Podcast Course 1
Identity and Inquiry: Reflecting on the Role of Research in Educational Settings
Welcome to our first podcast course, where we delve into the intricate relationship between research and professional identity. This series is designed to inspire reflection and provoke thought about what research means to you, our listeners, in the context of your own professional roles and practices. Together, we’ll explore how research shapes, informs, and perhaps even transforms who we are as professionals.
To guide this journey, I will use a case study—my own professional identity as an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) teacher. Through sharing my experiences, challenges, and insights, I aim to provide a springboard for you to think about your own professional contexts and identities. What does research mean to you? How does it interact with your work? And how might engaging with research influence the way you see yourself as a professional?
To investigate these questions in my own context, I’m taking an autoethnographic approach. But what exactly is autoethnography? Autoethnography is a method of research that combines the personal with the cultural. It involves critically reflecting on one’s own experiences and connecting them to broader social, cultural, or professional frameworks. In other words, it’s a way of using the personal as a lens to better understand the wider context in which we live and work. By sharing my story and the meaning I make of it, I hope to provide a space for you to reflect on your own your professional journeys.
This podcast isn’t just about my story; it’s about all of us as professionals in our respective fields. Through my case study and your reflections, we’ll explore the dynamic and evolving interplay between research, identity, and practice. So, let’s embark on this journey of inquiry and self-discovery together.
Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple PodcastsTo listen, click the podcast episode titles below:
S1E1: What is Research in Education?
In this first episode, we explore the question: What is research, and how does it shape our professional identities? Through personal reflections, we examine research as a personal, problem-solving, and community-driven process rather than an isolated activity.
We discuss how research is shaped by the values and norms of our professional communities and how it connects us through collaboration and reflective practice. Whether you’re questioning what research means to you or curious about its broader impact, this episode lays the foundation for a thought-provoking series. Join me as we begin this journey of inquiry.
Reflective Questions for Episode 1: Professional Identity and Research. You can discuss your responses to the questions with others in our community in the comments box below.
- How does research fit into your professional identity as an educator or aspiring educator?
- Do you see research as something personal, professional, or both? Why?
- Do you feel like you are part of an educational research community? If not, what barriers exist that make it difficult to engage?
- The episode likens research to an ongoing conversation within a community. How do you see yourself contributing to this conversation, whether formally (through publications, conferences) or informally (discussions with colleagues, reflective practice)?
Suggested Reflective Activities for Episode 1: Professional Identity and Research
Personal Reflection Journal
- Write a short reflection (200–300 words) on how you currently view research in your professional role. Does it influence your daily practice? Do you feel connected to a research community? Or…
Defining Your Research Identity
- Based on the discussion in the podcast, draft your own personal statement answering:
- What does research mean to you?
- How do you see it fitting into your professional identity?
- What are the next steps you might take to engage more actively with research in your field?
Mapping Your Circles of Influence
- Using the idea of “widening circles of impact” discussed in the episode, draw a visual representation of how your work influences others. Consider:
- The impact your research or practice has on yourself
- The ways you share knowledge within your immediate professional community
- The potential for your work to reach wider professional or academic circles
We hope you’ve enjoyed our podcast. We offer a range of postgraduate courses both in St Andrews and by distance learning online. You can find out more about our courses in TESOL, International Education or Digital Education on the University of St Andrews webpages, or by emailing [email protected]
S1E2: Research Traditions in the Discipline of Education
In this episode, we delve into the three key traditions of knowledge creation that shape education: the academic, practical, and integrated knowledge traditions. Building on Episode 1, we break down concepts like ontology and epistemology in accessible terms, helping you reflect on what counts as knowledge and how we generate insights in teaching and learning.
Whether you’re a teacher, educational leader, or considering a career in education, this episode unpacks how research traditions shape practice—and how you might position yourself within them. Tune in to explore how these traditions influence teaching, research, and professional growth.
Reflective Questions for S1E2: Research Traditions in the Discipline of Education. You can discuss your responses to the questions with others in our community in the comments box below.
- The podcast discusses three major research traditions in education: academic knowledge, practical knowledge, and integrated knowledge. In what ways do you think the different research traditions complement or challenge each other?
- Which of these traditions resonates most with you, and why?
- Think about a research project or inquiry-based activity you have undertaken (or might undertake in the future). Which of the research traditions does it align with?
Leave a Reply
Suggested Reflective Activities for Episode 2: Research Traditions in the Discipline of Education.
