Diffraction or reflection? Sketching the contours of two methodologies in educational research

Internationally, an interest is emerging in a growing body of work on what has become known as ‘diffractive methodologies’ drawing attention to ontological aspects of research. Diffractive methodologies have largely been developed in response to a dissatisfaction with practices of ‘reflexivity’, which are seen to be grounded in a representational paradigm and the epistemological aspects of research. While work on ‘reflexivity’ and ‘critical reflection’ has over the years become predominant in educational and social science research methodology literature, our reading indicates that there is still important conceptual work to be done putting these two practices – reflection and diffraction – in conversation with each other and exploring their continuities and breaks as well as examining the consequences for research methodologies in education. This article raises important questions about how the concepts of diffraction and reflection are defined and understood and discusses the methodological implications for educational research.     

Workplace support for newly qualified doctors and secondary school teachers: A comparative analysis

Doctors and teachers in their first year of practice face steep learning curves and increased stress, which can induce poor mental health, burnout and attrition. Informal workplace support from colleagues can help smooth transitions and aid professional development. A three-phase comparative research design was used to explore who provides informal workplace support to early-career professionals, types of support and influencing factors. Phase 1 was a systematic secondary analysis of interviews and audio diaries from 52 UK doctors in their first year of foundation training (F1s). Phase 2 involved new narrative interviews with 11 newly qualified teachers (NQTs) from English secondary schools. Phase 3 was a comparative analysis to produce a model of workplace support. Given barriers to accessing senior doctors, F1 doctors drew upon nurses, pharmacists, microbiologists, peers/near-peers and allied healthcare professionals for support. NQTs gained support from allocated mentors and seniors within subject departments, as well as teaching assistants, allied support staff and wider professional networks. Support types for both professions included information and advice on practice, orientation to local settings, collaborative development activities, observation and feedback, and socioemotional support. Influencing factors included variable departmental cultures, limited opportunities for informal contact, sometimes negative inter-group perceptions and the agentic responses of novices. The resulting workplace model of support could underpin future research and evaluations of support in similar ‘hot-action’ environments. In medicine and teaching, greater utilisation of near-peers and allied staff, improved role understanding and communication, increased informal contact and sharing successful strategies across professions could enhance supportive relationships.     

Developing a research partnership: teachers as researchers and teacher educators

This paper discusses a combined university–school research project involving three associate teachers from the pre-service teacher education degree at the University of Otago, New Zealand in the examination of their literacy teaching practice. The provision of resources for this collaborative study allowed the teachers to design the project in response to the learning needs of the children in their classrooms. The paper specifically analyses the research experience for the teachers as they theorized their classroom literacy practice and utilized the research findings to inform the content and processes of teaching at both the primary and tertiary classroom levels.     

Integrated perspective of evolving intrapsychic and person-environment functions: implications for deaf and hard of hearing individuals

The authors review and integrate certain diverse theories to explain and suggest appropriate interventions for difficulties in socioemotional functioning experienced by many deaf persons. These diverse perspectives include a hierarchical circular systems approach, psychosocial stage theory, social learning theory, and representational models, or evolving expectancies of others. These perspectives, which can facilitate understanding of social behaviors and development and lead to improved interventions, provide background for a 3-level model proposed in the article. The model focuses on the relationship between the deaf person and the proximal social environment. The model's first level takes into account intrapsychic processes such as self-concept; the second highlights reciprocal interactions between the person and the social environment. The third describes the resulting memories and expectancies that develop and evolve and that influence the person's previous intrapsychic thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. These, in turn, affect social interactions, in a recurrent, spiraling fashion. This hierarchical model can be used as a framework for concurrent or sequential interventions with Deaf people.     

Effects of a School‐based Education Programme on Safety Helmet Usage by 11‐ to 13‐year‐old Cyclists

A school‐based programme designed and run by the New Zealand Ministry of Transport Education Division and school personnel to increase the use of safety helmets by pupils at an inner city intermediate school was evaluated. The three phase intervention consisted of: information on the benefits of safety equipment, instruction modules focused on road safety and helmet use in several curriculum areas, and random prizes for wearing safety helmets. Direct observation at the target school and the notreatment control school served as the primary dependent measure. Across time a statistically significant difference in helmet usage was evident in the experimental but not the control school. Implications of this study for cyclist safety are discussed.     

Collaboration Between Educational Psychologists and Speech and Language Therapists: Barriers and opportunities

This paper reports a study that aimed to investigate the perspectives of educational psychologists (EPs) and speech and language therapists (SLTs) about collaborative practices across these two services, to identify any barriers to collaboration and to explore how these could be overcome. The views of EPs and SLTs in two local authorities were sought using a questionnaire. Data analysis identified differences relating to professional and attitudinal issues, revealing divergent views about assessment and resource allocation. Communication difficulties were also identified. Approaches to develop effective collaborative practice are discussed and the importance of creating opportunities to deliver joint training in schools is highlighted.