1. Sally Sambrook Learning, research and impact in HRD: rigour and relevance for whom? An autoethnographic perspective

2. Introduction Aim = connect key workshop themes Learning Research Explore issues of rigour, relevance & impact From multiple perspectives Through an autoethnographic approach

3. Autoethnography First labelled by Hayano (1979) ‘An autobiographic genre of writing and research that displays multiple layers of consciousness, connecting the personal to the cultural’ (Ellis & Bochner 2003:209). AE is a way of writing (graphy) about personal experiences (auto) that connect with a particular culture (ethno) (Reed-Danahay 1997) The researcher is part of the study, linking personal experiences of the intellectual idea with the culture being studied

4. Issues in AE Ethical considerations The self, I, (Doloriert & Sambrook 2009) Relational (Vickers 2002, Medford 2006 etc) Exposure & vulnerability Enables voice, but partially naked (Clandinin & Connelly 1994) Once told, story is loose in the world (King 2003) Extensive critique Self-indulgence, narcissim (Coffey 1999) Academic wank (Sparkes 2002)

5. Four possible perspectives IMPACT

6. Learning & research & me

7. Connecting learning & research Research Pedagogy Practice

8. Connecting rigour & relevance Some challenging questions … What do they mean? How can we achieve them? Why are they important? And for whom? Competing or complementary?

9. Relevance & rigour Relevant to whom? The researcher/degree student her/himself The student’s supervisor The school/institution where the researcher works The research community The funding body The government Society at large Rigour - more straightforward? A piece of research is said to be rigorous if it closely follows the well established rules of research – rules established within the chosen research paradigm and the chosen research community

10. Knowledge creation Mode I Fundamental research, questions set and solved by academics with little, if any, focus on exploitation of research by practitioners (rigour) Mode II Applied research, governed by world of practice and highlighting collaboration with & between practitioners (relevance)(Gibbons et al 1994) Mode III Research growing out of I & II with the purpose ‘to assure survival and promote the common good at various levels of social aggregation’ (Huff & Huff 2001:553) (Saunders et al 2009:595)

11. Relevance & rigour (Anderson et al 2001)

12. Knowledge dissemination/ acquisition? Mode I Fundamental teaching, content set and delivered by academics with little, if any, focus on exploitation of needs of & contributions by practitioners (rigour) Mode II Applied teaching & learning, governed by world of practice and highlighting collaboration with & between practitioners (relevance) Mode III Pedagogy growing out of I & II with the purpose ‘to assure survival and promote the common good at various levels of social aggregation’

13. Defining impact … The benefits that can flow from excellent research are many and varied. For the purposes of the REF, impact is defined as: “any effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia.” (REF Brief guide for research users: 3)

14. IMPACT (1) IImportant MMeasurable PPerformance AAction CCritical TTeaching & learning

15. IMPORTANT Imp + act Important Action How achieve in research and learning? Compatible or competing?

16. Measurable How demonstrate? What is IMPACTBy whom? Measured? Why?

17. Performance Changing HE context Increasing bureaucratization New managerialism Performativity Publish or perish Prioritization of research over teaching, yet.. Teaching performance, NSS Higher fees = higher expectations

18. Performance

19. Action Students Use of webnotes BMAF (Sambrook & Rowley 2010) Doctoral supervision UFHRD (Sambrook & Stewart 2008, Doloriert & Sambrook 2009, 2011, 2012, Sambrook et al 2008, 2012) Group work HEA Wales (Sambrook et 2011) Faculty  TLA HRD UFHRD, BMAF (Sambrook & Stewart 2009) Organisations (HE, business) LEAD Wales WEFO (Jones & Sambrook 2012) Relevance to SME owner-managers, social and economic impact

20. Critical Critical – REF publish or perish, NSS Critical approaches to learning & research Professional/disciplinary: free HRD from HRM Paradigmatic/methodological: beyond positivism – implications for rigour & relevance Pedagogic: micro emancipatory projects (indiv & groups, CALS, shifting from dependence to interdependence UG - Doctoral) Practice: more human, ethical organisations

21. Teaching & learning Implications for key themes: employability internationalisation flexible learning post-graduate pedagogy (student & supervisor) work-based learning

22. IMPACT (2) IImportant MMeaningful PPeople Aresearch-informed Action (& AL, AR) CCritical (rigorous & relevant) TTeaching & learning

23. Competing perspectives? Personal Pedagogic IMPACT Professional Performative

24. Conclusion AE, personal and partial account of my experiences of teaching, learning & research My attempt to make connections/make sense imPACT We need a PACT Between teaching & research Between rigour & relevance

25. Thank you! sally.sambrook@bangor.ac.uk