Purpose: This article outlines the experience of conducting Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis research into the chronic illness of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, an incurable condition of the gastro-intestinal tract which results in numerous physically and psychologically symptoms that are difficult to live with, by a researcher who shares the…

This is the second and concluding part of the interview which Melissa Benn and Jane Martin conducted with Clyde Chitty in the summer of 2017. The first part appeared in the previous issue of the journal, "FORUM," 59(3). When Clyde stepped away from regular duties with the FORUM board, Michael Armstrong dubbed him "the patron saint…

FORUM invited Melissa Benn and Jane Martin to interview Clyde Chitty, a brilliant and effective classroom and university teacher, one of the most well-known advocates of comprehensive education, a long-standing member of FORUM's editorial board, and for two decades co-editor of the publication. It was Michael Armstrong who called him 'the patron…

This response to Vassiliki Papatsiba's article on collaboration draws attention to structural barriers to collaborative research: for example, increased competition for scarce resources, increased steering of research, and the casualisation of research workers. It draws on experience of collaborative work in a large, EU-funded project to…

This article presents the authors' review of "Globalizing education, educating the local: how method made us mad," by Ian Stronach. In the opening chapter of their highly influential 1997 book "Education Research Undone: The Postmodern Embrace," Ian Stronach and Maggie MacLure draw upon the work of Derrida to argue for…

While the last 10 years have seen a significant increase in research published on early intervention and autism, there is a persistent disconnect between educational research and practice. Governments have invested significant funds in autism education, and a range of approaches have been implemented in schools, but there is limited research…

This paper draws on the theory of Basil Bernstein and on more recent applications of it by Rob Moore, John Beck and Michael Young to respond to recent calls for the replacement of discipline-based university faculties and departments with "problem-based" curricula and programmes of study. It considers, particularly, the potential…

In the UK, dissatisfaction with the research process as experienced by people with physical disability was articulated by Paul Hunt in 1981 when he referred to the researchers who were invited to examine the institutionalised living he inhabited as "parasites." They adopted a detached approach that ignored the lived experiences of the…

This paper addresses the form of enquiry appropriate for the workplace researcher. The first part of the paper is used to introduce the main themes of "phronesis" and relies heavily on Aristotle and Heidegger. It is argued that practical wisdom developed through experience of practical judgements offers a form of enquiry appropriate for…

In this article we present findings from research in 12 UK universities that sought to capture a range of perspectives on "distributed leadership" and reveal common and competing experiences within and between institutions. From analysis of findings we identified two principle approaches to the distribution of leadership:…

Evident from the responses to the author's paper is the fact that other researchers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia have had cause to consider the issues that contribute to the complexities of involving people with intellectual disabilities, who may not be able to provide their own consent, in research. Comments by Aman and…

Critics of education research in the recent years have pointed the finger at what they saw as its low quality, impact, and "value for money." In the context of the Research Assessment Exercise, particular concerns have been raised about applied and practice-based educational research and how best to assess its quality. This contribution…

This article draws on the author's experience as Director of the Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP), the UK's largest coordinated educational research initiative, to review some recent developments in the field and, in particular, some major contemporary challenges. In response to critiques of educational research of the late 1990s,…

This short paper draws upon the work of Boyer (1990) to argue for a broader definition of research, a greater recognition of the role of service and the integration of teaching, research and service as interconnected scholarly activities. As a lecturer in management the author has carried out research on small firms and has been a business mentor…

The ethical considerations that university students have to be concerned about when undertaking research projects are a matter for a range of publications and committees. This article considers the terms of reference of ethical considerations in students' research projects, given the number of researchers who are now doing research within their…