Category: Arts-based research

Thinking about death for the future

Author Education and Childhood Research Group | Posted on

By Dr Verity Jones, Associate Professor in Education

Recently, much of my thinking, particularly in collaboration with Chris Bear (Cardiff University), has led me to think more deeply about death as an ecological, educational and ethical concept that demands a futures lens. In our work on food systems, we ask what it would mean to attend to the deaths of non-human animals and plants –  not as abstractions but as lived relations.

In February, I attended the Centre for Sociodigital Futures, Immersive Public Futures Symposium, where themes of loss, endings, disappearance and possibility threaded through discussions of how societies imagine, design and negotiate futures.

International perspectives on imagining futures

Contributions from international speakers underscored that futures – thinking is rarely a smooth trajectory of progress.

  • Fabio Rubio Scarano (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro/Museum of Tomorrow) foregrounded planetary change and regeneration through anticipating and paying attention both to memory and tomorrow.
  • Lisa Bailey (Museum of Discovery, University of South Australia) explored how museums can engage diverse publics with complex and uncertain futures.
  • Andrea Bandelli (Woven Foundation for Creative Climate Communication) challenged us to recognise immersion not as a technical medium but as a condition – a relational mode that shapes how we encounter the world and its potential futures and agencies.
  • Mandy Rose (UWE Bristol) discussed documentary and digital cultures as tools for imagining post‑carbon possibilities through planty immersion.
  • Justin McGuirk (Design Museum, London) examined design-led approaches to futures and the need to construct possible future buildings to imagine within.
  • Dan Lockton (Norwich University of the Arts) reflected on how lost futures can help people collaboratively reimagine alternative futures.
  • Johannes Stripple (Lund University) used speculative ecology and storying  to unsettle fixed narratives of crisis and change.

Across these contributions, there was an insistence that imagining futures requires attending to what is disappearing, threatened or already lost.

Connections

The symposium strongly resonated with work with my own research. Whether supporting young women in imagining near-future careers in construction and engineering, examining ecological timescales in food ethics, or analysing how children’s literature either narrows or expands temporal imagination, much of my work is centrally concerned with how learners inhabit and negotiate time.

This sits alongside collaborations with colleagues at the Global Goals Centre and SPARKS Bristol, where we co-create learning experiences that are research‑informed, inclusive, socially engaged and committed to widening imaginative possibility.

Looking ahead

The symposium has sharpened my thinking on how endings and futures coexist – and how education must hold both. Several publications drawing on this work, including research on identity making, children’s literature and sustainable education, are currently in preparation and will be shared later this year.

Why geography teacher educator conferences matter: Reflections from Manchester

Author Education and Childhood Research Group | Posted on

By Dr Verity Jones, Associate Professor in Education

The annual Geography Teacher Educator Conference took place in Manchester this year. At a time when teachers, teacher educators and researchers are navigating curriculum change, intensifying accountability pressures and the urgent challenges of climate and environmental crisis, conferences like this feel more important than ever. They offer not only a space for sharing research, but also a vital community of practice where ideas, uncertainties and hopes can be held collectively.

Conferences as spaces of knowledge exchange and care

The Geography Teacher Educator conference was awash with the generosity of exchange. Geography teacher education sits at a productive intersection between academic research, classroom practice and policy, and this was reflected in the diversity of sessions and conversations. Delegates moved fluidly between theory and practice: discussing curriculum futures, teacher identity, disciplinary knowledge, and pedagogical approaches to sustainability and environmental justice.

Equally important was the sense of support. Informal conversations over coffee were as valuable as formal presentations, offering space to share challenges, test ideas and reconnect with a community that understands the particular pressures of working in and with schools. In a sector where workloads are high and opportunities for reflective dialogue can be limited, these conferences act as moments of pause, renewal and collective thinking.

Schools under the microscope: Interdisciplinary inquiry with children

I was fortunate to present two interdisciplinary projects during the conference. The first was Schools under the microscope, a collaborative project (with Dr Ben Williams and Dr Margarida Sardo, UWE Bristol) that brings together geography, science, creative methods and children’s literature to explore how young people understand and experience their school environments.

Central to this project is our new children’s book, developed as both a research output and a pedagogical resource (with a launch coming soon!). The book invites children to look closely at microfibres. Sharing this work with geography teacher educators prompted rich discussion about the role of narrative, creativity and interdisciplinary approaches in supporting meaningful environmental learning.

