, ethics and husbandry practices in a sample of the international zoo community
(2023-01-22) Bacon, Heather; Bell, Catriona; Dwyer, Cathy M.; Waran, Natalie; Qing, Yan; Xia, Liu; Shaw, Darren J.
Beliefs influence the intentions of people to behave in certain ways towards animals. This study presents survey responses from 237 people working in zoos in China and Europe and describes their demographic characteristics. It explores their beliefs about zoo animal behaviour, welfare and ethical issues, and zoo practices, using a survey methodology. These beliefs may be influenced by individual demographic or cultural factors such as age, gender and region of employment, as well as experiential or situative ‘norms’ within the work environment. Beliefs were significantly influenced by the region of employment with Chinese respondents beliefs being significantly different to beliefs from respondents in the United Kingdom or the rest of Europe. Hierarchical cluster analysis of the survey generated clusters of people from both regions who indicated positive beliefs about zoo animal welfare as well as clu sters indicating a lack of understanding of some zoo animal welfare issues. In addition, a cluster suggesting cognitive dissonance between beliefs about animals welfare and zoo practices was generated from Chinese responses. Factor analysis identified that prioritisation of in‐situ conservation within good animal welfare was a key feature in Chinese respondents, whereas European beliefs prioritising in‐situ conservation were distinct from those on supporting good animal welfare. This paper identifies similarities and differences in beliefs about zoo animal welfare and zoo husbandry practices between Europe and China, and discusses the underlying norms and values that these beliefs may reflect.
Exploring Student Experiences of an Undergraduate Certificate in Veterinary Medical Education
(University of Toronto Press Inc. (UTPress), 2023-06-01) Hughes, Kirsty; Hudson, Neil; Bell, Catriona; Tomlin, Nina; Handel, Ian; Chinnery, Sarah; Rhind, Susan
The ability to teach is recognized as a core skill for many professionals, including veterinarians, but undergraduate opportunities to develop this skill are not always available. A complementary teaching certificate offered during the clinical years of an undergraduate veterinary program was evaluated to investigate student experiences of the program and the perceived benefits and challenges of participating. The study used a mixed methods approach with questionnaires to provide an overview of the participant experience and semi-structured interviews to gain a deeper insight into students’ experiences of the program. Two cohorts completed questionnaires comprising Likert-style and open-ended questions on the 3-year teaching certificate, the first cohort after 1 year of the program and the second cohort at completion. Interviews with participants from both cohorts were thematically analyzed to identify recurring themes. An average of 27% of students per academic year enrolled in the certificate program, most of whom completed it. Additionally, four to six students per cohort applied for Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA), and 19 students have achieved this recognition. Key themes from the data included that students felt the certificate built their confidence, increased their veterinary knowledge, and helped them become better teachers, with time management and reflection the biggest challenges. The Undergraduate Certificate of Veterinary Medical Education was seen as a good teaching foundation, while working toward the AFHEA provided some insight into higher education and academic careers. A structured teaching program offers students the opportunity to develop their learning and reflection both as students and future educators.
Listening with Compassion: Using a logic chain and theory of change model to evaluate the use of podcasts to foster compassionate pedagogy within an academic enhancement programme
(2025-03-20) Hill, Vikki
This paper presents a process evaluation, using logic chains and a theory of change model, of a pilot academic enhancement programme that aims to develop compassionate pedagogy to reduce ethnicity awarding differentials. In this small-scale qualitative study that combines interviews with graphic-elicitation methods, I focus on the experiences of academic and support staff of listening to two podcasts that explore belonging and relationality in higher education. The evaluation provides insights for future design and iteration of educational development to address inequity and informs recommendations to create compassionate cultures for staff; devise inclusive and affective resources and develop interventions that provide space for both epistemic and practical considerations.
Love Letters as Ways of Thinking About Relational Pedagogies of Assessment
(Routledge, 2024-05) Vicente Richards, Ana; Ingham, Mark; Bunting, Liz; Hill, Vikki; Bustillos Morales, Jessie A.
