Going Against the Grain

EdD students’ engagement with arts-based research in the United Kingdom

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2026.493

Keywords:

arts-based research, professional doctorate in education, practice-based enquiry, creativity theory, resistance, methodology

Abstract

Despite growing interest in the potential value of arts-based research (ABR) for educational inquiry in the UK, limited consideration exists regarding its accessibility and relevance to practice-based professional doctoral researchers in this field. In response to this, this article reports on the first phase of a study which aimed to explore the contexts, perceptions, and experiences of professional Doctorate in Education (EdD) students’ decisions to engage with aspects of ABR in their studies. Informed by narrative interviews with 9 EdD students in the UK, this article utilizes a series of short vignettes to illustrate the students’ stories, capturing the potential tensions perceived and/or experienced in relation to engagement with ABR. The findings consider: how conflicting methodological expectations may be reflected through key audiences and structures, the tensions between methodological choices and sense of self and identify, and the potential role of ABR in terms of promoting action and agency.

Author Biographies

Timothy Clark, University of the West of England

Timothy Clark is Director of Research and Enterprise for the School of Education and Childhood at the University of the West of England.

Tom Dobson, York St John University

Tom Dobson is Professor of Education in the School of Education, Language and Psychology.

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Published

2026-02-03

How to Cite

Clark, T., & Dobson, T. (2026). Going Against the Grain: EdD students’ engagement with arts-based research in the United Kingdom . Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice, 11(1), 20–27. https://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2026.493

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 1 (2026): Regular Issue

Section

Research Manuscripts

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Copyright (c) 2026 Timothy Clark, Tom Dobson

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