The Hear Soil Project

My second input to the conference was a co-presentation with Amanda Bailey (Bath Spa University) focused on the Hear Soil Project. Hear Soil uses sound, sensory engagement and creative inquiry to foreground soil as a living, relational and often invisible element of geographical education.

Presenting this work within a geography teacher education context generated thoughtful conversations about how we might move beyond extractive or purely scientific framings of soil, towards pedagogies that emphasise care, reciprocity and more-than-human relationships. These discussions reinforced the value of collaborative, cross-institutional projects in opening up new ways of thinking about disciplinary knowledge.

Looking ahead

Leaving Manchester, I was reminded that conferences like this are not simply about dissemination. They are about connection, care and collective imagination. For those of us working in education and childhood research, they provide the conditions for interdisciplinary ideas to take root, for early-stage projects to be nurtured, and for shared commitments to social and environmental justice to be renewed.

As we look ahead to upcoming project launches and continued collaborations, the conversations begun at this conference will continue to shape both research and practice – a reminder of why these spaces matter.

A matter of Art in the Primary Curriculum

Author Education and Childhood Research Group | Posted on

By Dr Claire Osborne, Senior Lecturer in Education

The Labour government’s ‘Curriculum and Assessment Review’ (2025) is now out of consultation. As government ministers reflect on the implications for education policy and fulfil their quest to build a “world class curriculum for all”, I want to take a moment to reflect on the future of art learning and teaching across primary education in England.

Art is a serious matter. It involves the development of authentic knowledge and skills such as learning how to master a range of art and design techniques including drawing, painting, and sculpture to knowing about great artists, architects, and designers in history (DfE, 2013). Moreover, studying art at primary level involves having the opportunity to experiment with different kinds of materials and art tools creatively; this could include how to work with charcoal to create light and shade or mastering a range of craft tools to design and make a clay pot. Engaging in the processes and practices of art not only ignites the imagination but can also develop children’s critical thinking skills (see Tambling and Bacon, 2023, p.13); skills which are much needed by industry to support economic growth. The ability to think critically and independently is especially important today as we witness a rise in AI reliance for educational purposes which may potentially impact on people’s cognitive activity and problem-solving skills (see Kosmyna, 2025).

However, due to enduring knowledge hierarchies, as previously identified by Eisner (2002), the teaching and learning of art and visual cultural knowledge can often be sidelined or undervalued in today’s primary school curriculum (see Cooper, 2018; Tambling and Bacon, 2023; APPG, 2023). My own research also suggests that in some cases, children’s engagement with art processes and practices can sometimes be seen as a treat when the “important” schoolwork has been done (Osborne, 2025). This can reinforce an idea that the creative arts and cultural learning experiences are ‘nice to have’ rather than essential elements to the school curriculum (see CLA, 2017).  More still, when arts-based disciplines are taught in primary schools, some teachers reportedly lack sufficient time and resources to plan high quality learning experiences where the development of arts knowledge and skills are at the forefront of curriculum planning (see Cooper, 2018).

Yet despite recent government and Ofsted pronouncements around the importance of children’s access to a broad, balanced, and knowledge rich curriculum, the decline in art teaching and learning, remains an ongoing concern. In many ways the “problem” (my inverted commas) can be attributed to  a succession of central government policy making decisions over the past 30 years which have shifted the role of primary teaching and learning towards standardisation, accountability, and a focus on measuring ‘useful knowledge’ (see Ball, 2017; Nsead, 2016; Biesta, 2010) rather than offering state educated children a more holistic schooling experience (see APPG, 2023; Tambling and Bacon, 2023). However, a lack of access to art in the primary years not only limits children’s exposure to a well-rounded primary education but may restrict, what Aristotle (2018) advocated in his ninth book on Metaphysics, children’s ‘potentiality’ thus raising issues around social equity and personal fulfilment. For some children, engaging with art also serves as a cathartic experience and therefore plays a much-needed role in any school curriculum in supporting children’s general well-being (see CLA, 2018). Yet, although great things are happening in some schools where the arts are supported well by leadership teams with sufficient funding (Osborne, 2025), we still find ourselves in a position where fostering human creativity and children’s self-expression are not always high on the agenda in every state funded school in England whilst the teaching and learning of essential art knowledge and skills can be undermined as generalist teachers are increasingly deskilled or lacking in confidence (see APPG, 2023, p.10; Tambling and Bacon, 2023; Osborne 2025).

