This interactive workshop is designed for pre- and postgraduate students, supervisors and examiners of doctoral studies, also post-doctoral researchers interested in further developing and publicising their work. It invites participants to consider specifically the theoretical/epistemological underpinnings of their research: how these came about, how they are put to work in their individual projects and what the implications might be regarding the contribution of theory and theorising in social life.

Our primary objective is to bring together present and potential doctoral students, experienced researchers and anyone interested in educational theory and theorising to facilitate dialogue and interaction on this oftentimes ‘slippery’ element of the research process. In the course of the day we will also demonstrate various methods for generating dialogue about theory that both acknowledge prior knowledge and nurture new ideas and understandings.

Victoria Perselli is an associate professor at Kingston University. She is joint coordinator of postgraduate degrees in the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education. She is currently conducting a longitudinal study on the relationship of theory to research in a range of professional and disciplinary fields, by continuous revisiting the question ‘Where does theory come from…? Victoria is particularly interested in how recent forms of theory and theorising may be operationalised to bring about change in diverse learning and teaching contexts, thereby constituting ‘pedagogies of change’ in – and beyond – institutions of higher education.

Louise Drumm is a doctoral researcher based in Glasgow Caledonian University’s Centre for Lifelong Learning and Learning Enhancement and Academic Development. Her research is concerned with the role of theory in university teaching using digital technologies. She has worked in higher education as a learning technologist, academic developer and lecturer.