- Mapping Your Own Research Identity
- Create a Research Identity Map:
- Write down key moments in your professional career that have shaped your research interests.
- Identify which research tradition(s) influenced you at different stages.
- Reflect on whether your research approach has evolved over time.
- Create a Research Identity Map:
- Connecting Research to Practice
- Choose one challenge or question from your teaching or professional context.
- Use action research principles to break it down: What is the issue? What strategies could be tested? How would you collect data to assess the effectiveness of these strategies?
- Write a short plan outlining how you could investigate and address this issue.
- Analyzing Research Traditions in Action
- Pick a journal article, book chapter, or educational blog post related to your field.
- Identify which research tradition it aligns with (academic, practical, or integrated).
- Reflect: How does this research inform or challenge your own views on teaching and learning?
Final Reflection
- After completing these activities, revisit your initial beliefs about research in education. Has your perspective changed? If so, in what ways?
- What steps can you take to further engage with research-informed teaching or teaching-informed research in your professional role?
We hope you’ve enjoyed our podcast. We offer a range of postgraduate courses both in St Andrews and by distance learning online. You can find out more about our courses in TESOL, International Education or Digital Education on the University of St Andrews webpages, or by emailing [email protected]
S1E3: Research and Collective Professional Identities
In this episode, we use the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) community as a case study to explore how professional groups situate research within their identities. While the EAP group might not be directly relevant to every listener, it offers a valuable example of how professional communities navigate questions of status, group norms, and the evolving role of research.
We’ll delve into the social identity approach, examining how the relative status of professional groups in UK higher education influences their priorities and identities. Specifically, we explore how EAP practitioners balance their teaching-focused identity with the research-driven norms of the higher education landscape.
This episode invites listeners to reflect on their own professional groups, using the EAP example as a springboard to analyse and interpret how their communities view and integrate research. Whether you’re part of higher education or another educational field, this discussion offers tools to better understand the social and professional dynamics shaping your work.
Reflective Questions S1E3: Research and Collective Professional Identities. You can discuss your responses to the questions with others in our community in the comments box below.
- How does the concept of social identity help us understand our roles as educators and our relationship to research?
- Are there unspoken rules or expectations within your discipline or work context that shape your engagement with research in education?
- How do structural pressures (workload/professional development support/institutional values) impact the value placed on research within your professional context?
- In what ways do the professional groups you belong to influence your perceptions of research?
Leave a Reply
Suggested Reflective Activities for S1E3: Research and Collective Professional Identities
- Mapping Your Professional Identity
- Create a mind map of the professional groups you identify with, and those groups who are related to you, but you are not (so much) part of.
- Include aspects such as group norms, expectations, and how these groups position and value research and other aspects of their work.
- Compare your findings with a colleague’s and discuss how your professional identities align or differ.
- Exploring Group Norms in Your Institution
- Talk with a colleague from a different department or professional background and ask them how research is viewed in their field.
- Compare their response with your own experiences and reflect on any differences in how research is prioritised and perceived.
- Positioning Research in Your Practice
- Over the next week, document how research informs your daily teaching or professional activities.
- Reflect on whether you engage with research differently depending on the professional communities you interact with.
- Write a brief action plan outlining steps you can take to make research more relevant to your work.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our podcast. We offer a range of postgraduate courses both in St Andrews and by distance learning online. You can find out more about our courses in TESOL, International Education or Digital Education on the University of St Andrews webpages, or by emailing [email protected]
S1E4: Situating Research in your Professional Identity
In this episode, we reflect on how the positioning of professional groups within higher education impacts individual identities and professional growth. Drawing on personal experiences within the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) community, I explore how working in UK higher education has challenged and reshaped my sense of professional identity—particularly in relation to research.
Through examining differences in group norms, status, and traditions of knowledge creation, this episode highlights the tension between teaching and research-focused identities. While the discussion centres on my experiences in the EAP community, listeners are encouraged to use this as a springboard to reflect on their own professional groups, where they find belonging, and how research fits into their collective and individual professional identities.
If you’ve ever grappled with questions about where you belong in your professional landscape or how research aligns with your role, this episode will provide valuable insights and invite you to reflect on your own journey. Tune in to explore how professional identity evolves in response to community, context, and connection.
Reflective Questions for S1E4: Situating Research in your Professional Identity. You can discuss your responses to the questions with others in our community in the comments box below.