To reverse this situation, art needs to be reestablished as a serious and challenging intellectual endeavour within primary education whilst maintaining the creative freedom and enjoyment it can provide for some children. As such, all children need sufficient time in the school week to experiment freely with art materials and processes whilst critically engaging with visual cultural knowledge which can inspire and challenge children’s thinking. Such rich learning experiences can complement other types of learning and subject disciplines across the curriculum and enhance children’s critical thinking skills. Moreover, schools are active sites of learning which can cultivate new knowledge in the field. This includes knowing about a diverse range of contemporary artists, craft makers, and designers who often act as social commentators on our human condition whilst still dedicating lesson time to appreciating and critiquing some of the more familiar traditional artists and art forms widely displayed in public galleries.

However, teachers need real time, space, and investment to be and become knowledgeable others who are confident, well-trained professionals, who are constantly learning from and with children about art processes and practices which foster creativity, self-expression, criticality and original thought. Moreover, teachers need time to be and become inquisitive researchers at the forefront of curriculum reform who promote the value of both ‘powerful knowledge’ (Young, 2008) and ‘purposeful’ knowledge and skills within their localised contexts. But this can only be achieved if reinforced by top-down education policy reform. This may in turn help to reprioritise the place of art within initial teacher education (ITE) whilst influencing school leadership teams in providing ongoing support for teacher’s continuing professional development (CPD) when in role.

Time and resource will always be a challenge despite recent talk about supporting teachers’ professional autonomy over curriculum planning and design (DfE, 2025).  Hence, as we witness the implementation of the Labour government’s recent Curriculum and Assessment Review (DfE, 2025), I would argue more needs to be done, to ensure the power of arts and visual cultural knowledge and skills remains firmly on the agenda in primary education. Moreover, every child attending a state funded primary school in England should have the opportunity to engage in high-quality art learning and creative exploration facilitated by well-trained and knowledgeable teachers who can adapt learning to reflect their local contexts. This is especially pressing today as we consider the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on many facets of school planning and teaching, and the potential impact this may have on learning at every level and in every subject.  As the decline in localise planning continues and there is a growing demand for time saving ready made plans, the question is, how will the tool of AI impact on creative innovation and original thought? What creative possibilities will AI bring to the primary classroom and how can AI be used well to support children’s artistic engagement and authentic learning?

In the years ahead, AI will certainly shape the future of education; and in many ways, AI and the rise in Edtech could address the marginalisation of art in some schools by freeing up teachers to focus more time on providing children with memorable learning experiences rather than being overburdened with administrative tasks. Moreover, AI may provide teachers with better access to generalised artistic knowledge and skills to inform their curriculum planning and innovation thus responding to how learners learn. Nevertheless, AI is only a tool — it cannot replace teacher’s professional knowledge or professional autonomy or address ongoing issues around subject hierarchies. Furthermore, an over reliance on AI for planning, learning or teaching may inhibit both teachers and children’s critical thinking skills and decision-making processes. These are interesting times for primary education especially in terms of the purpose and philosophy of education. As we look to the future, educationists and policy makers will need to think carefully and mindfully about how AI is used as a supportive planning aid whilst considering how teachers can provide children with greater access to authentic, meaningful, and enjoyable art lessons, where everyone can fulfil their creative potential and engage with a “world class curriculum”. Giving children more access to the creative arts during their primary education may also counteract any notions around a potential decline in human cognitive functioning due to AI reliance by enabling us to continue to think for ourselves, both critically and creatively.

References

Are we listening?

Author Education and Childhood Research Group | Posted on

Chloe Newman shares processes, findings and next steps of her research using Photovoice to advocate for the voices of children with autism in a mainstream EYFS setting

By Chloe Newman (chloe2.newman@live.uwe.ac.uk)

This blog discusses the process, findings and next steps of Chloe Newman’s 2024 Masters project; ‘Are we listening? Photovoice research advocating for the voices of children with autism in a mainstream EYFS setting’.

