Narratives of Doctoral Studies in Science Education : Making the transition from educational practitioner to researcher

This book focuses on ways in which small scale research studies arising from issues of practice, such as those undertaken by post-graduate researchers and doctoral students, are conceptualised, theorised and implemented using different methodological approaches and research frameworks. The three editors have worked with a number of doctoral students in their home countries (UK, Sweden and Germany) from which case studies will tell real stories of projects and challenges that researchers face when making the transition from educational practitioner to researcher.

This book explores the ways in which small scale research studies arise from issues of practice, and how they are conceptualised, theorised and implemented using a variety of methodological approaches and frameworks. The narratives written by thirteen doctoral students tell real stories of projects and challenges that researchers face when making the transition from educational practitioner to researcher.

Considering case studies from the UK, Sweden and Germany, chapters seek to investigate and inform others about how doctoral students solved individual and typical problems linking practice and research. Each methodological journey highlights and illustrates the iterative and cyclic nature of research, and the normality of the process of going back and forth between data and theory, making changes of direction as research proceeds. The book includes frameworks for combining research, theory and practice, drawing from the methodological decisions and conclusions each contributor made to develop their own practice oriented research.

Narratives of Doctoral Studies in Science Education will be key reading for researchers and academics in the fields of educational research, science education, research methods and higher education, as well as masters and doctoral students undertaking their own research projects.