Developing pedagogical research methods at Durham University
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21100/msor.v24i2.1687Keywords:
building scholarship capacity, Qualitative research, methodological case studyAbstract
In this article, we examine the challenges faced by Education-track staff as they begin to conduct scholarship and/or pedagogical research. These may include a lack of familiarity with qualitative research methods; uncertainty or lack of confidence when choosing and applying theoretical frameworks; and inconsistent Departmental or University resources for conducting this research. We outline the approach we have taken in the Education and Pedagogy Group at Durham: a series of linked, concurrent research projects, using the same methodologies and approaches (in this case, focus groups and thematic analysis). We discuss the benefits and challenges of this approach, and make some recommendations for how other groups could apply it in their own contexts.
References
Braun, V. and Clarke, V., 2021. Thematic analysis: A practical guide. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications.
Braun, V. and Clarke, V., 2006. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), pp. 77–101. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa. [Accessed 12 August 2026]
Brown, G. and Edmunds, S., 2011. Doing pedagogical research in engineering. In: Engineering Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
Bull, S., Cooper, A., Laidlaw, A., Milne, L. and Parr, S., 2025. ‘You certainly don’t get promoted for just teaching’: experiences of education-focused academics in research-intensive universities. Studies in Higher Education, 50(2), pp. 239-255. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2024.2333946 [Accessed 12 August 2026].
Dolan, E.L., Elliott, S.L., Henderson, C., Curran-Everett, D., St. John, K., and Ortiz, P. A., 2018. Evaluating Discipline-Based Education Research for Promotion and Tenure. Innovative Higher Education 43, pp. 31–39. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-017-9406-y [Accessed 12 August 2026].
Evans, C., Kandiko Howson, C., Forsythe, A., and Edwards, C., 2021. What constitutes high quality higher education pedagogical research? Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 46(4), pp. 525–546. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2020.1790500 [Accessed 12 August 2026].
Galloway, R.K. and Hernandez-Martinez, P., 2017. The Importance of the Disciplinary Perspective in Educational Research. In Handbook of Research on Driving STEM Learning With Educational Technologies pp. 198-213. IGI Global Scientific Publishing.
Grove, M. and Overton, T. eds., 2013. Getting started in pedagogic research within the STEM disciplines. University of Birmingham.
Iannone, P. and Miller, D., 2019. Guided notes for university mathematics and their impact on students’ note-taking behaviour. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 101(3), pp. 387-404.
King, N., Horrocks, C. and Brooks, J,. 2019. Interviews in Qualitative Research.
MacLean, L.M., Meyer, M. and Estable, A., 2004. Improving accuracy of transcripts in qualitative research. Qualitative health research, 14(1), pp.113-123.
Ní Shé, C., Mac an Bhaird, C., Ní Fhloinn, E. and O’Shea, A., 2017. Students’ and lecturers’ views on mathematics resources. Teaching Mathematics and its Applications: An International Journal of the IMA, 36(4), pp.183-199.
O’Neill, G. and Padden, L., 2022. Diversifying assessment methods: Barriers, benefits and enablers. Innovations in education and teaching international, 59(4), pp.398-409.
Perrott, L., 2025. HESA Higher Education Staff Statistics: UK, 2023/24, Statistical Bulletin SB270, Available at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/28-01-2025/sb270-higher-education-staff-statistics [Accessed 12 August 2026].
Thomson, P. and Gunter, H., 2011. Inside, outside, upside down: the fluidity of academic researcher ‘identity’ in working with/in school, International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 34(1), pp. 17–30. doi: 10.1080/1743727X.2011.552309.