Reflecting on my pre and post questionnaires I felt they align closely with my research focus on inclusivity, process-led practice, and challenging creative norms.
I wanted to think about ‘Were these good questions to ask?’ They build directly on my research aims: to explore how playful, process-led textile workshops can reduce barriers to creativity and foster inclusive approaches to making.
Tutor feedback around ‘how participants perceived the affective and pedagogical dimensions of the workshop (e.g. play, fear of failure, accessibility, and creative norms) which are core to my project’s ethical and educational rationale.
Here’s how they align:
(Suggested Focus /Why it’s Valuable /Links to Research Aim)
Playfulness and experimentation/ Reveals how freedom and open-endedness affect engagement /Tests the impact of process-led, “no right or wrong” approaches |
Accessibility of new materials /Assesses the inclusivity of low-cost, sustainable resources / Addresses barriers to participation and resource inequality |
Reducing fear of failure /Captures emotional/psychological responses to creative risk /Evaluates whether the workshop lessens performance anxiety
Support for diverse learners /Gathers perspectives on inclusivity in pedagogy /Relates to neurodivergence, language diversity, and ability |
Broadening understanding of creativity / Encourages reflection on values and norms /Directly tests my action research hypothesis |
I am using a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach, which I think seems suitable for action research in education.
Questionnaires (Pre & Post)
-Provide quantifiable indicators of change (confidence, perception shifts, inclusivity awareness).
-Support comparison between before and after the intervention.
-Simple Likert scales + open-ended items capture both breadth and depth of response. Cohen, Manion & Morrison (2012) describe questionnaires as effective for collecting “structured yet flexible data” in educational contexts (Research Methods in Education, Ch. 12).
Follow-up Interviews / Group Reflection
– Alvesson (2012) and Ellis & Bochner (2006) support using ‘reflexive, dialogic interviews’ to generate rich data grounded in participants’ lived experience.
-Invite a number of teachers to discuss their experiences in greater depth.
-Use semi-structured prompts:
Did you find the workshop playful or freeing in any way? Or Do you think these methods could reduce students’ fear of failure?” Or How might these approaches support more diverse learners?”
Observation & Reflective Notes
During the workshop, take notes (assistant) of:
-Participant body language and engagement./Spontaneous comments about materials, process, or play./ Group discussions and emergent ideas. As Tjora (2006) highlights “observation as a contextual complement” in qualitative action research, providing insight into interactional dynamics.
Artefacts / Visual Data
– Gray & Malins (2004) discuss the use of artefacts as “visual evidence of reflective process” in ‘Visualizing Research’.Collect anonymised images or notes from participants’ sketchbooks or mark-making outcomes (with consent).
-Use these to reflect on how process-led making manifests visually.
In Summary
– Align with my research question (on inclusivity and creative process)
– Capture affective, pedagogical, and conceptual change.
-Allow for triangulation (questionnaire + reflection + observation).