I grew up being educated in both English and Welsh schools and now, having been an undergraduate and postgraduate student at UWE Bristol, I am proud to be a neurodiverse teacher in mainstream and special schools. My values in education are ever-growing but at my core I believe in continual personal reflection and creating meaningful relationships with students as individuals. In fact, countless conversations with my Masters supervisor have led me to acknowledge myself as a Freirean who does not fit within the traditional ‘banking model’ of education where teachers hold the power and students are simply taught, disciplined, and comply instead, I am driven by a Freirean sense of mutual respect, care and hope for social change from the current political framework of education.

Working with four-year-old children with autism and limited verbal communication I wanted to examine if, with the right support, they would be able to express views. I wanted to know what was important to them in school, how I could help them to share their voice and how we, as educators, could respond to Reception aged children with autism’s voices.

This research would allow me to shine a light on important, yet often minoritised, individual voices. It enabled me to challenge what is often the line of least resistance for mainstream educators due to competing educational demands. My hope was, and still is, to continue to open the conversation around more awareness of strategies that authentically invite children with special needs to the table.

My search for an appropriate methodology led me to Burris and Wang’s 1990’s Photovoice which was created to give a voice to marginalised groups of society. For me, another appealing feature was it’s underpinning in Freire’s belief in a researcher as a facilitator with the hope of having an impact on policy. Photovoice typically follows the structure of using the method of participant led photography, reflection upon photographs and sharing with the community to promote policy.

It is widely acknowledged within special schools that children with autism benefit from a total communication approach and using Alternative and Augmentative Communication (more can be read on this within the New Siblands Special School Total Communication Policy). Using self-led photography felt like an innovative tool for which could be used as a type of AAC. Do. et al.’s meta-synthesis in 2021 found that photovoice has been used with individuals with autism. However, in these studies the youngest children were eight years old and had verbal communication, this was notably different in comparison to my project. This created an interesting reflection point for me and as a Freirean based methodology, relationships had to be at the heart of the study which meant adapting and then extending the methods used.

The project used a variety of AAC strategies including the iPad for self-led photography and an additional communication board for one student. These, alongside using a relational approach and parents to support with reflections, were the flexible tools that begun a process of allowing children to share their viewpoints. When holding the iPad to explore their world, I was surprised to find both children’s imaginative play and vocabulary was increased. This has led me to consider further exploration into whether using a camera as a relational tool could support children with autism’s imaginative vocabulary.

The findings of my project and supporting literature appeared to create some generalised answers which would be worth further investigation. These included both children’s desire to communicate with trusted adults, the importance for them of accessing outdoor spaces and chosen quiet spaces and their interest in school display art. However, the children also surprised me in their own individual ways. For example, there was a held assumption prior to the project that one child did not understand emotions and yet during their self-led photography they chose to take countless photos of other children who they described as ‘friends’ who ‘were happy’.

A key aspect of my title was ‘Are We Listening?’ and when considering the educators’ responses to these children’s expression of self, it would have been too simplistic for me to say educators listened to children’s voices and actioned these to give the children agency. Within the political and social climate of mainstream education, educators held what appeared to be deep-rooted concerns around funding available for support these children and debates around whether mainstream was an appropriate setting. Educators had good intentions and were surprised by the children’s ability to express themselves, but real change is an authentic process which takes time.

The project has created what feels like a responsibility to continue a collective dialogue across educational settings around the following questions:

  • Could special schools and mainstream schools be working closer together to share their best practice? And could this in turn, help to foster a holistic approach to education where guidance can be given on how to appropriately implement AAC within mainstream schools?
  • Do we give children with SEN, parents and educators the agency to contribute to conversations around ongoing improvements for the AAC which impact them directly?
  • How are we preparing our future teachers at initial teacher training to use practical and experiential approaches to total communication for children regardless of if they are training to be in mainstream, specialist or alternative provision?

For more information around this project and future research, please contact Chloe Newman (chloe2.newman@live.uwe.ac.uk).

References

  • Do, P. L., Frawley, P., Goldingay, S., O’Shea, A. (2021) The use of Photovoice in research with people on the autism spectrum: A meta-synthesis of the literature. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorder. 87 1-14. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1750946721001033 [Accessed 24 April 2024]
  • Freire, P. (2014) Pedagogy of Hope. London: Bloomsbury.
  • Freire, P. (2013) Education for Critical Consciousness. London: Bloomsbury.
  • Freire, P. (2005) Teachers as Cultural Workers: Those who dare teach. Boulder, Routledge Second Ed.
  • Freire, P. (1972). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Penguin Books
  • New Siblands School (2025) Total Communication Procedure. Available from: https://www.newsiblands.org.uk/Policies-and-Documents/ [Accessed 9 April 2025]

Going against the grain? Arts-based research and the EdD: resistance, activism and identity

Author Education and Childhood Research Group | Posted on

By Dr Tim Clark (UWE Bristol/ECRG Strand Lead) and Professor Tom Dobson (York St John University) originally featured on the Society for Research into Higher Education blog.

