Co-production of knowledge for sustainability: an application of reflective practice in doctoral studies

ABSTRACT

This paper examines how doctoral students of sustainability science acquired reflective practice skills and engaged in critical reflection. Using the experience of a doctoral theory course on rural studies at the University of Guelph, students and faculty employed the principles of co-production and dialogue to explore the question: What does it mean to reflectively braid knowledge systems for sustainability? To do this, each doctoral scholar independently responded to the question, and then followed the response with an additional individual reflection. As a final discussion, we extended the reflection process and shifted the focus of conversation to ourselves and to the methodological aspects of the dialogical writing that we engaged in. Throughout this process, we used reflective practice and co-production to demonstrate how such processes must be integrated into the skills training and education of students who are taking inter- and trans-disciplinary programs. To finish, we reflect on the role of critical reflection, one that takes the normative dimensions of sustainability seriously, concluding that it is inseparable from reflective sustainability research and practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Reflective practice
• critical reflection
• doctoral studies
• sustainability
• co-production
• knowledge co-production

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada [Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS-Doctoral];University of Guelph [Aboriginal Graduate Scholarship].

Notes on contributors

Graeme Reed

Graeme Reed is a PhD student at the University of Guelph, studying the intersection of Indigenous governance, environmental governance and the climate crisis. At the same time, he works at the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Environment Sector. He is of mixed Anishinaabe and European descent.

Winifredo Dagli

Winifredo Dagli is a PhD candidate of rural studies at the University of Guelph. He is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Science Communication, College of Development Communication at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. His doctoral research focuses on the transformational adaptation of the agricultural sector in the Philippines.

Helen Hambly Odame

Helen Hambly Odame is Associate Professor of Capacity Development and Extension at the University of Guelph. Her current work primarily focuses on knowledge mobilization, information technology and telecommunications in agricultural innovation systems.