The literature I’ve drawn on throughout this project has really shaped how I planned and ran my intervention. McNiff (2017) and Kemmis & McTaggart (2005) gave me a solid grounding in action research, which was perfect for keeping the project flexible and responsive. Their ideas about cycles of planning, acting, and reflecting reminded me to keep students’ needs at the centre of everything I did (McNiff, 2017; Kemmis & McTaggart, 2005). I applied this by adjusting group sessions and one-to-one interviews based on students’ confidence and prior experience, which made the sessions feel more personal and effective (Bhagat & O’Neill, 2011).
Ethics were always at the front of my mind, especially with small student cohorts and sensitive topics like financial pressures or imposter syndrome. The BERA (2024) guidelines helped me handle consent, confidentiality, and sensitive conversations the right way (BERA, 2024). In practice, this meant preparing clear consent forms, discussing confidentiality openly, and carefully choosing questions that wouldn’t make students feel uncomfortable, which really helped them open up. When it came to gathering data, Kvale & Brinkmann (2015) and Kara (2015) guided me in framing semi-structured interview questions that were open and approachable (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2015; Kara, 2015). I used Corman (2013) coding prompts to make analysing these interviews straightforward, which allowed me to pull out key insights without getting lost in the detail (Corman, 2013).
Understanding the bigger picture of widening participation was eye-opening, even though I had worked in WP for years, I learnt so much. Reading Bhagat & O’Neill (2011), McManus (2009), and reports like NSEAD (2016) and Warwick Commission (2015) helped me see the social and cultural hurdles FE students face when moving into creative HE courses (Bhagat & O’Neill, 2011; McManus, 2009; NSEAD, 2016; Warwick Commission, 2015). Although I knew allot of this. It will inform the way I structure sessions and resources to be inclusive and supportive going forward, for example by embedding exercises that built confidence and highlighted transferable skills and embedding this into my KE project work. It made me realise why it’s so important to be aware of how access, teaching practices, and confidence all intersect (Bhagat & O’Neill, 2011; McManus, 2009).
All these pieces of literature have been woven into every stage of my project—from planning and designing sessions to collecting data and reflecting on outcomes. I applied McNiff and Kemmis & McTaggart’s reflective cycles after each interview session, noting what worked, what didn’t, and how to adapt the next session. I also consciously used ethical and participation principles from BERA (2024) and Bhagat & O’Neill (2011) to ensure students felt safe, included, and empowered throughout the intervention. Looking back, I can honestly say that reading and reflecting on this research has made me a better teacher ( I hope ) and how to be more thoughtful when building KE projects (McNiff, 2017; Kemmis & McTaggart, 2005; BERA, 2024; Bhagat & O’Neill, 2011; McManus, 2009).
In Brief
Methodology & Action Research
- McNiff (2017): Guided reflection and iterative planning; applied after each interview session
- Kemmis & McTaggart (2005): Encouraged participatory approaches; applied by involving the students in more open discussions during interviews
Ethics & Interviewing
- BERA (2024): Informed consent, safeguarding, sensitive data handling; applied in consent forms and ethical interview practices.
- Kvale & Brinkmann (2015): Practical guidance for semi-structured interviews; applied to design approachable questions.
Data Analysis & Transparency
- Kara (2015): Transparent and replicable qualitative methods; applied to structure coding and analysis.
- Corman (2013): Simple coding prompts; applied to systematically analyse student and FE tutors’ reflections.
Widening Participation & Creative Education
- Bhagat & O’Neill (2011): Understanding access, belonging, and teaching in creative subjects
- McManus (2009): Insight into barriers for vocational-route students; applied to scaffold learning and build confidence.
- NSEAD (2016) & Warwick Commission (2015): Sector-wide context on inequality; applied to frame the intervention within broader HE challenges.
References
BERA (2024) Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research. London: British Educational Research Association.
Bhagat, D. and O’Neill, P. (2011) Inclusive Practices, Inclusive Pedagogies: Learning from Widening Participation Research in Art and Design Higher Education. London: CHEAD.
Corman, S. (2013) Coding and Qualitative Analysis. London: Sage.
Kara, H. (2015) Creative Research Methods in the Social Sciences. Bristol: Policy Press.
Kemmis, S. and McTaggart, R. (2005) ‘Participatory Action Research’, in Denzin, N. and Lincoln, Y. (eds.) The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research. London: Sage, pp. 559–603.
Kvale, S. and Brinkmann, S. (2015) InterViews: Learning the Craft of Qualitative Research Interviewing. 3rd edn. London: Sage.
McManus, J. (2009) Becoming a Creative Professional: Exclusion and Inclusion in Art, Design and Media Education. PhD thesis. Institute of Education, University of London.
McNiff, J. (2017) Action Research: All You Need to Know. London: Sage.
NSEAD (2016) The Value of Art, Craft and Design Education. London: NSEAD.
Warwick Commission (2015) Enriching Britain: Culture, Creativity and Growth. Coventry: University of Warwick.