Arts-based research (ABR) encompasses work which draws on aspects of visual, literary or performative arts as ‘methodological tools… during any or all phases of research’ (Leavy, 2018). There has been growing interest in the potential of ABR methods to enrich educational inquiry (Everley, 2021), however, minimal attention has been given to how accessible or relevant ABR is for practice-based researchers (including lecturers and teachers), who undertake the professional doctorate in education (EdD) pathway. We believe that this lack of attention is significant, partly because institutional frameworks for doctoral programmes are often informed by traditional models of PhD research, which may constrain the creative possibilities of practice-based study (Vaughan, 2021), and partly due to the nature and ‘uniqueness’ of the EdD as a research degree (Dennis, Chandler & Punthil, 2023). We also think this topic may be of interest to ECRG members, many of whom have experience of teaching, supervising or studying on UWE’s successful EdD programme.

We have previously argued that ABR potentially holds particular promise for EdD research due to its alignment with the programme’s highly relational and contextual nature and its engagement with diverse audiences. In our 2024 paper, which was part of a special issue of Teaching in Higher Education, we mapped the theoretical similarities in understandings of ABR and the EdD, exploring this alignment across aspects including practice, audience and reflexivity (Dobson & Clark, 2024). Our paper called for colleagues to ‘embrace hybridity’ and provide permission for creativity in EdD research and we attempted to illustrate this within the paper itself, entangling examples of creative nonfiction writing with a traditional scoping review to embody our theorisation. However, we also concluded with a realisation that maximising the potential of ABR requires careful attention to how design, practice and regulations support students’ identity development and agency (Savva & Nygaard, 2021).

To build on this, throughout 2024, we have been working with a group of nine EdD students studying at our respective institutions, who are all exploring the potential of ABR for their work. These students span professional roles from early childhood through to higher education, and disciplines including the arts, business and science. Following initial narrative interviews with each student, we developed an online cross-institution action learning set (Revans, 1982) to facilitate dialogue and learning relating to some of the key problems and opportunities students were experiencing in relation to their engagement with ABR. As a group we met 6 times, each time agreeing an area of focus, and providing opportunities for individuals to present and group members to ask clarifying and open-ended coaching style questions. This process culminated in creative analysis, where we collaboratively analysed and reflected on the learning that had taken place, and each student presented a creative interpretation of their learning to the group. We are currently working with a group of these EdD students to co-author a paper which captures and illustrates this learning and shares these creative outputs.

Alongside this, the second paper from our project (Clark & Dobson, forthcoming) explores some of the key learning arising from the initial interview phase – in particular the idea of ABR as a form of ‘resistance’ involving potentially either a deliberate, or more hesitant, decision to ‘go against the grain’. Using Glăveanu’s 5A’s theory (actors, actions, artifacts, audiences and affordances) to understand creativity as embedded in social relations, we developed the interview transcripts into vignettes for each student and identified three key strands of the students’ perceptions of their experiences – many of which continued to be key areas of focus as we worked through the action learning set process. The process highlighted the students’ understanding of how methodological expectations were reflected through key audiences and structures, how methodological choices aligned with their sense of self and identity and the role of ABR in promoting action and agency. The vignettes offered a nuanced illustration of the tensions in these areas, which we feel offers wider value due to the fact that, unlike any previous work we had identified in this area, the understandings related to students both with and without previous artist identities, backgrounds or experiences.

The focus on audience and structures highlighted the numerous audiences which exist for students’ EdD research, often spanning academic, professional and community spaces and how these can create tensions in terms of expectations of what research ‘should’ look like. Some students talked of an ongoing battle to justify and ensure their ABR projects were taken seriously, whilst others positioned their decision to use ABR as an active decision to resist academic or managerial structures they perceived had been unhelpfully imposed on them. This also highlighted that whilst valuing creativity in research within the micro context of an EdD programme itself (through teaching and supervision) was significant and built confidence, students also needed support to consider how to frame their work in wider contexts, including through institutional processes (such as those for ethics approval) and professional and academic communities. One student, for example, highlighted feeling ‘junior’ and ‘a bit insecure’ about engaging in wider university processes designed for what they felt was understood as more ‘serious research’.

