Category Archives: reflexivity

unlearning – a tiny reflection

Posted on October 3, 2022 by pat thomson

There’s a lot of learning that goes on in universities. Of course, I hear you say, that is what universities are about. Yes, but I’m thinking particularly about the learning that goes on during the doctorate and afterwards. On and … Continue reading →

Posted in de-familiarisation, reflexivity, the familiar, unlearning | Tagged academic writing, making the familiar strange, Pat Thomson, reflexivity, unlearning | 4 Comments

making the familiar strange – two book recommendations

Posted on June 29, 2017 by pat thomson

Today, as this post publishes, I’m giving a talk to postgraduate researchers. One of the things I will talk about is why it’s important for all researchers to practice seeing things differently. We already have ways of describing this imperative … Continue reading →

Posted in creativity, defamiliarisation, reflexivity, research methods, the familiar | Tagged creativity, defamiliarisation, Keri Smith, Lynda Barry, Pat Thomson, research methods | 9 Comments

taking the doctoral walk

Posted on April 20, 2015 by pat thomson

This is a guest post from Susan Gollifer, a doctoral researcher in education at The University of Iceland. Susan’s research looks at teachers and human rights curriculum. I am coming towards the end of a two-month Erasmus placement at a … Continue reading →

Posted in academic writing, reflection, reflexivity, supervision, supervisor, Susan Gollifer | Tagged academic writing, home and away, Pat Thomson, reflection, Susan Gollifer | 1 Comment

making the familiar strange – what’s that about?

Posted on February 14, 2013 by pat thomson

I’m doing a set of posts about writing the methods chapter/the thesis sections which address methods and methodological concerns. When writing about their research process, doctoral researchers sometimes refer to the need to deal with things that up till then … Continue reading →

Posted in methods chapter, reflexivity | Tagged making the familiar strange, Pat Thomson, reflexivity, Renato Rosaldo, the everyday | 4 Comments

mulling it over – a thinking tool for reflecting on a research experience

Posted on October 29, 2012 by pat thomson

Reflection is one of those weasel-ly words that can mean anything and nothing. Most of us acknowledge that we need to do it, but what does it actually mean as a practice? You are probably familiar with Donald Schön’s (a) … Continue reading →