Name of author: Helen Buckley Woods
Thesis title: Knowledge Production and Disciplinary Practices in a British University: A Qualitative Cross-disciplinary Case Study
Awarding university: The University of Sheffield, UK
Degree and year: EdD, 2019
In this study I explored researchers’ experiences to understand if, why and how disciplinary ways of working and knowledge types have changed in response to external pressures. I adopted the theoretical lens of ‘social realism’ (Young Citation2008). I believe this is an enabling philosophical perspective with direct application in meta-research of higher education knowledge production. Participants reported changes to working practices due to pressure to work across disciplines, the need to demonstrate social and economic relevance of research, and technological advances. I observed a broadening of knowledge types and simultaneous narrowing of research topics in some disciplinary areas. Depending upon the type of knowledge researchers worked with, differing views were expressed on academic freedom, peer review and newer forms of research evaluation. I demonstrate through the data and ideas synthesised in the study that instrumentalism is damaging the development of pure research and limiting dissemination of applied research. Taking a social realist position, I highlight the need to delineate between different knowledge forms and evaluate their strengths and limitations using objective disciplinary-generated criteria. I advocate for future research in relation to Basil Bernstein’s trajectory of singular and regional knowledge forms.
Email: [email protected]
Reference
- Young, M. 2008. Bringing Knowledge Back in: From Social Constructivism to Social Realism in the Sociology of Education. London: Routledge.