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.
