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On 8 Apr 2008, at 13:12, Louise Phillips wrote: "I totally agree about the imposition of theories of others (the traditional scholarship model) onto the children's responses, but this is the model that my supervisors have guided me to follow - how do I break free from the traditional scholarship model as a PhD student? It's ridiculous really - as my supervisors and myself position ourselves as post-structuralist - yet they still adhere to many features of the traditional academic model - which is so positivist... Anyway I guess I am asking for strategies/ tips to challenge the traditional scholarship - in my less powerful position of student." On 8 Apr 2008, at 23:50, Louise Phillips wrote: "THis is what I understand Brian - that I need to follow the widely recognised academic model - for success & for recognition. Hence my question to Jack. In the hierarchy of academia that Jack has reached a point where he has academic freedom but as a student this is limited for me." I think I'd learn a lot from sustaining a conversation with a focus on Louise's question, 'How do I break free from the traditional scholarship model as a Ph.D. student?' This question feels like a really good question that could form the title of a Ph.D. thesis. Louise - you are asking for strategies/tp challenge the traditional scholarship - in your less powerful position of student. What you might enjoy doing is to read Donald Schon's paper on The New Scholarship Requires ad New Epistemology. Schon, D. (1995) The New Scholarship Requires a New Epistemology. Change, Nov./Dec. 1995 27 (6) pp. 27-34. You might also browse through some of the contributions to the 2007 Handbook of Narrative Inquiry: Mapping a Methodology, published by Sage. I like Jean's contribution on My Story is My Living Educational Theory. I was helped enormously in extending my epistemology capabilities, from the limitations in traditional scholarship, by Michael Polanyi's book Personal Knowledge, where he recommends taking a decision to understand the world from one's own point of view as an individual claiming originality and exercising judgment, responsibly with universal intent. I think you could also gain confidence, in making a contribution to the new epistemology of educational knowledge, through seeing that there are external examiners of doctoral theses who have track records of examining theses that have extended/transformed the epistemologies of educational knowledge from the limitations of traditional scholarship and into inclusional and relational epistemologies. I think you'd find Barbara Thayer Bacon's book on Relational (e)pistemologies most helpful. I don't want to overwhelm you with readings but I do hope that we can sustain a focus on your enquiry 'How do I break free from the traditional scholarship model as a Ph.D. student?' in this thread on Raising issues and asking questions. If you go into Jean's website at http://www.jeanmcniff.com/papers/reports.html , you will see the list of dissertations and theses includes 5 doctoral theses that have moved onto the new epistemology base. You will find more at http://people.bath.ac.uk/edsajw/living.shtml .... I've also attached Pip's contribution to the March 2008 issue of Research Intelligence on Increasing Inclusion in Educational Research: Reflections from New Zealand as this seems particularly relevant to Louise's question. Love Jack.