1. Reflections on doing ethical cross-cultural research Dr. Helen Griffiths, University of Exeter IGU Research Forum, 13 th October

2. Global Partnerships as Sites for Mutual Learning: teachers’ professional development through study visit courses Three year ESRC-funded project based at the Graduate School of Education, University of Exeter. October 2009- January 2013 Investigating two global educational partnerships between UK – Gambia and UK – India Teachers’ learning and professional development through North-South study visit courses Cross-cultural research team Four researchers, four organisations, 100 + teachers, educators and development workers across three countries http://education.exeter.ac.uk/gpml/

3. Context: Research Questions (at the start!) What impact do two North-South study visits have on teachers’ understanding of development issues and how does this inform their understanding of, and practice in, global partnerships? 1.How have two global partnerships developed and what context do they provide for educational study visits 2.What do teachers from both North and South learn about development and global issues from their involvement in study visits? 3.What are the key factors that prompt any changes in knowledges and beliefs? 4.How does this learning inform their practice over time?

4. Context: project focus (near the end!) How do we relate interculturally? How do we live with difference? What does transformative learning look like? What sorts of partnerships facilitate mutual learning?

5. Postcolonial theory Western thought is based on binary opposites – Rich/ Poor, Us/ Them – which are hierarchically structured with one term being privileged over the other. Postcolonialism seeks to reveal and unpick these by showing that rather than being oppositional, binaries are relational. (Said, 1985; Bhabha, 1994; Spivak, 1988) There is a colonial history between UK-Gambia, UK-India; this is the context within which intercultural learning through study visits is taking place. Theoretical framing threaded throughout all aspects of the project, informing research design at levels: ­Developing an ethical engagement with the ‘Other’(Andreotti, 2007, Spivak, 1990) ­Third space (Bhabba, 1994)

6. Research design Participatory, collaborative approach Cross cultural research team Mutual, intercultural learning processes across research team Research process as transformative learning Adhering to principle of developing an ethical relationship with the ‘Other’ (Spivak, 1990)

7. Research team self-reflexivity learning to unlearn (unpacking one’s own historical and cultural ‘baggage’); learning to listen (to multiple perspectives); learning to learn (taking on new perspectives, re-arranging and expanding one’s own); learning to reach out (exploring new ways of being, thinking, doing, knowing and relating) (Andreotti, 2007, drawing on the work of Spivak, 1990)

8. Research team and roles Dr Fran Martin: Principle Investigator, University of Exeter, UK Dr Helen Griffiths: Research Fellow, University of Exeter, UK Dr Lamin Raja: Research consultant, Gandhigram Rural University, Tamil Nadu, India Dr Lamin Sidibeh: Research consultant, The Gambia University, The Gambia

9. Research methodology Qualitative, ethnographic aproach Culturally appropriate & sensitive research methods Research diaries: personal learning & research team processes Reflective research conversations between research team Continuous consultation between research team and four organisations Collaborative analysis of data Obstacles and challenges: – Language – Differences in approaches to research – Communication – Research-Education-Development focus

10. Research processes UK principal investigator and research fellow Indian research consultant Gambian research consultant Mutual Intercultural Transformative Potential 3 rd space

11. Encountering difference... in approaches to research methods UK interviews: semi-structured, more like a ‘conversation’, often lengthy etc. Gambian & Indian interviews: much more structured, led by research consultant, often very short etc. Rather than seeing one approach as superior to the other, through reflective discussions have learnt from the inherent differences. I have been trying to tell myself to remember that just because I think research should be done in this way, doesn’t mean to say that that’s how research is approached in a different cultural context, and that focussing on difference and understanding through difference is what this is all about. (Fran, research conversation with ISSV leader, 2011)

12. Encountering difference... between two ‘sites’ of research Not a comparative study Two course provide alternative models/ approaches to running study visits to the Global South Two partnerships (one much more charity focus) Importance of recognising different starting point with each partnership – Fran’s relationship with Tide~ and previous role as study visit course leader I am aware that when I do things here [The Gambia] they are, in many respects, very different from how things go in India and there is a tendency to feel preference for one or the other because the style is more in keeping with what one is familiar. However, I think that this is what Vanessa Andreotti was warning me about [...] to stay with the difference and not to try to iron it out by focusing on similarity. (Fran, research diary, Feb 12 th 2010)

13. Research, Education & Development we’re coming at the research in relationship to these two other things, education and development in a slightly different way [...] I think I see a very strong relationship between research and education, and a less strong relationship between research and development in what I’m doing... But that’s not to say that it has to be the same in the Gambia (Fran, research conversation with Dr. Sidibeh, November 2010) Research EducationDevelopment

14. Southern researcher’s contribution to theory Sarvodaya and the Oceanic Circle Dr Raja introduced theory during the Interim conference, September 2011. Focus on humanity, love and spiritual development as central to intercultural relationships Apparent tensions with Postcolonial theory Trying to understand what it can bring to the research... A difference dimension on care ethics which is now an important element of the research findings.

15. How do we live with difference? How do we relate to each other interculturally? ­Noting, exploring and entering into dialogue about differences enables learning – Complex relational processes – Relating to each other … relating to historical, cultural, social and environmental factors – Avoiding universalism, attending to difference – Trust is crucial – The links between people are central to the integrity of inter- cultural understanding Similar issues to intercultural learning process taking place amongst research participants Difference and doing cross-cultural research