CLT

Centre for Learning and Teaching

Print E-mail

Pedagogical Action Research

Aims


The main aims of the PAR group are to:

  • Encourage practitioner action research to influence and modify practice as university teachers and as facilitators/supporters of students' learning;
  • Take account of the student experience in shaping curriculum developments and teaching and learning initiatives;
  • Act as one form of Continuing Professional Development;
  • Promote a culture where learning and teaching initiatives are evidence-informed;
  • Embed the scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL) in the work we do;
  • Act as a supportive sounding board for colleagues to discuss and disseminate ideas in a supportive and friendly environment;
  • Capitalise on cross disciplinary interactions
  • Use PAR findings to inform policy and strategy on learning and teaching.

    • A brief history

    PAR was established in 2001, and then became part of the HEFCE funded Learning and Teaching strategy (2002-05) with funding to support its activities:

  • monthly meetings
  • annual PAR symposium
  • giving financial support to small-scale PAR projects


    • Since the early days, PAR has swelled its membership to over 50 Liverpool Hope staff which represents about a quarter of the total academic staff. Members include lecturers, deans and associate deans, learning and teaching support staff, principal lecturers, and other senior staff. Funding was ring fenced from the Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund's (TQEF) professional development strand and goes towards supporting projects, the annual PAR symposium day and the publication of our in-house journal PRIME. (Pedagogical Research in Maximising Education).

    Annual theme

    Each year the PAR group focuses on a theme:

  • 2001-02: Assessment
  • 2002-03: Plagiarism
  • 2003-04: Network of Hope
  • 2004-05: Retention and the student experience
  • 2005-06: Student engagement
  • 2006-07: Feedback and Students Engagement in Context
  • 2007-08: Assessment and feedback
  • 2008-09: Research Teaching Linkages

    PAR activities

    The PAR group meets once a month in an informal discussion forum (Please see menu for dates)

  • There is an emailing list for PAR members (please email Jean Johnson johnsoj@hope.ac.uk if you wish to be added to the list).
  • There is an annual PAR research symposium at Hope which runs all day so colleagues can drop in and out. The number of presentations is usually about 15-16.
  • Funding is available for PAR projects related to the annual theme
  • A series of workshops is planned to support colleagues in research methods (interviewing, focus groups and analysis, vignettes, using Nvivo software for qualitative analysis, questionnaire design etc)
  • Publication of PRIME (Pedagogical Action Research in Maximising Education) twice a year.
  • Biennial international Pedagogical Research in Higher Education (PRHE) conference.



    • PRIME is an in house Journal which acts as:

  • a flagship for learning and teaching developments within the University and outside;
  • a support for staff who have never published in the area of L&T before by establishing refereeing procedures etc.



    • PRHE is an international conference which is aimed at being collegial and supportive as well as developing standards of rigour and robustness by bringing together world known pedagogical researchers with those who are just beginning their pedagogical research careers. In 2006, the theme was 'Enhancing student success' and in 2008 the theme was 'Curriculum change for learning'.

    In 2008 the standard was raised from that of the first conference with only 48 papers accepted from over 80 submissions. Presenters and delegates come from many parts of the UK as well as from Sweden, Finland, France, Australia, America, Canada and New Zealand so there was a truly cosmopolitan and international exchange of ideas. Conference proceedings are shortly to be published in PRIME (January 2009)

    Dates for PAR 2010-2011:


    Theme for the year: Student engagement

    PAR group meetings:

    Date Time Location
    Monday 27 September 2010 1.00-.2.00 TBC
    Tuesday 12 October 2010 1.00-.2.00 TBC
    Thursday 18 November 2010 1.00-.2.00 TBC
    Friday 21 January 2011 1.00-.2.00 TBC
    Monday 21 February 2011 1.00-.2.00 TBC
    Tuesday 5 April 2011 1.00-.2.00 TBC


    PAR Symposium Day:

    Date Time Location
    Thursday 19 May 2011 9.30 - 4.30 TBC


    PAR research seminars:

    Date Time Location
    Thursday 21 October 2010 12.00 – 2.00 TBC
    Thursday 11 November 2010 12.00 – 2.00 TBC
    Thursday 2 December 2010 12.00 – 2.00 TBC
    Thursday 27 January 2011 12.00 – 2.00 TBC
    Thursday 17 February 2011 12.00 – 2.00 TBC
    Thursday 10 March 2011 12.00 – 2.00 TBC
    Thursday 31 March 2011 12.00 – 2.00 TBC
    Thursday 12 May 2011 12.00 – 2.00 TBC


    PRHE Conference 24/10/10 - 25/10/10 ( 09.00-17.00 ) The Foresight Centre
     
    [ Back ]