In relation to identities and self, we explored a complex and nuanced understanding of students’ perceptions of the need for ongoing negotiation of the entanglement between professional, researcher, and in some cases, artist identities. Where students identified pre-existing artist identities, for some this created an obvious alignment with their research, but for others they identified tensions, including feeling ‘nervous’ about bringing this identity into their research and apprehensive of their relevance to an academic audience. Where students had no prior expertise or experience in the arts, they often expressed hesitance regarding using ABR, but strong feelings about its potential to align with aspects of their professional identity and values. For example, they appreciated ABR’s affordances in ensuring research was accessible to wider communities and supporting children’s voices to be heard.

This also connected with the final strand, action and agency, where ABR was positioned by the students as having the potential to facilitate an emancipatory process in education, promote agency and in some cases play a role in research as a form of activism. This was often associated with ideas of social justice, with one student, for example, talking of ABR as providing agency for him to ‘push back against’ an education system that marginalises certain groups. Alongside this, another highlighted ABR as having stronger potential to be participatory and action based, maximising the benefits of the research process itself on her participants who were also her students.   

As we continue our work on this project, the learning it has generated allows us to begin to reflect on its implications: implications that are both within individual EdD programs, where teaching and supervision have strong potential to offer spaces to explore, and reflect on, the potential value of ABR within EdD research, and at an institutional level, where regulations need to continue to respond to growing focus on the social and professional relevance of doctoral research and the range of models, and methodologies, they encompass. A key part of the action learning sets has also been their role in highlighting the value of facilitating methodological dialogue and creating a community of doctoral researchers exploring ABR. As one of the students reflected, this has helped with their sense of ‘validation’ for their work and provided a space to navigate some of the key tensions.

Authors:

Reflecting on a Successful First Postgraduate Research Conference

Author Education and Childhood Research Group | Posted on

Doctorate in Education (EdD) student Ronnie Houselander reflects on her experience of presenting at the recent Education and Childhood Postgraduate Researcher (PGR) Conference, which was supported by the Education and Childhood Research Group (ECRG)

On Friday 12th and Saturday 13th of July, the School of Education and Childhood hosted its first PGR Conference. EdD and PhD students came together at UWE to share our research and practice, with various contributions to explore, from posters to presentations. The event launched with an activity where we had five minutes to summarise and share our research with a new person. This unexpected exercise was a fantastic way to break the ice, helping me get to know others before presenting.

At the conference, I submitted a poster and delivered a talk that explored the opportunities of using arts-based research (ABR) and zines. Zines can be handmade, non-commercial, irregularly issued, small-run paper publications. Zines are circulated by individuals participating in special interest communities (Radway, 2011).

My project adopts an arts-based approach and aims to explore the community in which I practice. The project is titled “All Bugs Are Insects, But Not All Insects Are Bugs: Magnifying the Motivations and Experiences of Artist-Teachers in Further Education”. I applied to present because I am immersed in my research, and I am always eager to find opportunities that deepen my understanding of my subject. This conference provided a valuable platform to refine my presentation skills and enhance my ability to articulate key areas of interest. It was motivating to share aspects of my work with a new audience who are outside of my regular network.

Zines and ABR are important elements of my study and having a platform to share these ideas was insightful and has given me new perspectives to take forward into my project. You can find my presentation here.

This was the first time presenting my research project publicly and it felt like a supportive environment where I could confidently express my interests and ideas to a room full of people who wanted to support each other.

I was also fortunate to present my project not only to new peers but also to my supervisors, Tim Clark and Jane Andrews. Having UWE colleagues that I’ve met on my EdD journey at the conference was affirming for my doctoral journey, and it was great to see familiar faces in a new context.

At the conference, I also met the international EdD students who were visiting England to advance their studies. Connecting with these students, who I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet otherwise, was truly special. We shared our diverse interests and approaches to study and now support each other through email.

Overall, I had a fantastic time listening, learning, and meeting new people. I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and the enthusiasm of fellow students who are on a similar path. I hope it happens again next year! Thank you to Tim Clark, Jane Andrews, Sarah Whitehouse and Richard Waller who made this event possible.

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