Although educational researchers will acknowledge that they have a moral imperative to avoid harming their participants whilst carrying out research, it does not necessarily mean that they can describe the nature of what this harm might be or how it can be recognised and so avoided. This is particularly important for those working with vulnerable…

The aim of this study is to investigate whether Lego could be used as a tool for reflective practice with social care practitioners (SCPs) and student practitioners. This article outlines an action research study conducted in an institute of higher education in Ireland. Findings from this study suggest that Lego can be used to support student…

Encouraging reflective practice and developing reflective practitioners is a goal of many disciplines in higher education. A variety of pedagogical techniques have been used to promote critical reflection including portfolios, narratives and reflective journals. Over the past decade, the use of Web 2.0 technologies with students has been…

There exists broad agreement on the value of reflective practice for personal and professional development. However, many students in higher education (HE) struggle with the concept of reflection, so they do not engage well with the process, and its full value is seldom realised. An online resource was developed to facilitate and structure the…

The purpose of this discussion is to explore a graduate intervention that was aimed at promoting the understanding, empowerment, and skills building of doctoral students in education. Addressed are mentoring and learning frameworks, background issues, the pedagogical context, study details, thematic results, and implications. The authors offer a…

The dissertation is often promoted as a means of advancing autonomous learning. It is said to offer the potential for students to move along a continuum from dependence to independence. This research used interviews with a small sample of students to obtain a better understanding of the way students approach the dissertation process. The study…