- The speaker describes moving from an EAP practitioner identity to identifying as an academic and researcher. Have you ever had to transition between professional identities? What helped or hindered this transition?
- The podcast highlights the importance of belonging. What professional communities do you identify with most strongly, and how do they shape your professional identity?
- The speaker argues that research is fundamental to all practical professions because problem-solving inherently involves inquiry and reflection. How does this perspective resonate with your own professional experience?
- What type of support would you like in order to grow your involvement or interest in using research within your work context?
Leave a Reply
Suggested Reflective Activities for S1E4: Situating Research in your Professional Identity
- Professional Belonging Reflection
- Write a short reflective journal entry on where you feel the strongest sense of professional belonging.
- Consider what aspects of your role help you feel included and valued, and what challenges your sense of belonging.
- Identify any steps you could take to strengthen your sense of community within your professional context.
- SoTL and Your Practice
- Explore the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) further by identifying a SoTL article related to your discipline or professional context.
- Summarise the key insights from the article and reflect on how you might apply them to your own teaching or professional development.
- Consider writing a short action plan for integrating an evidence-based approach into an aspect of your work.
- Discussion and Community Engagement
- Share insights from this podcast episode with a colleague and discuss how research informs your respective professional identities.
- If applicable, find a professional group (e.g., a SoTL network, disciplinary research group, or community of practice) that aligns with your interests and consider how engaging with it might benefit your professional development.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our podcast. We offer a range of postgraduate courses both in St Andrews and by distance learning online. You can find out more about our courses in TESOL, International Education or Digital Education on the University of St Andrews webpages, or by emailing [email protected]
S1E5: How to Explore the Role of Research in your own Professional Identity
In this final episode of the podcast course, we bring everything together, exploring the personal and professional journey of engaging with research. We start by creating a personal definition of research, grounded in the idea that research is a social process situated within communities of practice. The episode also delves into autoethnography—a reflective research method that has been central to this podcast—and breaks down how it can be used to examine the relationship between research and professional identity.
Through sharing personal experiences, connections to key literature, and theory, this episode invites you not only to reflect on your own professional identity and the role research plays in it, but to use autoethnography as a tool to help you in this reflective process. Whether you’re part of the EAP community, another area of higher education, or an entirely different professional group, the tools and ideas discussed here aim to spark your thinking about how your experiences and the communities you’re part of shape your approach to research.
Tune in for a reflective, practical, and thought-provoking conclusion to the series!
Reflective Questions for S1E5: How to Explore the Role of Research in your own Professional Identity. You can discuss your responses to the questions with others in our community in the comments box below.
- Personal Definitions of Research
- The episode presents a definition of research as a community-situated social process shaped by professional values, norms, and goals.
- Do you agree with this definition?
- How would you define research in the context of your professional identity?
- What aspects of your work or experiences influence your understanding of research?
- The episode presents a definition of research as a community-situated social process shaped by professional values, norms, and goals.
- Applying Autoethnography to Professional Identity
- Autoethnography is introduced as a tool for deeply reflecting on professional identity through personal storytelling and critical analysis.
- Have you ever engaged in self-reflection about your professional journey?
- How might autoethnography help you explore tensions, challenges, or insights in your professional identity?
- If you were to conduct an autoethnographic study, what focus or research question might you choose?
- Autoethnography is introduced as a tool for deeply reflecting on professional identity through personal storytelling and critical analysis.
Leave a Reply
Suggested Reflective Activities for S1E5: How to Explore the Role of Research in your own Professional Identity.
- Craft Your Own Definition of Research
- Write a short definition of research that reflects your professional identity.
- Compare your definition to the one provided in the episode. What are the similarities and differences?
- Share your definition with colleagues or in a discussion forum and reflect on how perspectives differ.
- Autoethnographic Reflection
- Write a short personal reflection (300–500 words) exploring a key moment in your professional journey.
- Consider how your experiences have shaped your views on teaching, research, and professional identity.
- If comfortable, share with peers or use it as a starting point for a more structured inquiry.
- Exploring Belonging in Research Communities
- Identify a research community (formal or informal) that you are part of or would like to join.
- Explore ways to engage with this community, such as attending events, joining discussions, or collaborating on projects.
- Reflect on how engaging with this group might support your professional identity and research engagement.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our podcast. We offer a range of postgraduate courses both in St Andrews and by distance learning online. You can find out more about our courses in TESOL, International Education or Digital Education on the University of St Andrews webpages, or by emailing [email protected]
Leave a Reply