Dr Monica Mincu | Three two-hour session | Summer: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (UK time) Thursday 1, 22 May + 12 June
 

NB: This course accrues 2 training points.

This three-session course proposes different approaches to conceptually elaborate the educational "context" in studying various topics. Whilst this is a required subsection in doctoral dissertations and academic writing more widely, it is sometimes approached in an unreflected and descriptive way, traditionally identifying “factors” (political, economic, demographic, religious etc), “levels” (macro, meso, micro) or questioning “boundaries” (global/local, internal/external to specific organisations).

The central premise of this course is that the broader context is critical to understanding educational processes and aspects. Thus, selecting relevant contextual aspects and proposing a pertinent conceptual elaboration beyond mere description is as important as choosing the theoretical aspects. Some key questions need to be raised when approaching the writing up of this subsection, which will be considered in this course: 
 

• What are the most relevant contextual elements to be considered when studying a specific topic?
• Can we attribute specific aspects to the national level?
• How can we deal with the global and the local?
• How can we be sure that certain theories are valid lenses to read different contexts?

Ph.D.s will be able to engage with the context in their specific case with a fresh social science lens and interact with peers.