Traditional research involves an individual or team testing something or looking at something. There is an element of observation from an outsider – looking down and looking into another world, like an alien observing the Earth. However, as our awareness of ourselves and the world grows, research methods have moved into greater awareness of the impact of the research in and of itself, as well as the implications of the intervention. Research methods have expanded to look at how the researcher is central to the outcome of the research. How their role affects the study. Growing awareness of this impact has awarded researchers the opportunity to look at what they can do to improve the research model. Ethics being a core part of this – investigating, planning, and preparing to conduct research ethically. Conscious of the impact of data collection and investigation can have on the individuals, we realise that research is not benign – it affects the very community or topic we’re investigating.
With that in mind, newer research methods are reflecting the researcher within the project, considering how the outsider impacts the data they collection and the situation it observes. I’m obviously talking about this from a point of view that is well away from the complexity of scientific experiments. Safe in the knowledge that whilst my research in the social and educational spheres won’t change the world – they could improve my work and my role.
Privilege is a topic that has made the news for numerous reasons over the last few years and it’s a complex discussion that I’m not going to address here. Suffice it to say, I know it’s a debate that will continue well beyond my research fellowship. I know I am in a very different position to my students. My background as an Academic Librarian is very different to their professional health roles. My experience as an international student was now several years ago (well over a decade, but I’m not saying that out loud so you can’t judge me). When I studied abroad, I did it for an academic year as part of my undergraduate degree (rather than a whole programme). Skype was in its infancy and email was the main way of contacting people back home. Therefore, my experience, whilst nominally has some links to the students I teach (I’ve studied both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, I’ve studied in another country and lived abroad) time and life has moved on. I don’t want my experiences to influence or shade theirs. That’s why photovoice is so appealing – I’m working with the participants as co-researchers. The students who take part in the study will decide ultimately what the outcome of the research is. It’s their photographs, their captions and their conclusions on the themes and experiences they share. I, the researcher, am a facilitator but I don’t translate or amend what they do.
This will be an internal exploration of their experience. They show what they are prepared to show and they leave out what they don’t want me to know about. I’m in the privileged position to work with individuals who have a wealth of experience that I can only learn about. This is one of the massive benefits of my job, I work with incredible people and I learn something every day. What I’m excited about, is thinking about what they want to share with me and how they see my world.
Northampton is not my hometown, it’s not where I was brought up. So I came to the town as a stranger. Friends and colleagues, I worked with, kindly gave me an insight into the idiosyncrasies of the place. It’s now a town I call home and there are parts that I feel incredibly pleased to live close to. The theatre has to be one of the massive benefits of living here. If I were to go back to my hometown – it would be different. The world has moved on, businesses close, businesses open. Houses get built, people move. The way we interact with our environment has changed. Now everyone has a device that can help them navigate a foreign landscape in their pocket. Are phones are often our gateway to something new. I hope that my student co-researchers use their phones (and especially their cameras) to share what they feel, see and experience in this new town. This is about their exploration of a new environment. Though their photographs and descriptions, they can help me and the rest of the university community to see what they see. They will hopefully be able to highlight the things we do well and potentially the things where we might be creating barriers for them.
I hope that in this project I am giving them a new way to explore – encouraging them to reflect on their experiences. I also hope that they find the focus groups interesting and energising – giving them a chance to see if their experiences are shared and also how others have experienced the same thing they have. This is about their internal exploration of this new world of postgraduate study in the UK. Rather than my external observation of their experience. The photography exhibition will be their way of highlighting and showcasing their experience. Through the knowledge I gain, I can amend and change my practice to ease their transition and those that follow them.
Lessons learnt:
Keep your eyes open, don’t let your past dictate your future.
Useful links:
Photovoice: https://photovoice.org/