Love, respect, esteem: Collaborative student partnerships for social justice
(Bloomsbury Academic, 2023-05-18) Hill, Vikki; Taylor, L; Abegglen, Sandra; Burns, Tom; Sinfield, Sandra
Making meaning: An investigation into staff’s relational experience of academic development in an applied arts assessment context
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2023-01-12) Hill, Vikki; Orr, Susan; Salines, Emily
This article investigates the role of an academic development programme associated with the implementation of newly designed assessment criteria in the UK-based Arts University. The introduction of new assessment criteria was accompanied by a pan-university academic staff development intervention. In a small-scale qualitative study, we researched staff’s experience of meaning-making and present three interconnected themes: the relationships between attendees; their relationship with the criteria; and relational understandings within the context of expectations of academic development. We deploy Honneth’s theory of recognition and make recommendations for policy makers and academic developers to support the design of socially just academic development opportunities.
‘Now you’ve said it, it’s like a big light bulb!’: enacting post observation feedback suggestions
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2024-08-14) Donaghue, Helen; Heron, Marion
Teaching observations have become a ubiquitous feature of teacher education programmes, development schemes and assessment regimes. Whilst the processes and procedures of classroom observation are well documented, the feedback which follows teaching observations has been given less attention. Most research into teaching observations focuses on eliciting teachers’ perspectives on their experiences of being observed. In contrast, we examine two aspects vital to teacher development and enhanced teaching practice: (1) post observation feedback talk; (2) teachers’ enactment of feedback following the feedback session. This article argues that examining feedback talk and how talk may influence enactment can help both observers and teachers maximise the effectiveness of teaching observations. We focus on suggestions, a common way of helping teachers to develop and improve. We analyse empirical examples of authentic post observation feedback talk to explore how suggestions are made and responded to, identifying features of suggestions which prompt teacher understanding and enactment. Analysis enables us to provide observers with concrete advice on how to make suggestions, thus showing the practical affordances and methodological warrant of analysing feedback talk.
Observational feedback literacy: designing post observation feedback for learning
(Informa UK Limited, 2023-03-31) Heron, Marion; Donaghue, Helen; Balloo, Kieran
The aim of teaching observations and post observation feedback in higher education is to support teachers to reflect on and improve their teaching. Yet, our understanding of tutors’ (observers’) and teachers’ (observees’) capacities for capitalising on these feedback opportunities is limited and there is little empirically derived advice for either the observer or the observee on the post observation feedback processes. We argue for the need to conceptualise and operationalise observational feedback literacy as a particular type of feedback literacy which is played out in both the design of the post observation feedback session, and in the moment-by-moment feedback talk. Drawing on the concept of student and teacher feedback literacies, this paper offers a framework of observational feedback literacy which identifies how observers and observees act in feedback literate ways. The framework foregrounds observer feedback literacy and recognises the importance of providing opportunities for observees to enact feedback.
Relational Reflections: How do we nurture belonging in creative Higher Education?
(Staffordshire University, 2021-10) Bunting, Liz; Hill, Vikki
In this paper, we reflect on a strand of educational development work that aims to foster belonging and develop compassionate pedagogies within a UK creative arts university in response to COVID-19 and global calls for racial justice. We underpin our paper with our theoretical understanding of belonging as a relational phenomenon and explore how this aligns with antiracist policies and practices. We present our rationale for the design of podcasts as dialogic, affective and asynchronous tools for use in educational development to respond to both practical and epistemic needs. Contributions from academic and support staff on ‘myth-busting belonging’ are explored as we consider the implications for educators in planning and delivering the curriculum. We position the role and responsibility of institutions to design and implement equitable policies and practices, to support staff to foster belonging, as central to this work.
Rethinking assessment? Research into the affective impact of higher education grading
(University of Greenwich, 2024-05-09) Currant, Neil; Bunting, Liz; Hill, Vikki; Salines, Emily
Assessment plays a central role in learning in higher education (HE), but often the impact of grading assessment on student motivation, behaviour and wellbeing is insufficiently considered in policy and practice. With the growing concern in the HE sector about student mental health, a consideration of the affective dimension of grading is timely.The discussion in this paper on the affective dimension of grading is based on research conducted during the pandemic on the â€˜no-detrimentâ€™ implementation of pass/fail assessment at the University of the Arts London (UAL). Qualitative research was undertaken with first-and second-year undergraduate students in the fields of creative arts, design and communication to investigate the effects of the switch from letter grading to pass/fail and student views on grading more generally. Our findings suggest that grading affects student stress, anxiety, learner identity, motivation, student self-expression, creativity, and peer relationships.In the light of our findings, we bring together discourses about assessment, grading and student wellbeing to consider the longer-term implications for assessment practices in a post-pandemic world.