Qualitative Method in Professional Practice Research Group

Empty chairs and table in front of concrete wall with chalk graffiti
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We try out, use and develop a range of qualitative approaches to the study of professional practice.

Transdisciplinary research

The group’s members come from different disciplines, all sharing an interest for the detailed examination of professional practices through diverse qualitative approaches. These include participative as well as non-participative observation, production and analysis of video and sound recordings, use of mobile methods such as shadowing, dialogue-based methods and action research. The group’s current members work mostly on professional practice in higher education, school and kindergarten, but the group is open for research on a wide spectrum of professions and institutions.

Professional practice

Our interest for professional practice can be contrasted with so-called “evidence-based” approaches. The group’s main interest lies in the development of a more in-depth and rich understanding of how practices constitute themselves as such and how qualitative approaches can contribute to the study and refinement of practice in action. Terms such as materiality, dialog, multimodality, space and embodiment are of crucial importance in this context. Reflection about ethical challenges is as important for this group as developing the potentials inherent to participative approaches.

The research group also serves as a resource beyond the group’s internal activities. By demonstrating the usefulness of relevant, new and innovative methods at the edge of current research methodologies, the group contributes to the active formation of peer activities as well as different ways of sharing knowledge and research skills.

Current topics

  • teaching and learning through the use of qualitative methods
  • action research, co-creation, dialogue-oriented, and participative research methods
  • mobile methods (shadowing, walk-alongs, etc.) and use of mobile digital devices
  • use of video
  • qualitative data as “evidence”
  • emotions, perception and affect in qualitative research

Activities

  • Project development: We arrange meetings and develop new, shared project and applications for external funding.
  • Research communication and collaboration: We seek to collaborate actively with regional actors such as communities and other relevant actors with regards to methods and ethics of professional education and practice.
  • “Qualitative conversations”, “Vin og viten”: The group arranges monthly get-togethers at campus Notodden where different research-related topics are discussed in a more relaxed setting in the local library.

Subgroups and current research projects

Publications

Group leader

Members

PhD-candidates